  We present results of analysis of a Chandra observation of Cygnus A in which
the X-ray hotspots at the ends of the jets are mapped in detail. A hardness map
reveals previously unknown structure in the form of outer and inner hard arcs
around the hotspots, with hardness significantly enhanced compared with the
hotspot central regions. The outer hard arcs may constitute the first detection
of the bow shock; the inner hard arcs may reveal where the jets impact on the
hotspots. We argue that these features cannot result from electrons radiating
by the synchrotron self-Compton process. Instead we consider two possible
sources of the hard emission: the outer arcs may be due to thermal radiation of
hot intracluster gas compressed at the bow shock. Alternatively, both outer and
inner arcs may be due to synchrotron radiation of electrons accelerated in
turbulent regions highly perturbed by shocks and shear flows. Comparison of
measured hardness ratios with simulations of the hardness ratios resulting from
these processes show that it is more diffcult to explain the observations with
a thermal model. Although we cannot rule out a thermal model, we argue in
favour of the non-thermal explanation. The hard regions in the secondary
hotspots suggest that jet activity is still powering these hotspots.
