20–27 Mar 2026
Wild View Resorts
Africa/Gaborone timezone

Elongated Radio Galaxies in MeerKAT Observations of Protogalaxy-clusters

Not scheduled
20m
Wild View Resorts

Wild View Resorts

Plot 80 President Avenue, Kasane, Botswana
Online - Poster Presentation 10 S&E poster Science & Engineering

Speaker

Bevan Petersen (University of the Western Cape)

Description

This project will study some of the auxiliary detections made in MeerKAT observations to constrain proto-galaxy-clusters. The observations are estimated to constitute more than 5000 radio sources in each of the three fields that were observed. This work will identify and conduct an analysis of the Elongated Radio Galaxies detected in these MeerKAT galaxy proto-clusters. Elongated Radio Galaxies are a subset of the largest known astrophysical objects, called Giant Radio Galaxies (GRGs), which can span millions of light-years and are defined by their immense radio-emitting structures that extend far beyond the host galaxy. The reasons for the extreme size of GRGs and the specific conditions that lead to their formation are still subjects of ongoing debate and research.

The goal of the project will be to characterise and analyse them individually and also in the context of literature, including determining which are completely new sources that may be detected and discovered in the field for the first time. The project started with an extraction of the detected sources with their positions and fluxes, and then cross matched these with observations at other wavelengths to determine those already studied by other telescopes and published in literature or simply crossmatched in surveys by other telescopes. Preliminary analysis of the sources, which will be presented at this conference, is indicating a diverse morphology and spectra that will allow us to investigate the evolution of jets and lobes of the giant radio galaxies in our images.

Stream Science or Engineering

Primary author

Bevan Petersen (University of the Western Cape)

Co-authors

Prof. Lerothodi Leeuw (University and the Western Cape) Ms Moorane Emily Makwela (University and the Western Cape) Mr Sekhona Tole (University and the Western Cape)

Presentation materials

There are no materials yet.