Distribution of radio emission in the x-ray cluster of galaxies Abell 401

We report 4885-MHz VLA observations of four galaxies in the rich cluster Abell 401. We produced approx.2-arcsec-resolution maps of the fields near the sources 4C13.17A, 4C13.17B, and 14W12, as well as the cD in A401. 4C13.17A (total fluxapprox. =120 mJy) has an approx.20-arcsec structure aligned along the minor axis of its associated optical galaxy. A portion of this radio structure is very highly polarized: 48 +- 4%. The apparent location of high polarization (near the nucleus of the radio galaxy) is probably due to projection effects. Along with 4C13.17B, we find that thermal or ram pressure confinement models of the source structures are consistent with x-ray observations that require a hot intracluster gas (Tapprox.108 K, napprox.5 x 10-4 particles/cm3). 4C13.17B (total flux approx.40 mJy) has a U-shaped ''twin-tailed'' structure quite similar in size, shape, and brightness to NGC 1265. We found that 14W12 was point-like (approx.0.5'' size) with total flux density 32.6 +- 1 mJy and centered on its associated optical galaxy. We also observed the cD galaxy but failed to detect it down to a 1sigma limit of approx. =300 μJy. We discuss this lack of radio emission within the context of the accretion model of Mathews and Bregman [Astrophys. J. 224, 308 (1978)]