205 research outputs found
Radio polarimetry of compact steep spectrum sources at sub-arcsecond resolution
Aims - We report new Very Large Array polarimetric observations of Compact
Steep-Spectrum (CSS) sources at 8.4, 15, and 23GHz. Methods - Using
multi-frequency VLA observations we have derived sub-arcsecond resolution
images of the total intensity, polarisation, and rotation measure (RM)
distributions. Results heading - We present multi-frequency VLA polarisation
observations of CSS sources. About half of the sources are point-like even at
the resolution of about 0.1x0.1 arcseconds. The remaining sources have double
or triple structure. Low values for the percentage of polarised emission in CSS
sources is confirmed. On the average, quasars are more polarised than galaxies.
A wide range of RM values have been measured. There are clear indications of
very large RMs up to 5\,585 rad m**(-2). CSS galaxies are characterized by RM
values that are larger than CSS quasars. The majority of the objects show very
large values of RM. Conclusions - The available data on sub-arcsecond-scale
rest-frame RM estimates for CSS sources show that these have a wide range of
values extending up to about 36,000 rad m**(-2). RM estimates indicate an
overall density of the magneto-ionic medium larger than classical radio
sources.Comment: Accepted for publication by Astronomy & Astrophysic
VLBA polarimetric observations of the CSS quasar 3C147
Aims. We report new VLBA polarimetric observations of the compact
steep-spectrum (CSS) quasar 3C147 (B0538+498) at 5 and 8.4GHz.
Methods. By using multifrequency VLBA observations, we derived
milliarcsecond-resolution images of the total intensity, polarisation, and
rotation measure distributions, by combining our new observations with archival
data.
Results. The source shows a one-sided structure, with a compact region, and a
component extending about 200 mas to the south-west. The compact region is
resolved into two main components with polarised emission, a complex rotation
measure distribution, and a magnetic field dominated by components
perpendicular to the source axis.
Conclusions. By considering all the available data, we examine the possible
location of the core component, and discuss two possible interpretations of the
observed structure of this source: core-jet and lobe-hot spot. Further
observations to unambiguously determine the location of the core would help
distinguish between the two possibilities discussed here.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figure
Milli-arcsecond scale Rotation Measure in the CSS Quasars 0548+165 and 1524-136
Two Compact Steep-spectrum Sources (CSSs), 0548+165 and 1524-136, chosen from a list of CSSs with polarization percentages that decrease with decreasing frequency and high rotation measure values (RM > 450 rad/m**2) on arcsecond scales, were observed with the VLBA at 4.9 and 8.4 GHz. RM values up to ~10**4 rad/m**2 were found in several regions along the jets in both sources. We suggest that a thin screen of magneto-ionic material with about 1 kpc thickness is responsible for these high RMs. The observed depolarization may be due to beam depolarization and/or inhomogeneities in the magnetic field
Quasar Jets and their Fields
Observations of jets from quasars and other types of accreting black hole are
briefly summarized. The importance of beaming and -ray observations for
understanding the origin of these jets is emphasised. It is argued that both
the power source and the collimation are likely to be magnetic in origin,
although the details remain controversial. Ultrarelativistic jets may be formed
by the spinning hole and collimated by a hydromagnetic disc wind. Progress in
understanding jets has been handicapped by our inadequate knowledge of how
magnetic field really behaves under cosmic conditions. Fortunately, significant
insights are coming from solar observations, numerical simulation and
laboratory plasma experiments. Some possible, evolutionary ramifications are
briefly discussed and it is suggested that it is the mass of the black hole
relative to that of the galaxy which determines the eventual galaxy morphology.Comment: Latex. 17pages Proc Discusison Meeting on Magnetic Activity in Stars,
Discs and Quasars. Ed. D. Lynden-Bell, E. R. Priest and N. O. Weiss. To
appear in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc.
Dual-frequency VLBI study of Centaurus A on sub-parsec scales
Centaurus A is the closest active galactic nucleus. High resolution imaging
using Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) enables us to study the spectral
and kinematic behavior of the radio jet-counterjet system on sub-parsec scales,
providing essential information for jet emission and formation models. Our aim
is to study the structure and spectral shape of the emission from the
central-parsec region of Cen A. As a target of the Southern Hemisphere VLBI
monitoring program TANAMI (Tracking Active Galactic Nuclei with Milliarcsecond
Interferometry), VLBI observations of Cen A are made regularly at 8.4 and 22.3
GHz with the Australian Long Baseline Array (LBA) and associated telescopes in
Antarctica, Chile, and South Africa. The first dual-frequency images of this
source are presented along with the resulting spectral index map. An angular
resolution of 0.4 mas x 0.7 mas is achieved at 8.4 GHz, corresponding to a
linear scale of less than 0.013 pc. Hence, we obtain the highest resolution
VLBI image of Cen A, comparable to previous space-VLBI observations. By
combining with the 22.3 GHz image, which has been taken without contributing
transoceanic baselines at somewhat lower resolution, we present the
corresponding dual-frequency spectral index distribution along the sub-parsec
scale jet revealing the putative emission regions for recently detected
gamma-rays from the core region by Fermi/LAT. We resolve the innermost
structure of the milliarcsecond scale jet and counterjet system of Cen A into
discrete components. The simultaneous observations at two frequencies provide
the highest resolved spectral index map of an AGN jet allowing us to identify
multiple possible sites as the origin of the high energy emission.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures (1 color); A&A, accepte
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