SYNCHROTRON EMISSION FROM ELLIPTICAL GALAXIES CONSEQUENT TO ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEUS OUTBURSTS

Journal Article · Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/125· OSTI ID:21394382

Yanfei, Jiang; Ostriker, Jeremiah P; Spitkovsky, Anatoly ^[1]; Ciotti, Luca ^[2]

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1. Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, NJ 08544 (United States)
2. Department of Astronomy, University of Bologna, via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy)

Both radiative and mechanical feedback from active galactic nuclei have been found to be important for the evolution of elliptical galaxies. We compute how a shock may be driven from a central black hole into the gaseous envelope of an elliptical galaxy by such feedback (in the form of nuclear winds) using high resolution one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations. We calculate the synchrotron emission from the electron cosmic rays accelerated by the shocks (not the jets) in the central part of elliptical galaxies, and we also study the synchrotron spectrum's evolution using the standard diffusive shock acceleration mechanism, which is routinely applied to supernova remnants. We find quantitative consistency between the synchrotron radio emission produced via this mechanism with extant observations of elliptical galaxies which are undergoing outbursts. Additionally, we also find that synchrotron optical and X-ray emission can co-exist inside elliptical galaxies during a specific evolutionary phase subsequent to central outbursts. In fact, our calculations predict a peak synchrotron luminosity of {approx}1.3 x 10{sup 6} L{sub sun} at the frequency 5 GHz (radio band), of {approx}1.1 x 10{sup 6} L{sub sun} at 4.3 x 10{sup 14} Hz (corresponding to the absolute magnitude -10.4 in R band), and of {approx}1.5 x 10{sup 7} L{sub sun} at 2.4 x 10{sup 17} Hz (soft X-ray, 0.5-2.0 keV band).

• OSTI ID: 21394382
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 711, Issue 1; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/711/1/125; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ACCELERATION
BLACK HOLES
COSMIC RADIATION
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
FEEDBACK
GALACTIC EVOLUTION
GALAXIES
GALAXY NUCLEI
GHZ RANGE 01-100
KEV RANGE 01-10
LUMINOSITY
SIMULATION
SOFT X RADIATION
SPECTRA
SUPERNOVA REMNANTS
COSMIC RADIO SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY RANGE
EVOLUTION
FERMIONS
FREQUENCY RANGE
GHZ RANGE
IONIZING RADIATIONS
KEV RANGE
LEPTONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
X RADIATION