Bent-Double Radio Sources as Probes of the Intragroup Medium

Galaxy groups likely contain a significant fraction of the total baryonic mass in the local universe within their intragroup medium (IGM). However, aside from a handful of UV absorption line and X-ray observations, almost nothing is known about the IGM. We present early results from a research program that combines low-frequency radio continuum observations and optical spectroscopy of bent-double radio sources and their neighbors in groups of galaxies. These observations allow us to probe the density of the IGM to an unprecedented degree by examining its impact on the jets of radio galaxies.