TY - JOUR KW - Space and Planetary Science KW - Astronomy and Astrophysics AU - Andrew Sullivan AU - Roger Blandford AU - Mitchell Begelman AU - Mark Birkinshaw AU - Anthony Readhead AB -

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 ≳ 1 M⊙ 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.

BT - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society DA - 2024-02 DO - 10.1093/mnras/stae322 N2 -

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 ≳ 1 M⊙ 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.

PB - Oxford University Press (OUP) PY - 2024 T2 - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society TI - Small-scale radio jets and tidal disruption events: A theory of high-luminosity compact symmetric objects SN - 0035-8711, 1365-2966 ER -