A VLA Study of the Disturbed Massive Cluster PLCK G165.7 + 67.0 and Its Two Narrow Angle Tail Galaxies

Abstract

Since spectroscopic measurements provide only the line-of-sight velocity, transverse motions are difficult to constrain. In the vast majority of cases, transverse velocities have been measured only for local galaxies. Radio galaxies whose jets are bent back by ram pressure into nearly parallel Narrow-Angle Tails (NATs) offer a way to extend such measurements to higher redshifts. Here, we present proprietary 15~GHz (Ku-band) and archival 6~GHz (C-band) continuum observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) of six radio galaxies in the galaxy cluster field PLCK G165.7+67.0 (G165). VLA imaging resolves two of the cluster galaxies into NATs whose tails both extend toward the Southwest, away from the cluster center of mass. Spectral index maps made at matched angular resolution resolve a steepening gradient consistent with radiative aging along the length of the tails. Physical properties of the NATs are measured and used to constrain two independent models: a Mach cone model and a nonrelativistic hydrodynamic flow model based on Euler's equation. The models returned transverse velocities of ∼ 2000 km s⁻¹ for both galaxies. One NAT is the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and has a measured radial velocity of −3300 km s⁻¹, resulting in an even higher space velocity. The high inferred 3D velocity of the BCG may be explained if it is intercepted close to core passage.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{wilde2026study,
  title = {{A VLA Study of the Disturbed Massive Cluster PLCK G165.7 + 67.0 and Its Two Narrow Angle Tail Galaxies}},
  author = {Aurora Wilde and Eric F. Jimenez-Andrade and Brenda L. Frye and Patrick S. Kamieneski and Kevin C. Harrington and Megan Donahue and Min S. Yun and Anton M. Koekemoer and Marcel Neeleman and Massimo Pascale and Nicholas Foo and Reagen Leimbach and Seth Cohen and Rogier A. Windhorst},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.30649},
  eprint = {2609.30649},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.30649},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - A VLA Study of the Disturbed Massive Cluster PLCK G165.7 + 67.0 and Its Two Narrow Angle Tail Galaxies
AU  - Aurora Wilde
AU  - Eric F. Jimenez-Andrade
AU  - Brenda L. Frye
AU  - Patrick S. Kamieneski
AU  - Kevin C. Harrington
AU  - Megan Donahue
AU  - Min S. Yun
AU  - Anton M. Koekemoer
AU  - Marcel Neeleman
AU  - Massimo Pascale
AU  - Nicholas Foo
AU  - Reagen Leimbach
AU  - Seth Cohen
AU  - Rogier A. Windhorst
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/20
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.30649
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.30649
AB  - Since spectroscopic measurements provide only the line-of-sight velocity, transverse motions are difficult to constrain. In the vast majority of cases, transverse velocities have been measured only for local galaxies. Radio galaxies whose jets are bent back by ram pressure into nearly parallel Narrow-Angle Tails (NATs) offer a way to extend such measurements to higher redshifts. Here, we present proprietary 15~GHz (Ku-band) and archival 6~GHz (C-band) continuum observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) of six radio galaxies in the galaxy cluster field PLCK G165.7+67.0 (G165). VLA imaging resolves two of the cluster galaxies into NATs whose tails both extend toward the Southwest, away from the cluster center of mass. Spectral index maps made at matched angular resolution resolve a steepening gradient consistent with radiative aging along the length of the tails. Physical properties of the NATs are measured and used to constrain two independent models: a Mach cone model and a nonrelativistic hydrodynamic flow model based on Euler's equation. The models returned transverse velocities of ∼ 2000 km s^−1 for both galaxies. One NAT is the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) and has a measured radial velocity of −3300 km s^−1, resulting in an even higher space velocity. The high inferred 3D velocity of the BCG may be explained if it is intercepted close to core passage.
ER  -

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