Asymmetries in Compact Steep Spectrum Sources and Unification Schemes

Previous abstract Next abstract

Session 109 -- Extragalactic Radio Sources, Jets
Display presentation, Thursday, 12, 1995, 9:20am - 6:30pm

[109.16] Asymmetries in Compact Steep Spectrum Sources and Unification Schemes

D.J.\ Saikia, S.\ Jeyakumar (NCRA/TIFR, Pune), P.J.\ Wiita (GSU), H.S.\ Sanghera (VLBI Inst., Dwingeloo), R.E.\ Spencer (NRAL, Jodrell Bank)

The compact steep-spectrum radio sources are less than about 20 kpc in size and have steep radio specta ($\alpha \geq$ 0.5 where S$\propto\nu^{-\alpha}$) at high frequencies. Thus they are of sub-galactic sizes and a significant fraction of them are believed to be confined to these small dimensions by dense interstellar media in their host galaxies. We present high-resolution radio images of a number of compact steep spectrum radio sources and determine the symmetry parameters of a well-defined sample of this class of sources. We have modeled the observed asymmetries in lobe separations and radio luminosities in terms of different types of asymmetric environments in the nuclear or central regions of these galaxies. We also show that the observed values of the asymmetries are broadly consistent with the predictions of orientation based unified schemes for radio galaxies and quasars.

Thursday program listing