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

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.

Accepted by MN letters. 5 pages, 4 colour figures. Some figures reduced in quality. v2 fixes two typos, no other changes

References in corpus (10)

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• Mid-infrared emission of galactic nuclei: TIMMI2 versus ISO observations and models
• Chandra observations of the X-ray jet in 3C66B
• The Optical-Near-IR Spectrum of the M87 Jet From HST Observations
• Chandra Observations of the X-ray Jet in Centaurus A
• N-band Imaging of Seyfert Nuclei and the MIR-X-ray correlation
• Chandra and XMM-Newton Observations of the Nucleus of Centaurus A
• Deep Submillimeter Imaging of Dust Structures in Centaurus A
• Spatially Resolved Circumnuclear Dust in Centaurus A

Cited by in corpus (44)

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• High-energy particle acceleration at the radio-lobe shock of Centaurus A
• New results on particle acceleration in the Centaurus A jet and counterjet from a deep Chandra observation
• Mass entrainment and turbulence-driven acceleration of ultra-high energy cosmic rays in Centaurus A
• The Mid-Infrared Emission of M87
• A Chandra study of particle acceleration in the multiple hotspots of nearby radio galaxies
• Modelling TeV gamma-ray emission from the kiloparsec-scale jets of Centaurus A and M87
• Internal entrainment and the origin of jet-related broad-band emission in Centaurus A
• Resolving acceleration to very high energies along the Jet of Centaurus A
• Gemini Imaging of Mid-IR Emission from the Nuclear Region of Centaurus A
• Long Term Monitoring of the Dynamics and Particle Acceleration of Knots in the Jet of Centaurus A
• The $\gamma$-ray spectrum of the core of Centaurus A as observed with H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT
• LABOCA observations of nearby, active galaxies
• A Chandra Study of the Lobe/ISM Interactions Around the Inner Radio Lobes of Centaurus A: Constraints on the Temperature Structure and Transport Processes
• Variability and Proper Motion of X-ray Knots in the Jet of Centaurus A
• Non-thermal radiation from collisions of compact objects with intermediate scale jets in active galaxies
• Ultra-High Energy Cosmic-Ray Acceleration in the Jet of Centaurus A
• Gamma-ray fluxes from the core emission of Centaurus A: A puzzle solved
• A Multiwavelength Spectral and Polarimetric Study of the Jet of 3C 264
• A Two Zone Synchrotron Model for the Knots in the M87 Jet
• Particle acceleration in shearing flows: the self-generation of turbulent spine-sheath structures in relativistic MHD jet simulations
• Correlation of $\gamma$-ray and high-energy cosmic ray fluxes from the giant lobes of Centaurus A
• Particle acceleration in shearing flows: the case for large-scale jets
• Filaments in the southern giant lobe of Centaurus A: constraints on nature and origin from modelling and GMRT observations
• An Infrared Study of the Large-scale Jet in Quasar PKS 1136-135
• Nuclear and electromagnetic cascades induced by ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays in radio galaxies: implications for Centaurus A
• Knot in Cen A: Stochastic Magnetic Field for Diffusive Synchrotron Radiation?
• Spitzer IRS mapping of the central kpc of Centaurus A
• Spitzer Observations of Centaurus A: Infrared Synchrotron Emission from the Northern Lobe
• The extremely X-ray luminous radio-loud quasar CFHQS J142952+544717 at $z=6.18$ under Chandra high-angular resolution lens
• Ultrahigh-energy neutrinos as a probe of espresso-shear acceleration in jets of Centaurus A
• GeV-TeV gamma-rays produced by electrons in the kpc scale jet as a result of comptonization of the inner jet emission
• The Infrared Jet in 3C31
• Physical conditions in nearby active galaxies correlated with ultra-high-energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory
• Interpreting correlated observations of cosmic rays and gamma-rays from Centaurus A with a proton blazar inspired model
• Physical Conditions and Particle Acceleration in the Kiloparsec Jet of Centaurus A
• Morphology of TeV gamma-ray emission from the kpc scale jets in radio galaxies
• Scalings of the synchrotron cut-off and turbulent correlation of active galactic nucleus jets
• The origin of the very-high-energy radiation along the jet of Centaurus A
• Far-infrared probing with PRIMA into particle acceleration associated with relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei
• Shock heating by nearby AGN
• Distributed accelerators in the jet of Centaurus A: the origin of the spectral hardening of very high energy gamma-rays