The origin of wide-angle tailed radio galaxies

Abstract

To investigate the origins of wide-angle tailed radio sources (WATs), we have compiled a sample of these systems in Abell clusters for which X-ray data exist. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the WATs are found to be significantly displaced from the X-ray centroids of their host clusters. The bends in the WATs' radio jets are found to be oriented preferentially such that they point directly away from or toward the cluster centre, with more of the former than the latter. If this morphology is attributed to ram pressure, then the WATs are on primarily radial orbits, with more approaching the X-ray centroid than receding. There is also some evidence that the in-coming WATs are on average further from the X-ray centroid than the out-going ones. All of these observations strongly support a scenario in which WATs are created in cluster mergers.