Published in

Wiley, Monthly Notice- Royal Astronomical Society -Letters-, 1(368), p. L15-L19, 2006

DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-3933.2006.00146.x

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

The infrared jet in Centaurus A: multiwavelength constraints on emission mechanisms and particle acceleration

Journal article published in 2006 by M. J. Hardcastle ORCID, R. P. Kraft, D. M. Worrall
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Red circle
Preprint: archiving forbidden
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Upload
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Policy details
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

We report on Spitzer and Gemini observations of the jet of Centaurus A in the infrared, which we combine with radio, ultraviolet and X-ray data. Spitzer detects jet emission from about 2 arcmin from the nucleus, becoming particularly bright after the jet flare point at ~3.4 arcmin. Where X-ray and infrared emission are seen together the broad-band data strongly support a synchrotron origin for the X-rays. The jet flare point is marked by a broad, diffuse region of X-rays which may be associated with a shock: we discuss possible physical mechanisms for this. The infrared jet persists after the flare point region although X-ray emission is absent; it is plausible that here we are seeing the effects of particle acceleration followed by downstream advection with synchrotron losses. Gemini data probe the inner regions of the jet, putting limits on the mid-infrared flux of jet knots. Comment: Accepted by MN letters. 5 pages, 4 colour figures. Some figures reduced in quality. v2 fixes two typos, no other changes