The anisotropy of emission from hotspots in extragalactic radio sources

Abstract
Numerical simulations of the ends of jets in extragalactic radio sources are carried out. The synchrotron emission expected from the hotspot, formed where a beam encounters the intergalactic medium, is calculated using a number of simplifying assumptions. By considering relativistic beaming effects, we determine the ratio of luminosities of the approaching and receding components of a classical double radio source making different angles with the line-of-sight. We find that, for a given expansion speed, beam models have ratios of radio powers only slightly smaller than models having two plasma clouds oppositely ejected with uniform velocities from the central object.