A Morphological Identification and Study of Radio Galaxies from LoTSS DR2. III. The Multiwavelength Analysis of Winged Radio Galaxies

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Hauptverfasser: Bera, Soumen Kumar, Fang, Taotao, Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena, Sasmal, Tapan K., Yu, Si-Yue, He, Chuan, Chen, Xuelei, Mondal, Soumen
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Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Bera, Soumen Kumar
Fang, Taotao
Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena
Sasmal, Tapan K.
Yu, Si-Yue
He, Chuan
Chen, Xuelei
Mondal, Soumen
author_facet Bera, Soumen Kumar
Fang, Taotao
Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena
Sasmal, Tapan K.
Yu, Si-Yue
He, Chuan
Chen, Xuelei
Mondal, Soumen
contents We present a multiwavelength follow-up study of 621 winged radio galaxies (WRGs) recently identified from LoTSS DR2, constituting the largest statistically significant samples of X-shaped (XRGs) and Z-shaped (ZRGs) radio galaxies to date. Our results show that WRGs are predominantly strongly radio-dominated, with XRGs on average more radio-luminous than ZRGs. Their optical hosts are massive elliptical galaxies residing in moderate-density environments. For 270 of XRGs, we measure angular offsets between the radio wings and the optical major axis. While most XRGs show large misalignments consistent with hydrodynamic backflow along the host minor axis, a substantial fraction ($\sim$25\%) exhibits small offsets (<30°), indicating that additional processes, such as jet reorientation, may also play a role. ZRGs, in contrast, are characterized by strongly antisymmetric deformations of their radio lobes pointing toward a coherent mechanism affecting both jets, modulated by local environmental interactions at the lobe termini. Mid-infrared diagnostics indicate merger-related cold gas in many WRGs, particularly XRGs, which also more frequently host powerful AGN, while ZRGs are more often classified as low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs). This is consistent with our previous results showing that, although most WRGs exhibit FR II morphologies, FR I sources are almost exclusively ZRGs, suggesting that Z-shaped structures are statistically associated with lower jet power and are therefore more susceptible to perturbations. Nevertheless, the physical processes responsible for shaping XRGs and ZRGs need not be fundamentally different. Instead, the final morphology likely reflects the interplay between jet power, jet stability, and the surrounding environment.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_24111
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Morphological Identification and Study of Radio Galaxies from LoTSS DR2. III. The Multiwavelength Analysis of Winged Radio Galaxies
Bera, Soumen Kumar
Fang, Taotao
Kunert-Bajraszewska, Magdalena
Sasmal, Tapan K.
Yu, Si-Yue
He, Chuan
Chen, Xuelei
Mondal, Soumen
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We present a multiwavelength follow-up study of 621 winged radio galaxies (WRGs) recently identified from LoTSS DR2, constituting the largest statistically significant samples of X-shaped (XRGs) and Z-shaped (ZRGs) radio galaxies to date. Our results show that WRGs are predominantly strongly radio-dominated, with XRGs on average more radio-luminous than ZRGs. Their optical hosts are massive elliptical galaxies residing in moderate-density environments. For 270 of XRGs, we measure angular offsets between the radio wings and the optical major axis. While most XRGs show large misalignments consistent with hydrodynamic backflow along the host minor axis, a substantial fraction ($\sim$25\%) exhibits small offsets (<30°), indicating that additional processes, such as jet reorientation, may also play a role. ZRGs, in contrast, are characterized by strongly antisymmetric deformations of their radio lobes pointing toward a coherent mechanism affecting both jets, modulated by local environmental interactions at the lobe termini. Mid-infrared diagnostics indicate merger-related cold gas in many WRGs, particularly XRGs, which also more frequently host powerful AGN, while ZRGs are more often classified as low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs). This is consistent with our previous results showing that, although most WRGs exhibit FR II morphologies, FR I sources are almost exclusively ZRGs, suggesting that Z-shaped structures are statistically associated with lower jet power and are therefore more susceptible to perturbations. Nevertheless, the physical processes responsible for shaping XRGs and ZRGs need not be fundamentally different. Instead, the final morphology likely reflects the interplay between jet power, jet stability, and the surrounding environment.
title A Morphological Identification and Study of Radio Galaxies from LoTSS DR2. III. The Multiwavelength Analysis of Winged Radio Galaxies
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24111