Citizen scientists help reveal ‘odd’ twin rings around galaxy, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Citizen scientists from the RAD@home Facebook group discovered a rare double Odd Radio Circle (ORC) using data from the LOFAR telescope network in Europe.
• ORCs are large, faint circular radio sources surrounding distant galaxies and are among the least understood objects in deep space.
• The discovery marks only the second known instance of a twin ORC and one of the most powerful ORCs recorded.
• The research team, led by Professor Ananda Hota from the University of Mumbai, utilizes the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) near Pune for further investigation.

Detailed Insights:

• RAD@home, founded in 2013, trains participants to recognize galaxy structures in various images and encourages them to identify unusual sources.
• The discovered twin ORCs are significantly larger than the galaxies they surround, challenging existing understandings of radio galaxy formation.
• Possible explanations for ORCs include shockwaves from galaxy collisions or aftereffects of powerful outbursts like supermassive black hole mergers.
• The discovery challenges the traditional view that research is separate from education, promoting a combined model of learning and discovery through citizen science.
• Radio galaxies are classified based on their shape and brightness, including Fanaroff-Riley (FR) types I and II, with subtypes like X-shaped and giant radio galaxies.
• Active galaxies host supermassive black holes that release enormous amounts of energy by feeding on gas and dust, launching jets of plasma.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Odd Radio Circle (ORC): A large, faint, circular radio source surrounding a distant galaxy, of unknown origin.
• Radio Galaxy: A galaxy that emits strong radio waves, often due to jets of plasma ejected from a supermassive black hole.
• Citizen Science: Scientific research conducted by amateur or non-professional scientists, often through online platforms.