Hybrid Morphology Radio Sources from the MeerKAT Absorption Line Survey (MALS): Radio, Mid-infrared, and Environmental Characteristics

Abstract Hybrid morphology radio sources (HyMoRSs) are a rare subclass of radio galaxies that display a Fanaroff–Riley type I (FR I) morphology on one side of the central supermassive black hole and a type II (FR II) morphology on the other. In this study, we report the discovery of 36 new HyMoRSs, marking the largest collection of such sources in the southern sky to date, using data obtained from the MeerKAT absorption line survey (MALS). The identified HyMoRSs exhibit moderate radio luminosities in the range 9.9 × 10 23 –5.7 × 10 25 W Hz −1 , with a median value of 4.4 × 10 24 W Hz −1 at 1.4 GHz, and are located within the redshift range 0.04 < z < 1.34. In this work, we show for the first time that the two lobes of HyMoRSs exhibit no statistically significant difference in their spectral indices. We also investigate the mid-infrared properties and environments of their host galaxies. Notably, 9 out of the 36 sources are situated near the centers of galaxy clusters, including one with giant radio jets that extend over 811 kpc. Our analysis reveals that the majority of HyMoRSs are hosted by actively star-forming galaxies that exhibit elevated star formation rates. Furthermore, our findings suggest that HyMoRSs may arise from FR II jets being deflected by a dense, cluster-like environment, along with orientation effects that make one jet appear FR I-like. As our candidates are selected through visual inspection of MALS radio maps, higher-resolution follow-up observations are still necessary to confirm the nature of their morphologies.