Discovery of the supernova remnant G351.0-5.4

Context. While searching the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) for diffuse radio emission, we have serendipitously discovered extended radio emission close to the Galactic plane. The radio morphology suggests the presence of a previously unknown Galactic supernova remnant. An unclassified {gamma}-ray source detected by EGRET (3EG J1744-3934) is present in the same location and may stem from the interaction between high-speed particles escaping the remnant and the surrounding interstellar medium. Aims. Our aim is to confirm the presence of a previously unknown supernova remnant and to determine a possible association with the {gamma}-ray emission 3EG J1744-3934. Methods. We have conducted optical and radio follow-ups of the target using the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) on the Blanco telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope (GMRT). We then combined these data with archival radio and {gamma}-ray observations. Results. While we detected the extended emission in four different radio bands (325, 1400, 2417, and 4850 MHz), no optical counterpart has been identified. Given its morphology and brightness, it is likely that the radio emission is caused by an old supernova remnant no longer visible in the optical band. Although an unclassified EGRET source is co-located with the supernova remnant, Fermi-LAT data do not show a significant {gamma}-ray excess that is correlated with the radio emission. However, in the radial distribution of the {gamma}-ray events, a spatially extended feature is related with SNR at a confidence level $sim 1.5$ {sigma}. Conclusions. We classify the newly discovered extended emission in the radio band as the old remnant of a previously unknown Galactic supernova: SNR G351.0-5.4.

M87 at metre wavelengths: the LOFAR picture

M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy located in the centre of the Virgo cluster, which harbours a supermassive black hole of mass 6.4x10^9 M_sun, whose activity is responsible for the extended (80 kpc) radio lobes that surround the galaxy. The energy generated by matter falling onto the central black hole is ejected and transferred to the intra-cluster medium via a relativistic jet and morphologically complex systems of buoyant bubbles, which rise towards the edges of the extended halo. Here we present the first observations made with the new Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) of M87 at frequencies down to 20 MHz. Images of M87 were produced at low radio frequencies never explored before at these high spatial resolution and dynamic range. To disentangle different synchrotron models and place constraints on source magnetic field, age and energetics, we also performed a detailed spectral analysis of M87 extended radio-halo using these observations together with archival data. We do not find any sign of new extended emissions; on the contrary the source appears well confined by the high pressure of the intra-cluster medium. A continuous injection of relativistic electrons is the model that best fits our data, and provides a scenario in which the lobes are still supplied by fresh relativistic particles from the active galactic nuclei. We suggest that the discrepancy between the low-frequency radio-spectral slope in the core and in the halo implies a strong adiabatic expansion of the plasma as soon as it leaves the core area. The extended halo has an equipartition magnetic field strength of ~10 uG, which increases to ~13 uG in the zones where the particle flows are more active. The continuous injection model for synchrotron ageing provides an age for the halo of ~40 Myr, which in turn provides a jet kinetic power of 6-10x10^44 erg/s.

Testing Black Hole Jet Scaling Relations in Low Luminosity AGN

We present the results of the analysis of a sample of 17 low-luminosity (L_x < 1e42 erg/s), radio loud AGNs in massive galaxies. The sample is extracted from the SDSS database and it spans uniformly a wide range in optical [OIII] emission line and radio luminosity, but within a narrow redshift range (0.05 < z < 0.11) and a narrow super massive black hole mass range (~ 1e8 M_sun). For these sources we measured core X-ray emission with the Chandra X-ray telescope and radio emission with the VLA. Our main goal is to establish which emission component, if any, can be regarded as the most reliable accretion/jet-power estimator at these regimes. In order to do so, we studied the correlation between emission line properties, radio luminosity, radio spectral slopes and X-ray luminosity, as well as more complex multi-variate relations involving black hole mass, such as the fundamental plane of black hole activity. We find that 15 out of 17 sources of our sample can be classified as Low-Excitation Galaxies (LEG) and their observed properties suggest X-ray and radio emission to originate from the jet basis. We also find that X-ray emission does not appear to be affected by nuclear obscuration and can be used as a reliable jet-power estimator. More generally, X-ray, radio and optical emission appear to be related, although no tight correlation is found. In accordance with a number of recent studies of this class of objects these findings may be explained by a lack of cold (molecular) gaseous structures in the innermost region of these massive galaxies.