Collimated synchrotron threads linking the radio lobes of ESO 137-006
Govoni, F.; Ramaila, A. J. T.; Serra, P.; Smirnov, O.; White, S. V.; Murgia, M.; Vacca, V.; Maccagni, F. M.; Kleiner, D.; Kamphuis, P.; Thorat, K.; Ramatsoku, M.; Józsa, G. I. G.; Makhathini, S.; Andati, L. A. L.; de Blok, E.; Molnár, D. Cs.
South Africa, Italy, Netherlands, Germany
Abstract
We present MeerKAT 1000 MHz and 1400 MHz observations of a bright radio galaxy in the southern hemisphere, ESO 137-006. The galaxy lies at the centre of the massive and merging Norma galaxy cluster. The MeerKAT continuum images (rms ∼0.02 mJy beam-1 at ∼10″ resolution) reveal new features that have never been seen in a radio galaxy before: collimated synchrotron threads of yet unknown origin, which link the extended and bent radio lobes of ESO 137-006. The most prominent of these threads stretches in projection for about 80 kpc and is about 1 kpc in width. The radio spectrum of the threads is steep, with a spectral index of up to α ≃ 2 between 1000 and 1400 MHz.