Hotspot position as an orientation indicator in FR II radio sources

ABSTRA C T We show that for a sample of radio sources with z , 0:5 from the complete LRL data set the broad-lined radio galaxies (BLRGs) have hotspots that are very much more recessed than their narrow-lined counterparts. The asymmetry in the amount by which the hotspots are recessed in the two lobes of a source is also greater in the BLRGs. Assuming the standard unified model these results indicate that the position of the hotspots in the lobes is orientation-dependent. The most plausible interpretation is that the hotspots do not always coincide with the termination point of the beam but are sometimes other, relativistically beamed, features internal to the lobes.