3C 298 is aquasar[2] located in the constellation ofVirgo. Theredshift of the object is estimated to be (z) 1.436[1] and it was first discovered byastronomers in 1959 as anastronomical radio source.[3] It contains a compact steepspectrum source (CSS) and is classified as radio-loud,[4][5][6] with the source considered to be the most luminous known with a value of 1.4 x 1028 erg s-1.[7]
The source of 3C 298 is found to be an asymmetric triple, mainly made up of a radio core located within a compact component and two extendedradio lobes on each side of it. When imaged, the western radio lobe has a bright unpolarized hotspot located closer to the core region whereas the eastern radio lobe is connected together by a central component.[8] InternationalLow-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio imaging finds the western lobe is more luminous than the eastern lobe with its estimated flux density of 54Jansky.[9]
Radio imaging made byVery Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), showed the source has two wide plume features emerging outwards from both lobes, describing its structure as S-shaped.[8] Two compact hotspot features are present with their distances from the core being estimated as 7.9 and 4.8 kiloparsecs.[10]Very Large Array (VLA) showed the source has ajet going in eastwards direction. This jet is found extremelypolarized and is linking with an outer component.[11] Other imaging have showed it changing its direction to north by 20° upon reaching 0.35 arcseconds from the nucleus.[8]
The host galaxy of 3C 298 shows characteristics of a post-starburst galaxy based on strong Balmerabsorption lines in its spectra and is the process of an intermediategalaxy merger resulting from the interaction of two large galaxies with their nuclei yet to merge together.[12][13] The total star formation rate of the quasar is9.3+0.4 −0.3 Mʘ per year based on decomposition of its spectral energy distribution.[14] There arestar-forming regions offset from the host galaxy mainly dominated by both youngO-type andB-type main sequence stars, which are displaying extremeultraviolet emission. Young stellar populations are evident, indicating the host galaxy also displayed recent signs of star formation.[12]
3C 298 is found to be poweringconical ionized gas outflows. Based on observations, the outflows has avelocity of 1700kilometers per second with its outflow rate estimated to be between 450 and 1500Mʘ per year. Evidence from observations, also showed a molecular gas disk is present near the outflow spatial center with arotational velocity of ± 150 kilometers per second and a mass of 6.6 ± 0.36 x 109 Mʘ. The blueshifted molecular disk side displays signs of extended emission confirming the quasar is undergoing molecular outflow of 2300 Mʘ per year. This outflow would deplete the molecular gas in the disk within the timeframe of three million years. Asupermassive black hole mass of 109.37–9.56 Mʘ has been calculated for the quasar.[12]
It is found there are detections ofsulfur andnitrogen from outflows powered by the quasar based on a study conducted in 2025.[15]
^Podigachoski, P.; Barthel, P. D.; Haas, M.; Leipski, C.; Wilkes, B.; Kuraszkiewicz, J.; Westhues, C.; Willner, S. P.; Ashby, M. L. N.; Chini, R.; Clements, D. L.; Fazio, G. G.; Labiano, A.; Lawrence, C.; Meisenheimer, K. (March 2015). "Star formation in z > 1 3CR host galaxies as seen by Herschel".Astronomy and Astrophysics.575: A80.arXiv:1501.01434.Bibcode:2015A&A...575A..80P.doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201425137.ISSN0004-6361.
