Indian Team Discovers 34 New Giant Radio Sources

In August, 2024, an Indian-led team has identified 34 new giant radio sources (GRSs) using data from the TIFR GMRT Sky Survey Alternative Data Release 1 at 150 MHz, revealing intriguing new insights into these cosmic structures.

Key Points

Discovery Overview: The new GRSs, some challenging existing theories about their environments, were detected with the help of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) located near Pune, India.
Significance of GRSs: These giant structures are among the universe's largest, extending millions of light years and driven by supermassive black holes at the centers of galaxies.
The powerful forces from these black holes ionize surrounding matter, forming jets and lobes of radio emission.
Challenges and Findings: Two newly discovered GRSs, J0843+0513 and J1138+4540, defy the previous belief that GRSs grow only in low-density environments, suggesting that environmental factors alone do not determine their size.
Importance of Low-Frequency Surveys: The GRSs' large sizes and complex structures make them significant for studying the evolution of radio galaxies and the intergalactic medium.
Low-frequency surveys like TGSS are more effective in detecting these structures than high-frequency ones.