A Deep Chandra Observation of the X-shaped Radio Galaxy 4C +00.58: A
  Candidate for Merger-induced Reorientation?
  Although rapid reorientation of a black hole spin axis (lasting less than a
few Myr) has been suggested as a mechanism for the formation of wings in
X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs), to date no convincing case of reorientation has
been found in any XRG. Alternative wing formation models such as the
hydrodynamic backflow models are supported by observed trends indicating that
XRGs form preferentially with jets aligned along the major axis of the
surrounding medium and wings along the minor axis. In this Letter, we present a
deep Chandra observation of 4C +00.58, an oddball XRG with its jet oriented
along the minor axis. By using the X-ray data in tandem with available radio
and optical data, we estimate relevant timescales with which to evaluate wing
formation models. The hydrodynamic models have difficulty explaining the long
wings, whereas the presence of X-ray cavities (suggesting jet activity along a
prior axis) and a potential stellar shell (indicating a recent merger) favor a
merger-induced reorientation model.
