4C +41.17 is a radio galaxy located in the constellation Auriga. With the redshift of 3.79, it is located nearly 11.7 billion light-years from Earth. At the time of its discovery in 1988, it was one of the most distant galaxies ever seen.
Characteristics
4C +41.17 is classified as a high redshift radio galaxy in the early universe with a presence of an ultra steep radio spectrum. The source of the galaxy is powerful with its astrophysical jet driving shock waves that enhances the star formation.
4C +41.17 is categorized as hyperluminous infrared galaxy. The radio luminosity of this galaxy has been estimated as 29.18 x 1027.5 watts per hertz. The total infrared luminosity has been found to be calculated as 1013 L☉ The central dust lane is shown to contain massive amounts of interstellar dust.
An observation using the IRAM 30m telescope in Spain, has found presence of least two carbon oxide (CO) systems in 4C +41.17. One of the CO component is shown coinciding with the central core while the other is situated at the base of a cone-shaped region, southwest from the galaxy's nucleus. This evidence suggests it underwent a recent galaxy merger. Extended X-ray emission has also been detected in addition. A region of faint radio emission is shown elongating from the nuclear region by 5.3 kiloparsecs. Deep spectropolarimetric observations with the W. M. Keck Telescope has also shown the ultraviolet emission of galaxy is mainly unpolarized.
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