Radio and X-ray Observations of the Restarted Radio Galaxy in the Galaxy Cluster CL 0838+1948

Abstract

We present VLA Low-band Ionosphere and Transient Experiment (VLITE) 338 MHz observations of the galaxy cluster CL 0838+1948. We combine the VLITE data with Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope 610 MHz observations and survey data. The central galaxy hosts a 250 kpc source whose emission is dominated by two large lobes at low frequencies. At higher frequencies, a pair of smaller lobes (∼30 kpc) is detected within the galaxy optical envelope. The observed morphology is consistent with a restarted radio galaxy. The outer lobes have a spectral index αout=1.6, indicating that they are old, whereas the inner lobes have αinn=0.6, typical for an active source. Spectral modeling confirms that the outer emission is a dying source whose nuclear activity switched off not more than 110 Myr ago. Using archival Chandra X-ray data, we compare the radio and hot gas emission. We find that the active radio source is contained within the innermost and X-ray brightest region, possibly a galactic corona. Alternatively, it could be the remnant of a larger cool core whose outer layers have been heated by the former epoch of activity that has generated the outer lobes.

Keywords

• radio galaxies
• active galactic nuclei
• galaxy clusters