Kavli Affiliate: Roger D. Blandford
| First 5 Authors: Andrew G. Sullivan, Roger D. Blandford, Mitchell C. Begelman, Mark Birkinshaw, Anthony C. S. Readhead
| Summary:
Double lobe radio sources associated with active galactic nuclei represent
one of the longest studied groups in radio astronomy. A particular sub-group of
double radio sources comprises the compact symmetric objects (CSOs). CSOs are
distinguished by their prominent double structure and sub-kpc total size. It
has been argued that the vast majority of high-luminosity CSOs (CSO 2s)
represent a distinct class of active galactic nuclei with its own morphological
structure and life-cycle. In this work, we present theoretical considerations
regarding CSO 2s. We develop a semi-analytic evolutionary model, inspired by
the results of large-scale numerical simulations of relativistic jets, that
reproduces the features of the radio source population. We show that CSO 2s may
be generated by finite energy injections and propose stellar tidal disruption
events as a possible cause. We find that tidal disruption events of giant
branch stars with masses $gtrsim1$ M$_odot$ can fuel these sources and
discuss possible approaches to confirming this hypothesis. We predict that if
the tidal disruption scenario holds, CSO 2s with sizes less than 400 pc should
outnumber larger sources by more than a factor of $10$. Our results motivate
future numerical studies to determine whether the scenarios we consider for
fueling and source evolution can explain the observed radio morphologies.
Multiwavelength observational campaigns directed at these sources will also
provide critical insight into the origins of these objects, their environments,
and their lifespans.
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