Multi–frequency analysis of the two CSS quasars 3C 43 & 3C 298

¹ Istituto di Radioastronomia del CNR, via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
² Physics Dept., University of Bologna, via Irnerio 46, 40126 Bologna
³ Astronomy Dept., University of Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
⁴ University of Manchester, Jodrell Bank Observatory, UK
⁵ Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, Postbus 2, 7990 AA, Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
⁶ Leiden Observatory, Postbus 9513, Leiden, 2300RA, The Netherlands

Corresponding author: D. Dallacasa, ddallaca@ira.cnr.it

Received: 26 July 2002
Accepted: 24 September 2002

Abstract

We present and discuss observations made with MERLIN and VLBI at 1.7 and 5 GHz of the two CSS quasars 3C 43 and 3C 298. They show quite different morphologies, the former being a very distorted triple radio source, the latter a small FRII type object. Relativistic effects and structural distortions are discussed. Source ages are evaluated to be of the order of 10⁵ years, therefore 3C 43 and 3C 298 can be considered fairly “young” radio sources. Some inference is also derived on the properties of the medium surrounding the radio emitting regions in these sub–galactic objects, whose density could be as low as 10^-3 cm^-3.