Galaxy Zoo Talk

Radio AGN with WISE W4 jets?

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR

    When searching for brown dwarfs my attention was drawn by SDSS J080126.30+505226.5 - SDSS ID 1237663548511551553 - Ra,dec 120.359792 50.874058 (no spectrum redshift available).

    http://skyserver.sdss.org/dr14/en/tools/explore/Summary.aspx?id=1237663548511551553

    which is probably a radio AGN (also variable radio source from NVSS & FIRST in VizieR) following the WISE band images.

    But then I noticed this distinct spiral (galaxy) shape in only WISE W4 band that looks like a barred two-armed spiral with very loose spiral arms that cannot be seen anywhere else. Not in optical or other IR surveys (although IRIS seems to low resolution for this particular feature). Its apparent size is nearly 1 arcminute from tip to tip.

    Ofcourse I've considered the possibility of random W4 noise, but after some further research this doesn't seem to be the case because a) the shape is clearly seen in two image sets in WISE viewer and b) it is clearly FAR above average noise level (and c not impossible but very low chance of randomly forming this exact shape in W4).

    At first I posted it on The Milky Way Project forum because I thought it was maybe a W4 spiral galaxy. There moderator Melina_t was very helpful and explained that if it is a spiral galaxy it should definitely also be visible in W3 even if obscured by gas/dust. W3 is mainly caused by stars and W4 by heated dust. So if it is real it's probably heated and shocked dust, and symmetrically shaped like this does look like some form of jets. Also posted in RGZ but there are barely classifiers around let alone moderators or scientists..

    Link to IRSA finder chart

    Please see below images centered on SDSS J080126.30+505226.5 to see what I mean.

    enter image description here

    Could this be jets emanating from radio AGN SDSS J080126.30+505226.5 heating and shocking surrounding dust which are visible in WISE W4 band only? Or perhaps some other real phenomena?

    Alexander

    Posted

  • mlpeck by mlpeck

    I think that's probably noise. The allwise catalog has a photometric object at that position with positive detections in W1 and W2, but not W3 or W4. This link might (edit: it does!) work: link to IRSA

    I could also maybe be what I think astronomers call "cirrus," which is patchy dust in the Milky Way -- the galactic latitude of this field is b≈30 degrees, which is pretty low.

    Just from occasionally browsing RGZ Talk I'd say the level of engagement of RGZ scientists with the volunteers is considerably higher than GZ scientists with GZ volunteers, so good luck getting an authoritative answer!

    Posted

  • Ghost_Sheep_SWR by Ghost_Sheep_SWR in response to mlpeck's comment.

    I think that's probably noise. The allwise catalog has a photometric
    object at that position with positive detections in W1 and W2, but not
    W3 or W4.

    Yeah big chance it is noise. Just that it's so far above noise level in the FITS file + shape that triggered me.

    I could also maybe be what I think astronomers call "cirrus," which is
    patchy dust in the Milky Way -- the galactic latitude of this field is
    b≈30 degrees, which is pretty low.

    A quick check on galactic / interstellar cirrus seems to be structures that cover many degrees instead of an arcminute, would be very localized then. No idea if that is even possible.

    Just from occasionally browsing RGZ Talk I'd say the level of
    engagement of RGZ scientists with the volunteers is considerably
    higher than GZ scientists with GZ volunteers, so good luck getting an
    authoritative answer!

    Hmm yeah ok, I'm not really familiar there so that was based largely on a few snapshots through the year seeing mostly only 1 or 2 regular classifiers and very old posts from the scientists. Well guess it wouldn't hurt to repost there and see what happens, probably slowly sink in the swamp.

    Thanks for your evaluation

    Posted