3C 186

In today's world, 3C 186 has become a very relevant topic. With a significant impact on different aspects of society, 3C 186 has captured the attention of numerous experts and scholars seeking to understand its influence and implications. From its emergence to the present, 3C 186 has generated debates, discussions and reflections in various areas, including politics, economics, culture and technology. In this article, we will explore the 3C 186 phenomenon in depth, analyzing its origins, current developments, and possible future trends.

3C 186
The quasar 3C 186.
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
ConstellationLynx
Right ascension07h 44m 17.486s
Declination+37° 53′ 17.36″
Redshift1.065505
Heliocentric radial velocity319,430 km/s
Distance8 Gly
Apparent magnitude (V)18.14
Apparent magnitude (B)17.5
Characteristics
TypeCSS
Notable featuresDisplaced supermassive black hole
Other designations
4C 38.21, LHE 208, LEDA 2817581, NRAO 273, OHIO I 368, QSO J0744+3753, QSO B0740+38, NVSS J074417+375316

3C 186 is a radio-loud quasar in the constellation of Lynx. Discovered in 1972,[1] the object has a redshift of (z) 1.069[2] and is classified as a Compact Steep Spectrum (CSS) source whose age is estimated to be ~105 yr.[3][4][5] It is associated with an X-ray cluster and is considered a recoiling supermassive black hole candidate.[6][7] Its luminosity is estimated to be 1047 erg s-1.[5]

Description

The host of 3C 186 is classified as an elliptical galaxy with a region of diffused emission being located both southwest and northeast.[2] It has a star formation rate estimated to be 65 ± 20 Mʘ yr-1 with a relatively mature stellar population aged around 200 million years.[7] In addition, the host shows a distorted appearance with tidal features, indicating a late stage galaxy merger.[8] Observations also found the host galaxy has a molecular gas reservoir with a mass of 8 x 1010 Mʘ probably accreted from the merger.[9]

The radio structure of 3C 186 can be described as an S-shaped source. Based on MERLIN radio mapping images, the source is made up of a knotty jet and two radio lobes on opposite sides which the jet is targeted at. There is a southernmost component showing a 90° bend angle suggesting there is a continuation of the jet.[10] Radio images made by very long baseline interferometry at 50 centimeters showed the source has southeast and northwest components, interpreted as the brighter structures of the lobes.[11] The central radio core of the object is self-absorbed.[12][13] When shown in optical-ultraviolet wavelengths, its spectrum is found to be mainly dominated by a blue bump component with emission lines. The source has an approximate angular size of 2".[14]

Black hole

Hubble Space Telescope image of 3C 186.

3C 186 has a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 3 x 109 Mʘ and an Eddington luminosity rate of 4 x 1047 erg s-1.[6] However unlike other active galactic nuclei whose black holes are found in the center, the black hole is found displaced by 11.1 ± 0.1 kiloparsecs away from the host galaxy. When looking at the velocity shift between its narrow and broad emission lines, the result shows a value of -2140 ± 390 km s-1 suggesting the AGN is moving at a slower speed compared to the host galaxy.[15]

The most likely hypothesis for the displacement of the black hole is the merger of two black holes from two colliding galaxies about 1-2 billion years ago. When the black holes coalesced, the creation of strong gravitational waves caused by the merger generated a kick, resulting the newly formed black hole to be flung out from the center of the galaxy.[16][8]

X-ray cluster

3C 186 is found to be located in the center of a cool-core galaxy cluster.[9] Based on observations, the cluster is X-ray luminous showing a slight temperature of 7.8+2.4 -1.9 keV in the outer regions and a decreased temperature of 3.11+0.91 -0.64 keV in its central region. Apart from that, the cluster also has a cooling core with an elongated morphology.[6]

References

  1. ^ Argue, A. N.; Kenworthy, C. M. (1972-01-01). "Optical positions for 21 3C objects". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 160 (2): 197–211. doi:10.1093/mnras/160.2.197. ISSN 0035-8711.
  2. ^ a b Hilbert, B.; Chiaberge, M.; Kotyla, J. P.; Tremblay, G. R.; Stanghellini, C.; Sparks, W. B.; Baum, S.; Capetti, A.; Macchetto, F. D.; Miley, G. K.; O’Dea, C. P.; Perlman, E. S.; Quillen, A. (July 2016). "Powerful Activity in the Bright Ages. I. A Visible/Ir Survey of High Redshift 3C Radio Galaxies and Quasars". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 225 (1): 12. arXiv:1605.03196. Bibcode:2016ApJS..225...12H. doi:10.3847/0067-0049/225/1/12. ISSN 0067-0049.
  3. ^ Migliori, G.; Siemiginowska, A.; Celotti, A. (2010-10-01). "The CSS Quasar 3C 186: Exploring the X-ray Emission". Accretion and Ejection in AGN: A Global View. Proceedings of a Conference Held June 22-26, 2009 in Como, Italy. 427: 201. Bibcode:2010ASPC..427..201M.
  4. ^ Siemiginowska, A.; Aldcroft, T. L.; Burke, D.; Bechtold, J.; Cheung, C. C.; Lamassa, S.; Worrall, D. M. (2008-06-01). "Evolution of a Powerful Radio Loud Quasar 3C 186 and its Impact on the Cluster Environment at z=1". Extragalactic Jets: Theory and Observation from Radio to Gamma Ray. 386: 350. arXiv:0708.1265. Bibcode:2008ASPC..386..350S.
  5. ^ a b Siemiginowska, Aneta; Cheung, C. C.; LaMassa, Stephanie; Burke, D. J.; Aldcroft, Thomas L.; Bechtold, Jill; Elvis, Martin; Worrall, D. M. (2005-10-10). "X-Ray Cluster Associated with thez= 1.063 CSS Quasar 3C 186: The Jet is Not Frustrated". The Astrophysical Journal. 632 (1): 110–121. arXiv:astro-ph/0506394. Bibcode:2005ApJ...632..110S. doi:10.1086/432871. ISSN 0004-637X.
  6. ^ a b c Siemiginowska, Aneta; Burke, D. J.; Aldcroft, Thomas L.; Worrall, D. M.; Allen, S.; Bechtold, Jill; Clarke, Tracy; Cheung, C. C. (2010-09-16). "High-Redshift X-Ray Cooling-Core Cluster Associated with the Luminous Radio-Loud Quasar 3C 186". The Astrophysical Journal. 722 (1): 102–111. arXiv:1008.1739. Bibcode:2010ApJ...722..102S. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/722/1/102. ISSN 0004-637X.
  7. ^ a b Morishita, T.; Chiaberge, M.; Hilbert, B.; Lambrides, E.; Blecha, L.; Baum, S.; Bianchi, S.; Capetti, A.; Castignani, G.; Macchetto, F. D.; Miley, G. K.; O’Dea, C. P.; Norman, C. A. (2022-06-01). "The Host Galaxy of the Recoiling Black Hole Candidate in 3C 186: An Old Major Merger Remnant at the Center of a z = 1 Cluster". The Astrophysical Journal. 931 (2): 165. arXiv:2204.12499. Bibcode:2022ApJ...931..165M. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac6a58. ISSN 0004-637X.
  8. ^ a b Chiaberge, M.; Ely, J. C.; Meyer, E. T.; Georganopoulos, M.; Marinucci, A.; Bianchi, S.; Tremblay, G. R.; Hilbert, B.; Kotyla, J. P.; Capetti, A.; Baum, S. A.; Macchetto, F. D.; Miley, G.; O’Dea, C. P.; Perlman, E. S. (2017-03-30). "The puzzling case of the radio-loud QSO 3C 186: a gravitational wave recoiling black hole in a young radio source?". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 600: A57. arXiv:1611.05501. Bibcode:2017A&A...600A..57C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629522. ISSN 0004-6361.
  9. ^ a b Castignani, G.; Meyer, E.; Chiaberge, M.; Combes, F.; Morishita, T.; Decarli, R.; Capetti, A.; Dotti, M.; Tremblay, G. R.; Norman, C. A. (May 2022). "NOEMA observations support a recoiling black hole in 3C 186". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 661: L2. arXiv:2204.05882. Bibcode:2022A&A...661L...2C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243309. ISSN 0004-6361.
  10. ^ Spencer, R. E.; Schilizzi, R. T.; Fanti, C.; Fanti, R.; Parma, P.; van Breugel, W. J. M.; Venturi, T.; Muxlow, T. W. B.; Rendong, N. (1991-05-01). "High-resolution observations of eight 3CR compact steep-spectrum radio sources". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 250 (1): 225–240. doi:10.1093/mnras/250.1.225. ISSN 0035-8711.
  11. ^ Nan, Rendong; Cai, Zhengdong; Inoue, Makoto; Kameno, Seiji; Schilizzi, Richard; Fanti, Carla; Fanti, Roberto (1992-06-01). "Improved VLBI Images of Four 3CR CSS Quasars at 50 CM". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 44: 273–280. Bibcode:1992PASJ...44..273N. ISSN 0004-6264.
  12. ^ Nan, Rendong; Schilizzi, R. T.; Fanti, C.; Fanti, R. (1991-12-01). "VLBI observations of 24 3CR CSS radio sources at 50 cm". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 252: 513–527. Bibcode:1991A&A...252..513N. ISSN 0004-6361.
  13. ^ van Breugel, W. J. M.; Fanti, C.; Fanti, R.; Stanghellini, C.; Schilizzi, R. T.; Spencer, R. E. (1992-03-01). "Compact Steep-Spectrum 3CR sources: VLA observations at 1.5, 15 and 22.5 GHz". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 256: 56. Bibcode:1992A&A...256...56V. ISSN 0004-6361.
  14. ^ Migliori, Giulia; Siemiginowska, Aneta; Celotti, Annalisa (2012-03-28). "Broadband Jet Emission in Young and Powerful Radio Sources: The Case of the Compact Steep Spectrum Quasar 3C 186". The Astrophysical Journal. 749 (2): 107. arXiv:1202.3153. Bibcode:2012ApJ...749..107M. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/749/2/107. hdl:11585/753978. ISSN 0004-637X.
  15. ^ Boschini, Matteo; Gerosa, Davide; Salafia, Om Sharan; Dotti, Massimo (2024-06-01). "Astrophysical and relativistic modeling of the recoiling black hole candidate in quasar 3C 186". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 686: A245. arXiv:2402.08740. Bibcode:2024A&A...686A.245B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202449596. ISSN 0004-6361.
  16. ^ [email protected]. "Hubble detects supermassive black hole kicked out of galactic core - Astronomers suspect gravitational waves". www.esahubble.org. Retrieved 2025-03-18.