1998/11/01 by M. Bliton, E. Rizza, J. O. Burns +4 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.1998.01973.x
19 pages, 10 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. High resolution versions of Fig 1 available at: ftp://charon.nmsu.edu/pub/mbliton/NAT/
arxiv created 1998/11/01 · openalex publication_date 1998/12/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We examine the ROSAT PSPC X-ray properties of a sample of 15 Abell clusters containing 23 narrow-angle tailed (NAT) radio galaxies. We find that clusters with NATs show a significantly higher level of substructure than a similar sample of radio-quiet clusters, indicating that NAT radio sources are preferentially located in dynamically complex systems. Also, the velocity distribution of the NAT galaxies is similar to that of other cluster members; these velocities are inadequate for producing the ram pressure necessary to bend the radio jets. We therefore propose a new model for NAT formation, in which NATs are associated with dynamically complex clusters undergoing merger events. The U-shaped NAT morphology is produced in part by the merger-induced bulk motion of the ICM bending the jets.