The HST survey of the B2 sample of radio galaxies: Detection of two optical jets

Abstract

We present HST observations of previously undetected optical jets in the low-luminosity radio galaxies B2 0755+37 and B2 1553+24. We show that there is accurate spatial coincidence between optical and radio emission, implying that the former is likely to be synchrotron radiation. The physical properties of the jets are similar to those known previously: their radio-optical spectral indices are ~0.7 and in B2 0755+37, the spectrum steepens between optical and X-ray wavelengths. Our results support the hypothesis that optical emission is detectable from jets orientated within ~20^o of the line of sight for the B2 sample. Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555 and by STScI grant GO-3594.01-91A.