Location of Weak CSS Sources on the Evolutionary Path of Radio-Loud AGN

Abstract

According to the currently accepted paradigm compact steep spectrum (CSS) sources are precursors of larger/older objects and gigahertz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources may be earlier stages of CSS sources. In this paper we confront this paradigm with the outcome of recent observations of CSS sources that are significantly weaker than those known before. In particular we claim that not all CSS sources must end up as large scale objects; if the activity phase of an AGN's central engine is shorter than the lifetime of a large scale radio source (up to ~10⁸ yr) the radio source associated with such an AGN decays earlier, e.g. at the CSS stage. We point out that a theory of thermal–viscous instabilities in the accretion disks of AGN may explain many features of radio sources at all stages of their evolution.