Chandra X-Ray Detection of the Radio Hot Spots of 3C 295

Authors

D. E. Harris, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
P. Nulsen, University of Wollongong
T. J. Ponman, University of Birmingham, UK
M. Bautz, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
R. A. Cameron, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
L. P. David, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
R. H. Donnelly, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
W. R. Forman, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
L. Grego, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
M. J. Hardcastle, University of Bristol, UK
J. P. Henry, University of Hawaii, USA
C. Jones, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USAFollow
J. P. Leahy, University of Manchester, UK
M. Markevitch, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
A. R. Martel, John Hopkins University, USA
B. R. McNamara, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
P. Mazzotta, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
W. Tucker, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
S. N. Virani, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA
J. Vrtilek, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, USA

RIS ID

4821

Publication Details

This article was originally published as: Harris, DE, Nulsen, PEJ, Ponman, TJ, et al, Chandra X-Ray Detection of the Radio Hot Spots of 3C 295, The Astrophysical Journal, 2000, 530(2), L81-L84. . Copyright 2000 University of Chicago Press. The journal can be found here.

Abstract

An observation of the radio galaxy 3C 295 during the calibration phase of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory reveals X-ray emission from the core of the galaxy, from each of the two prominent radio hot spots, and from the previously known cluster gas. We discuss the possible emission processes for the hot spots and argue that a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model is preferred for most or all of the observed X-ray emission. SSC models with near-equipartition fields thus explain the X-ray emission from the hot spots in the two highest surface brightness FR II radio galaxies, Cygnus A and 3C 295. This lends weight to the assumption of equipartition and suggests that relativistic protons do not dominate the particle energy density.