A Multi-Mechanism Hybrid Model of Peaked-Spectrum Radio Sources

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Sun, Guang-Chen, Li, Yichao, Deng, Furen, Cong, Yanping, An, Fangxia, Zhang, Jiajun, Wang, Yougang, Zhang, Xin, Chen, Xuelei
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Sun, Guang-Chen
Li, Yichao
Deng, Furen
Cong, Yanping
An, Fangxia
Zhang, Jiajun
Wang, Yougang
Zhang, Xin
Chen, Xuelei
author_facet Sun, Guang-Chen
Li, Yichao
Deng, Furen
Cong, Yanping
An, Fangxia
Zhang, Jiajun
Wang, Yougang
Zhang, Xin
Chen, Xuelei
contents The peaked-spectrum (PS) sources exhibit turnover characteristics in their broad radio spectra. However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains elusive. The two most common hypotheses are synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) and free-free absorption (FFA). By incorporating multiple absorption scenarios, we propose a multi-mechanism hybrid (MMH) model, which aligns well with current observational data and provides a good physical explanation. Using the GLEAM survey data, we identified a sample of 4,315 sources with peak frequencies approximately between 72--3000 MHz, most of which are MHz-peaked-spectrum sources (MPS). Our analysis shows that instead of SSA, the FFA is the dominant mechanism in producing the spectral turnover for most of the sources in this sample. The index of the optically thick spectrum alpha_thick has a lower boundary due to the FFA, and the steeper alpha_thick indicates a complex multi-absorption mechanism. In particular, the external FFA produces substantial alpha_thick, which exhibits a weak correlation with the peak frequency. Future ultra-long wavelength observations would also provide data on the spectrum of these sources at even lower frequencies. Determining the absorption mechanism that shaped the spectrum of these sources would be a crucial part of understanding their nature.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_04387
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Multi-Mechanism Hybrid Model of Peaked-Spectrum Radio Sources
Sun, Guang-Chen
Li, Yichao
Deng, Furen
Cong, Yanping
An, Fangxia
Zhang, Jiajun
Wang, Yougang
Zhang, Xin
Chen, Xuelei
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The peaked-spectrum (PS) sources exhibit turnover characteristics in their broad radio spectra. However, the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains elusive. The two most common hypotheses are synchrotron self-absorption (SSA) and free-free absorption (FFA). By incorporating multiple absorption scenarios, we propose a multi-mechanism hybrid (MMH) model, which aligns well with current observational data and provides a good physical explanation. Using the GLEAM survey data, we identified a sample of 4,315 sources with peak frequencies approximately between 72--3000 MHz, most of which are MHz-peaked-spectrum sources (MPS). Our analysis shows that instead of SSA, the FFA is the dominant mechanism in producing the spectral turnover for most of the sources in this sample. The index of the optically thick spectrum alpha_thick has a lower boundary due to the FFA, and the steeper alpha_thick indicates a complex multi-absorption mechanism. In particular, the external FFA produces substantial alpha_thick, which exhibits a weak correlation with the peak frequency. Future ultra-long wavelength observations would also provide data on the spectrum of these sources at even lower frequencies. Determining the absorption mechanism that shaped the spectrum of these sources would be a crucial part of understanding their nature.
title A Multi-Mechanism Hybrid Model of Peaked-Spectrum Radio Sources
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.04387