On the nature of an ejection event in the jet of 3C111

We present a possible scenario for the ejection of a superluminal component in the jet of the Broad Line Radio Galaxy 3C111 in early 1996. VLBI observations at 15 GHz discovered the presence of two jet features on scales smaller than one parsec. The first component evolves downstream, whereas the second one fades out after 1 parsec. We propose the injection of a perturbation of dense material followed by a decrease in the injection rate of material in the jet as a plausible explanation. This scenario is supported by 1D relativistic hydrodynamics and emission simulations. The perturbation is modeled as an increase in the jet density, without modifying the original Lorentz factor in the initial conditions. We show that an increase of the Lorentz factor in the material of the perturbation fails to reproduce the observed evolution of this flare. We are able to estimate the lifetime of the ejection event in 3C111 to be 36\pm7 days.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics Letter

Evolution of EEG motor rhythms after spinal cord injury: A longitudinal study

Spinal cord injury (SCI) does not only produce a lack of sensory and motor function caudal to the level of injury, but it also leads to a progressive brain reorganization. Chronic SCI patients attempting to move their affected limbs present a significant reduction of brain activation in the motor cortex, which has been linked to the deafferentation. The aim of this work is to study the evolution of the motor-related brain activity during the first months after SCI. Eighteen subacute SCI patients were recruited to participate in bi-weekly experimental sessions during at least two months. Their EEG was recorded to analyze the temporal evolution of the event-related desynchronization (ERD) over the motor cortex, both during motor attempt and motor imagery of their paralyzed hands. The results show that the a and ß ERD evolution after SCI is negatively correlated with the clinical progression of the patients during the first months after the injury. This work provides the first longitudinal study of the event-related desynchronization during the subacute phase of spinal cord injury. Furthermore, our findings reveal a strong association between the ERD changes and the clinical evolution of the patients. These results help to better understand the brain transformation after SCI, which is important to characterize the neuroplasticity mechanisms involved after this lesion and may lead to new strategies for rehabilitation and motor restoration of these patients

Polarization angle swings in blazars: the case of 3C 279

Kiehlmann, S. et. al.Context. Over the past few years, on several occasions, large, continuous rotations of the electric vector position angle (EVPA) of linearly polarized optical emission from blazars have been reported. These events are often coincident with high energy gamma-ray flares and they have attracted considerable attention, since they could allow us to probe the magnetic field structure in the gamma-ray emitting region of the jet. The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is one of the most prominent examples showing this behaviour. Aims. Our goal is to study the observed EVPA rotations and to distinguish between a stochastic and a deterministic origin of the polarization variability. Methods. We have combined multiple data sets of R-band photometry and optical polarimetry measurements of 3C 279, yielding exceptionally well-sampled flux density and polarization curves that cover a period of 2008-2012. Several large EVPA rotations are identified in the data. We introduce a quantitative measure for the EVPA curve smoothness, which is then used to test a set of simple random walk polarization variability models against the data. Results. 3C 279 shows different polarization variation characteristics during an optical low-flux state and a flaring state. The polarization variation during the flaring state, especially the smooth similar to 360 degrees rotation of the EVPA in mid-2011, is not consistent with the tested stochastic processes. Conclusions. We conclude that, during the two different optical flux states, two different processes govern polarization variation, which is possibly a stochastic process during the low-brightness state and a deterministic process during the flaring activity.S.K. was supported for this research through a stipend from the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in cooperation with the Universities of Bonn and Cologne. T.S. was partly supported by the Academy of Finland project 274477. The research at Boston University was partly funded by NASA Fermi GI grant NNX11AQ03G. K.V.S. is partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grants 13-02-12103 and 14-02-31789. N.G.B. was supported by the RFBR grant 12-02-01237a. E.B., M.S. and D.H. thank financial support from UNAM DGAPA-PAPIIT through grant IN116211-3. I. A. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). The research at the IAA-CSIC and the MAPCAT program are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Regional Government of Andalucia (Spain) through grants AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P, and P09-FQM-4784. The Calar Alto Observatory is jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia-CSIC. Data from the Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project were used. This program is supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX14AQ58G. St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949 and St. Petersburg University research grant 6.38.335.2015. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support of the project FR/638/6-320/12 by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract 31/77.Peer reviewe

Jet stability and the generation of superluminal and stationary components

We present a numerical simulation of the response of an expanding relativistic jet to the ejection of a superluminal component. The simulation has been performed with a relativistic time-dependent hydrodynamical code from which simulated radio maps are computed by integrating the transfer equations for synchrotron radiation. The interaction of the superluminal component with the underlying jet results in the formation of multiple conical shocks behind the main perturbation. These trailing components can be easily distinguished because they appear to be released from the primary superluminal component, instead of being ejected from the core. Their oblique nature should also result in distinct polarization properties. Those appearing closer to the core show small apparent motions and a very slow secular decrease in brightness, and could be identified as stationary components. Those appearing farther downstream are weaker and can reach superluminal apparent motions. The existence of these trailing components indicates that not all observed components necessarily represent major perturbations at the jet inlet; rather, multiple emission components can be generated by a single disturbance in the jet. While the superluminal component associated with the primary perturbation exhibits a rather stable pattern speed, trailing components have velocities that increase with distance from the core but move at less than the jet speed. The trailing components exhibit motion and structure consistent with the triggering of pinch modes by the superluminal component.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters. LaTeX, 19 pages, 4 PostScript figure

3D Simulations of Relativistic Precessing Jets Probing the Structure of Superluminal Sources

We present the results of a three-dimensional, relativistic, hydrodynamic simulation of a precessing jet into which a compact blob of matter is injected. A comparison of synthetic radio maps computed from the hydrodynamic model, taking into account the appropriate light travel time delays, with those obtained from observations of actual superluminal sources shows that the variability of the jet emission is the result of a complex combination of phase motions, viewing angle selection effects, and non-linear interactions between perturbations and the underlying jet and/or the external medium. These results question the hydrodynamic properties inferred from observed apparent motions and radio structures, and reveal that shock-in-jet models may be overly simplistic.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJL. 4 pages, 5 figures (4 in color

The magnetic field structure in CTA 102 from high-resolution mm-VLBI observations during the flaring state in 2016-2017

CONTEXT: Investigating the magnetic field structure in the innermost regions of relativistic jets is fundamental to understanding the crucial physical processes giving rise to jet formation, as well as to their extraordinary radiation output up to γ-ray energies. AIMS: We study the magnetic field structure of the quasar CTA 102 with 3 and 7 mm VLBI polarimetric observations, reaching an unprecedented resolution (∼50 μas). We also investigate the variability and physical processes occurring in the source during the observing period, which coincides with a very active state of the source over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. METHODS: We perform the Faraday rotation analysis using 3 and 7 mm data and we compare the obtained rotation measure (RM) map with the polarization evolution in 7 mm VLBA images. We study the kinematics and variability at 7 mm and infer the physical parameters associated with variability. From the analysis of γ-ray and X-ray data, we compute a minimum Doppler factor value required to explain the observed high-energy emission. RESULTS: Faraday rotation analysis shows a gradient in RM with a maximum value of ∼6 × 104⁴ rad m⁻² and intrinsic electric vector position angles (EVPAs) oriented around the centroid of the core, suggesting the presence of large-scale helical magnetic fields. Such a magnetic field structure is also visible in 7 mm images when a new superluminal component is crossing the core region. The 7 mm EVPA orientation is different when the component is exiting the core or crossing a stationary feature at ∼0.1 mas. The interaction between the superluminal component and a recollimation shock at ∼0.1 mas could have triggered the multi-wavelength flares. The variability Doppler factor associated with such an interaction is large enough to explain the high-energy emission and the remarkable optical flare occurred very close in time.Accepted manuscrip

Spatially resolved origin of mm-wave linear polarization in the nuclear region of 3C 84

We report results from a deep polarization imaging of the nearby radio galaxy 3C 84 (NGC 1275). The source was observed with the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA) at 86 GHz at an ultra-high angular resolution of 50μas (corresponding to 250R). We also add complementary multi-wavelength data from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA; 15 & 43 GHz) and from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA; 97.5, 233.0, and 343.5 GHz). At 86 GHz, we measure a fractional linear polarization of ~ 2% in the VLBI core region. The polarization morphology suggests that the emission is associated with an underlying limb-brightened jet. The fractional linear polarization is lower at 43 and 15 GHz (~ 0.3-0.7% and < 0.1%, respectively). This suggests an increasing linear polarization degree towards shorter wavelengths on VLBI scales. We also obtain a large rotation measure (RM) of ~ 10⁵⁻⁶ rad/m² in the core at ≳43 GHz. Moreover, the VLBA 43 GHz observations show a variable RM in the VLBI core region during a small flare in 2015. Faraday depolarization and Faraday conversion in an inhomogeneous and mildly relativistic plasma could explain the observed linear polarization characteristics and the previously measured frequency dependence of the circular polarization. Our Faraday depolarization modeling suggests that the RM most likely originates from an external screen with a highly uniform RM distribution. To explain the large RM value, the uniform RM distribution, and the RM variability, we suggest that the Faraday rotation is caused by a boundary layer in a transversely stratified jet. Based on the RM and the synchrotron spectrum of the core, we provide an estimate for the magnetic field strength and the electron density of the jet plasma.Accepted manuscrip

Movimiento superficial del glaciar rocoso de las Argualas

At present the Argualas rock glacier is active and it flows to a surface axial mean velocity of 22,3 cm/year. The flow velocities have been determinated by surveying techniques made between 1991 and 1994. This technic complements the geomorphological observations and deepens in the knov\/ledge of the glacier surface dynamics.El glaciar rocoso de las Argualas es activo en la actualidad y fluye a una velocidad media axial en superficie de 22.3 cm/año. El flujo se ha determinado median te las técnicas de auscultación topográfica realizadas entre los años 1991 y 1994. Esta técnica ha permitido complementar el análisis geomorfológico, profundizado en el estudio de la dinámica superficial del glaciar