GMRT Low-frequency Imaging of an Extended Sample of X-shaped Radio Galaxies

Abstract

We present a low-frequency imaging study of an extended sample of X-shaped radio sources using the Giant Metrewave radio telescope (GMRT) at two frequencies (610 and 240 MHz). The sources were drawn from a Very Large Array FIRST-selected sample and extends an initial GMRT study at the same frequencies, of 12 X-shaped radio galaxies predominantly from the 3CR catalog (Lal & Rao 2007). Both the intensity maps and spectral index maps of the 16 newly observed sources are presented. With the combined sample of 28 X-shaped radio sources, we found no systematic differences in the spectral properties of the higher surface brightness, active lobes versus the lower surface brightness, off-axis emission. The properties of the combined sample are discussed, including the possible role of a twin active galactic nuclei model in the formation of such objects.

11 pages, 3 Figures (plus 1 Figure in Appendix; note that Figure 2 is of lower quality), 3 Tables (plus 1 Table in Appendix)