Alma Mater Studiorum Universit`a degli Studi di Bologna ... - Inaf
Alma Mater Studiorum Universit`a degli Studi di Bologna ... - Inaf
Alma Mater Studiorum Universit`a degli Studi di Bologna ... - Inaf
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6.7. Future prospects 131<br />
and is therefore not relevant. Energy can be injected on large scales from the interactions<br />
between the ra<strong>di</strong>o source and the magnetized gas, gas motions (“sloshing”) within the<br />
group/cluster potential well (e.g. merger-related) and motion of the host galaxy. All of<br />
these provide energy input on roughly the outer scale estimated for 3C 449 and 0755+37<br />
(the latter subject to confirmation by three-<strong>di</strong>mensional modelling). In principle, the origin<br />
of the maximum scale could be constrained by observations of the same type of ra<strong>di</strong>o source<br />
in <strong>di</strong>fferent environments.<br />
5. RM structure and its connection with the ra<strong>di</strong>o source morphology<br />
I pointed out a potential correlation between ra<strong>di</strong>o source morphology and RM anisotropy.<br />
RM bands have so far been unambiguously detected only in lobed ra<strong>di</strong>o galaxies. This is<br />
what expected if the process producing bands is related to some form of compression or<br />
draping. Ra<strong>di</strong>o galaxies with lobes are indeed expected to be more effective than tailed<br />
sources in compressing the surroun<strong>di</strong>ng gas. Production of RM bands by draped fields in<br />
tailed sources is not excluded, provided that there is relative motion between the source and<br />
the surroun<strong>di</strong>ng gas. This might occur in narrow-angle tail sources (where the host galaxy<br />
is moving rapidly through the ICM) or in wide-angle tails if there are sloshing motions of<br />
gas in the cluster potential well.<br />
6.7 Future prospects<br />
The work described in this thesis raises a number of observational questions, inclu<strong>di</strong>ng the<br />
following.<br />
1. How common are anisotropic RM structures? Do they occur primarily in lobed ra<strong>di</strong>o<br />
galaxies with small axial ratios, consistent with jet-driven expansion into an unusually dense<br />
surroun<strong>di</strong>ng me<strong>di</strong>um? Is their frequency qualitatively consistent with the two-<strong>di</strong>mensional<br />
draped-field picture?<br />
2. Why do we see bands primarily in sources where the isotropic RM component has a flat<br />
power spectrum of low amplitude? Is this just because the bands can be obscured by largescale<br />
fluctuations, or is there a causal connection?<br />
3. Are the RM bands suggested in tailed sources such as 3C 465 and Hydra A caused by a<br />
similar phenomenon (e.g. bulk flow of the IGM around the tails)?<br />
4. Is an asymmetry between approaching and rece<strong>di</strong>ng lobes seen in the banded RM<br />
component? If so, what does that imply about the field structure?<br />
131