MeerKAT view of the dancing ghosts - peculiar galaxy pair PKS 2130-538 in Abell 3785

We present MeerKAT L-band (886-1682 MHz) observations of the extended radio structure of the peculiar galaxy pair PKS 2130-538 known as the 'Dancing Ghosts'. The complex of bending and possibly interacting jets and lobes originate from two active galactic nuclei hosts in the Abell 3785 galaxy cluster, one of which is the brightest cluster galaxy. The radio properties of the PKS 2130-538 - flux density, spectral index, and polarization - are typical for large, bent-tail galaxies. We also investigate a number of thin extended low surface brightness filaments originating from the lobes. South-east from the Dancing Ghosts, we detect a region of low surface brightness emission that has no clear origin. While it could originate from the Abell 3785 radio halo, we investigate the possibility that it is associated with the two PKS 2130-538 hosts. We find no evidence of interaction between the two PKS 2130-538 hosts.

Automated summary

We used MeerKAT L-band observations to study the extended radio structure of the peculiar galaxy pair PKS 2130-538, also known as the 'Dancing Ghosts'. The complex structure originates from two active galactic nuclei hosts in the Abell 3785 galaxy cluster and shows typical radio properties of large, bent-tail galaxies. We also investigated thin extended low surface brightness filaments and a region of low surface brightness emission with no clear origin.