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Session 12 - Radio Galaxies, VLBI.
Display session, Monday, January 15
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center
Fractal spectra of the surface brightness of powerful radio galaxies provide a description of the turbulence in radio lobes. The observed fractal properties of these lobes can then be compared to various lobe models to find the relative importance of magnetic field variations within the lobe, electron energy variations, and various electron reacceleration models. A previous study (DeGraff, 1995, submitted to ApJ) measured the fractal properties of Cygnus A, 3C 353 3C 436 and the Quasar 3C 175. M87 can now be added to that list. Fractal spectra have been calculated using a high resolution 6 cm image provided by Dean Hines. These radio lobes show similar, but somewhat narrower fractal spectra than the others. This could be produced by different electron energy spectra, or by a lack of reaccelerated electrons. In order to truly test the validity of the fractal models of radio lobes, more sources need to be analyzed at several frequencies each.
