The nature of compact radio sources: the case of FR 0 radio galaxies

Abstract

Radio-loud compact radio sources (CRSs) are characterised by morphological compactness of the jet structure centred on the active nucleus of the galaxy. Most of the local elliptical galaxies are found to host a CRS with nuclear luminosities lower than those of typical quasars, \(\lesssim 10^{42}\, \text{erg}\, \text{s}^{-1}\). Recently, low-luminosity CRSs with a LINER-like optical spectrum have been named Fanaroff–Riley (FR) type 0 to highlight their lack of substantially extended radio emission at kpc scales, in contrast with the other Fanaroff–Riley classes, full-fledged FR Is and FR II radio galaxies. FR 0s are the most abundant class of radio galaxies in the local Universe, and characterised by a higher core dominance, poorer Mpc-scale environment and smaller (sub-kpc scale, if resolved) jets than FR Is. However, FR 0s share similar host and nuclear properties with FR Is. A different accretion–ejection paradigm from that in place in FR Is is invoked to account for the parsec-scale FR 0 jets. This review revises the state-of-the-art knowledge about FR 0s, their nature, and which open issues the next generation of radio telescopes can solve in this context.