Host Galaxies and Environments
Radio galaxies are almost universally found hosted by elliptical galaxies, though there is one well-documented exception. Some Seyfert galaxies show weak, small radio jets, but they are not radio-luminous enough to be classified as radio-loud. Such information as there is about the host galaxies of radio-loud quasars and blazars suggests that they are also hosted by elliptical galaxies.
There are several possible reasons for this very strong preference for ellipticals. One is that ellipticals generally contain the most massive black holes, and so are capable of powering the most luminous active galaxies (see Eddington luminosity). Another is that ellipticals generally inhabit richer environments, providing a large-scale intergalactic medium to confine the radio source. It may also be that the larger amounts of cold gas in spiral galaxies in some way disrupts or stifles a forming jet. To date there is no compelling single explanation for the observations.
Read more about this topic: Radio Galaxy
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