MeerKAT continuum photographs of Kýklos (J1802–3353) in UHF (left) and L-band (proper), at reference frequencies of 815 and 1283 MHz. Credit score: Bordiu et al, 2024
A global workforce of astronomers studies a serendipitous discovery of a brand new radio ring towards the Galactic middle. The newfound object is slightly faint and its true nature is but unknown. The discovering used to be reported in a analysis paper drawing close within the Astronomy & Astrophysics magazine.
Contemporary extensive space radio continuum surveys have printed the presence of low floor brightness ring-like radio resources, ceaselessly related to the overdue levels of stellar evolution. Those so-called abnormal radio circles (ORCs) are on the whole mysterious gigantic rings of radio waves and their foundation remains to be unexplained.
Now, a brand new supply of this kind, which resembles an ORC, has been discovered through a gaggle of astronomers led through Cristobal Bordiu of the Catania Observatory in Italy. The supply, designated J1802–3353 and dubbed Kýklos (which means “circle” in Greek), used to be detected with the MeerKAT radio telescope.
“We provide the serendipitous discovery of a brand new radio-continuum ring-like object nicknamed Kýklos (J1802–3353), with MeerKAT UHF and L-band observations,” the researchers wrote within the paper.
Kýklos used to be known through Bordiu’s workforce about 6.0 levels from the Galactic airplane and shut (in projection) to the Galactic middle. The item has a diameter of roughly 80 arcseconds and a thickness of about six arcseconds.
In MeerKAT overall depth maps, Kýklos seems as a faint ring-like construction, clumpy and just about round. The hoop’s look resembles a limb-brightened shell, with the internal devoid of detectable emissions.
Morphologically, Kýklos resembles an abnormal radio circle. On the other hand, it’s positioned at a miles decrease Galactic latitude than the identified ORCs. Additionally, it is usually one order of magnitude fainter at 1.0 GHz and has a miles flatter spectral index when in comparison to the inhabitants of detected ORCs.
Due to this fact, the astronomers take note a number of different hypotheses that might provide an explanation for the character of Kýklos: a Galactic supernova remnant, a planetary nebula, a nova remnant, and a circumstellar shell round an advanced huge superstar.
In accordance with the research of accrued information, the authors of the paper concluded that Kýklos being a circumstellar shell round, perhaps, a Wolf-Rayet (WR) superstar, is essentially the most believable state of affairs.
“In accordance with the restricted information these days to be had, the morphological and spectral traits of Kýklos seem extra in step with the ones of a WR shell. This interpretation is additional supported through the absence of a detectable central level supply within the L-band symbol,” the scientists defined.
Apply-up multiwavelength observations are required as a way to totally symbolize Kýklos and to spot a conceivable central supply, which might ascertain the WR shell speculation.
Additional information:
Cristobal Bordiu et al., MeerKAT finds a ghostly thermal radio ring against the Galactic Centre, Astronomy & Astrophysics (2024). DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202450766. On arXiv: DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2408.07727
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