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radio galaxy
Sign in to savetype of active galaxy that is very luminous at radio wavelengths
A radio galaxy is a type of active galaxy that shines extremely brightly when observed at radio wavelengths, making it one of the most powerful objects in the universe. Studying radio galaxies helps astronomers understand extreme cosmic phenomena and the behavior of supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies.
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Within Vinony's link graph, radio galaxy is referenced by 581 other articles, and connects out to luminous infrared galaxy, starburst galaxy and interacting galaxy.
Vinony files it under Active galaxy types, Astronomical radio sources and Radio galaxies.
Its subject is documented across 57 Wikipedia language editions.
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Encyclopedic overview
Alcyoneus, a giant radio galaxy with lobed structures spanning 5 megaparsecs (16 million ly). A radio galaxy is a galaxy with giant regions of radio emission extending well beyond its visible structure. These energetic radio lobes are powered by jets from its active galactic nucleus. They have luminosities up to 10 W at radio wavelengths between 10 MHz and 100 GHz. The radio emission is due to the synchrotron process. The observed structure in radio emission is determined by the interaction between twin jets and the external medium, modified by the effects of relativistic beaming. The host galaxies are almost exclusively large elliptical galaxies. Radio-loud active galaxies can be detected at large distances, making them valuable tools for observational cosmology. Much work has been done on the effects of these objects on the intergalactic medium, particularly in galaxy groups and clusters.
The term "radio galaxy" is often used to refer to the entire jet system, rather than solely to its host galaxy. Some scientists consider the term "black hole jet system" more accurate and less confusing. Radio galaxies that reach the size of around 0.7 megaparsecs or more, are commonly called "giant radio galaxies".
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “radio galaxy” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.