Unusual Radio Properties of the BL Lac Object 0820+225

We present the results of simultaneous VLBA polarisation observations of the BL Lacertae object 0820+225 at 5, 8, and 15 GHz, together with earlier images at 5 GHz. This source has an unusually rich total intensity and polarisation structure compared to other objects with comparable redshifts. The magnetic field in the inner part of the complex and highly twisted VLBI jet is transverse, as is typical of BL Lacertae objects, but becomes roughly longitudinal further from the core, possibly due to shear. Although the integrated rotation measure of 0820+225 is modest, the rotation-measure distribution on parsec scales is non-uniform, and clearly shows regions where the rotation measure is substantially higher than the integrated value.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ

Changes in the trajectory of the radio jet in 0735+178?

We present multi-epoch 8.4 and 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array images of the BL Lac object 0735+178. The images confirm the presence of a twisted jet with two sharp apparent bends of 90$^{\circ}$ within two milliarcseconds of the core, resembling a helix in projection. The observed twisted geometry could be the result of precession of the jet inlet, but is more likely produced by pressure gradients in the external medium through which the jet propagates. Quasi-stationary components are observed at the locations of the 90$^{\circ}$ bends, possibly produced by differential Doppler boosting. Identification of components across epochs, since the earliest VLBI observations of this source in 1979.2, proves difficult due to the sometimes large time gaps between observations. One possible identification suggests the existence of superluminal components following non--ballistic trajectories with velocities up to $11.6\pm 0.6 h_{65}^{-1} c$. However, in images obtained after mid-1995, components show a remarkable tendency to cluster near several jet positions, suggesting a different scenario in which components have remained nearly stationary in time at least since mid-1995. Comparison with the earlier published data, covering more than 19 years of observations, suggests a striking qualitative change in the jet trajectory sometime between mid-1992 and mid-1995, with the twisted jet structure with stationary components becoming apparent only at the later epochs. This would require a re-evaluation of the physical parameters estimated for 0735+178, such as the observing viewing angle, the plasma bulk Lorentz factor, and those deduced from these.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Circular polarization of AGNs on the parsec VLBI scales

Faraday effects possibly plays the major role in generation of circular polarization observed on Very Long Base Interferometry scales. Multi-frequency circular polarization measurementrs can become the desired breakthrough in understanding the active galactic nuclei jet physics and the only possibility to estimate some of their vital parameters. We review the possible mechanisms of circular polarization generation and their connection to the jet parameters. We throw a glimpse on the methods of data reduction and finally discuss our current observational progress and its possible interpretation

Do BL Lacs lack the circular polarization?

We present the first preliminary evidence of difference in the circular polarized emission between quasars and BL Lacs. BL Lac objects seem to lack the sources with high circular polarization degrees. It cannot be due to selection effects, so some intrinsic effects are involved. These possible differences can be attributed to jet composition, energy of particles or magnetic field properties. The first one can be the intriguing possibility of different central engine mechanisms of these objects. However, the small detection rate for BL Lac objects and therefore a small sample size still prevents us from making the firm conclusion, so further observations of BL Lacs are highly desired

The Point of Origin of the Radio Radiation from the Unresolved Cores of Radio-Loud Quasars

Locating the exact point of origin of the core radiation in active galactic nuclei (AGN) would represent important progress in our understanding of physical processes in the central engine of these objects. However, due to our inability to resolve the region containing both the central compact object and the jet base, this has so far been difficult. Here, using an analysis in which the lack of resolution does not play a significant role, we demonstrate that it may be impossible even in most radio loud sources for more than a small percentage of the core radiation at radio wavelengths to come from the jet base. We find for 3C279 that $\sim85$ percent of the core flux at 15 GHz must come from a separate, reasonably stable, region that is not part of the jet base, and that then likely radiates at least quasi-isotropically and is centered on the black hole. The long-term stability of this component also suggests that it may originate in a region that extends over many Schwarzschild radii.Comment: 7 pages with 3 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Correlations between the peak flux density and the position angle of inner-jet in three blazars

We aim to investigate the relation between the long-term flux density and the position angle (PA) evolution of inner-jet in blazars. We have carried out the elliptic Gaussian model-fit to the `core' of 50 blazars from 15 GHz VLBA data, and analyzed the variability properties of three blazars from the model-fit results. Diverse correlations between the long-term peak flux density and the PA evolution of the major axis of the `core' have been found in $\sim$ 20% of the 50 sources. Of them, three typical blazars have been analyzed, which also show quasi-periodic flux variations of a few years (T). The correlation between the peak flux density and the PA of inner-jet is positive for S5~0716+714, and negative for S4~1807+698. The two sources cannot be explained with the ballistic jet models, the non-ballistic models have been analyzed to explain the two sub-luminal blazars. A correlation between the peak flux density and the PA (with a T/4 time lag) of inner-jet is found in [HB89]~1823+568, this correlation can be explained with a ballistic precession jet model. All the explanations are based mainly on the geometric beaming effect; physical flux density variations from the jet base would be considered for more complicated situations in future, which could account for the no or less significance of the correlation between the peak flux density and the PA of inner-jet in the majority blazars of our sample.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Eigenmodes and growth rates of relativistic current filamentation instability in a collisional plasma

I theoretically found eigenmodes and growth rates of relativistic current filamentation instability in collisional regimes, deriving a generalized dispersion relation from self-consistent beam-Maxwell equations. For symmetrically counterstreaming, fully relativistic electron currents, the collisional coupling between electrons and ions creates the unstable modes of growing oscillation and wave, which stand out for long-wavelength perturbations. In the stronger collisional regime, the growing oscillatory mode tends to be dominant for all wavelengths. In the collisionless limit, those modes vanish, while maintaining another purely growing mode that exactly coincides with a standard relativistic Weibel mode. It is also shown that the effects of electron-electron collisions and thermal spread lower the growth rate of the relativistic Weibel instability. The present mechanisms of filamentation dynamics are essential for transport of homogeneous electron beam produced by the interaction of high power laser pulses with plasma.Comment: 44 pages, 12 figures. Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

The VLBI Jets of BL Lac Objects

Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) can be used to construct images of the radio emission of active galactic nuclei on scales of parsecs. Although BL Lacertac objects distinguished from other core-dominated AGN primarily in the absence of strong optical line emission - have "core-jet" structures similar to those seen in other types of compact extragalactic radio sources, their parsec-scale structure shows a number of distinctive features, such as the dominance of transverse magnetic fields. This B-field structure may be due to the presence of relativistic shocks: alternatively, it may reflect the dominance of the toroidal comportent of an underlying helical B field. The superluminal speeds observed in the VLBI jets of BL Lac objects are somewhat lower than those in quasars, suggesting that the typical Lorentz factors for the jet flows are smaller