Extended optical line emitting gas in powerful radio galaxies - statistical properties and physical conditions

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Astrophys. J.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1086/167043· OSTI ID:6275321

Baum, S A; Heckman, T

The statistical results are presented of a search for extended optical emission-line gas in a sample of 38 predominantly powerful, flux-density selected, radio galaxies and of an additional five radio galaxies. The findings establish that spatially extended emission-line gas is common in powerful radio galaxies. Lower limits to the density of the emission-line gas at distances between 5 and 10 kpc from the galaxy nucleus are estimated at 0.1-1/cu cm, and upper limits to the total mass in emission-line gas are estimated at between 5 x 10 to the 7th and 5 x 10 to the 9th solar masses. Narrow emission-line luminosity is strongly correlated with both the total radio luminosity and the radio core power in the sample sources, and the core radio power is strongly correlated with the total radio luminosity. The number of photons required to photoionize the emission-line nebula correlates strongly with the number of ionizing photons emitted by the nucleus. 98 references.

• Research Organization: National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Charlottesville, VA (USA); Maryland Univ., College Park (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6275321
• Journal Information: Astrophys. J.; (United States), Vol. 336
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
RADIO GALAXIES
COSMIC GASES
DENSITY
EMISSION SPECTRA
IONIZED GASES
LIMITING VALUES
LUMINOSITY
NEBULAE
PHOTOIONIZATION
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
STATISTICS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
FLUIDS
GALAXIES
GASES
IONIZATION
MATHEMATICS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
SPECTRA
640105* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Galaxies