On the Subparsec-scale Core Composition of FR 0 Radio Galaxies

Abstract

Although Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type 0 radio galaxies are known to be the most numerous jet population in the local Universe, they are much less explored than the well-established class of FR I and FR II galaxies due to their intrinsic weakness. Observationally, their nuclear radio, optical and X-ray properties are comparable to the nuclear environment of FR Is. The recent detection of two FR 0s in the high-energy band suggests that like in FR Is, charged particles are accelerated there to energies that enable gamma-ray production. Up to now, only the lack of extended radio emission from FR 0s distinguishes them from FR Is. By comparing the spectral energy distribution of FR 0s with that of FR Is and in particular with that of M87 as a well-studied reference source of the FR I population, we find the broadband spectrum of FR 0s exceptionally close to M87's quiet core emission. Relying on that similarity, we apply a lepto-hadronic jet-accretion flow model to FR 0s. This model is able to explain the broadband spectral energy distribution, with parameters close to particle-field equipartition and matching all observational constraints. In this framework, FR 0s are multi-messenger jet sources, with a nature and highly magnetized environment similar to that of the naked quiet core of FR Is.