697 research outputs found
Multi-waveband Emission Maps of Blazars
We are leading a comprehensive multi-waveband monitoring program of 34
gamma-ray bright blazars designed to locate the emission regions of blazars
from radio to gamma-ray frequencies. The "maps" are anchored by sequences of
images in both total and polarized intensity obtained with the VLBA at an
angular resolution of ~ 0.1 milliarcseconds. The time-variable linear
polarization at radio to optical wavelengths and radio to gamma-ray light
curves allow us to specify the locations of flares relative to bright
stationary features seen in the images and to infer the geometry of the
magnetic field in different regions of the jet. Our data reveal that some
flares occur simultaneously at different wavebands and others are only seen at
some of the frequencies. The flares are often triggered by a superluminal knot
passing through the stationary "core" on the VLBA images. Other flares occur
upstream or even parsecs downstream of the core.Comment: 5 pages, including 2 figures; to be published in Journal of
Astrophysics and Astronomy, as part of proceedings of the meeting
"Multiwavelength Variability of Blazars" held in Guangzhou, China, in
September 201
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
The connection between the radio jet and the gamma-ray emission in the radio galaxy 3C 120
We present the analysis of the radio jet evolution of the radio galaxy 3C 120
during a period of prolonged gamma-ray activity detected by the Fermi satellite
between December 2012 and October 2014. We find a clear connection between the
gamma-ray and radio emission, such that every period of gamma-ray activity is
accompanied by the flaring of the mm-VLBI core and subsequent ejection of a new
superluminal component. However, not all ejections of components are associated
with gamma-ray events detectable by Fermi. Clear gamma-ray detections are
obtained only when components are moving in a direction closer to our line of
sight.This suggests that the observed gamma-ray emission depends not only on
the interaction of moving components with the mm-VLBI core, but also on their
orientation with respect to the observer. Timing of the gamma-ray detections
and ejection of superluminal components locate the gamma-ray production to
within almost 0.13 pc from the mm-VLBI core, which was previously estimated to
lie about 0.24 pc from the central black hole. This corresponds to about twice
the estimated extension of the broad line region, limiting the external photon
field and therefore suggesting synchrotron self Compton as the most probable
mechanism for the production of the gamma-ray emission. Alternatively, the
interaction of components with the jet sheath can provide the necessary photon
field to produced the observed gamma-rays by Compton scattering.Comment: Already accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa
Space VLBI Observations of 3C371
We present the first space VLBI observations of 3C~371, carried out at a
frequency of 4.8 GHz. The combination of the high resolution provided by the
orbiting antenna Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy
(HALCA) and the high sensitivity of the VLBA allows imaging of the jet of
3C~371 with an angular resolution of approximately 0.26 mas, which for this
relatively nearby source corresponds to 0.4 h pc. Comparison
between two epochs separated by 66 days reveals no apparent motions in the
inner 7 mas jet structure above an upper limit of c. This
value, the absence of detectable counterjet emission from the presumably
symmetric jet, plus the presence of extended double-lobe structure, are
consistent with the knots in the jet being stationary features such as standing
shocks. The jet intensity declines with the angular distance from the core as
. This is more gradual than that derived for 3C~120,
, for which there is evidence for strong intereactions between
the jet and ambient medium. This suggests that in 3C~371 there is a greater
level of {\it in situ} acceleration of electrons and amplification of magnetic
field. We interpret sharp bends in the jet at sites of off-center knots as
further evidence for the interaction between the jet and external medium, which
may also be responsible for the generation of standing recollimation shocks.
These recollimation shocks may be responsible for the presumably stationary
components. The radio properties of 3C~371 are intermediate between those of
other radio galaxies with bright cores and those of BL Lacertae objects.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap
Multi-Wavelength Variability of the Synchrotron Self-Compton Model for Blazar Emission
Motivated by recent reports of strongly correlated radio and X-ray
variability in 3C279 (Grandi, etal 1995), we have computed the relative
amplitudes of variations in the synchrotron flux at and the self-Compton
X-ray flux at 1 keV () for a homogeneous sphere of relativistic
electrons orbiting in a tangled magnetic field. Relative to synchrotron
self-Compton scattering without induced Compton scattering, stimulated
scattering reduces the amplitude of by as much as an order of
magnitude when \tau_T \gtwid 1. When varies in a fixed magnetic
field, increases monotonically from 0.01 at , the
self-absorption turnover frequency, to at . The relative
amplitudes of the correlated fluctuations in the radio-mm and X-ray fluxes from
3C279 are consistent with the synchrotron self-Compton model if varies
in a fixed magnetic field and induced Compton scattering is the dominant source
of radio opacity. The variation amplitudes are are too small to be produced by
the passage of a shock through the synchrotron emission region unless the
magnetic field is perpendicular to the shock front.Comment: 21 pages, 4 fig
Polarimetric Observations of 15 AGNs at High Frequencies
Original paper can be found at: http://www.astrosociety.org/pubs/cs/328.html--Copyright Astronomical Society of the PacificWe have obtained total and polarized intensity images of 15 AGNs with the VLBA at 7 mm at 17 epochs from 25/26 March 1998 to 14 April 2001. The VLBA observations are accompanied at many epochs by simultaneous mea- surements of polarization at 1.35/0.85 mm as well as less frequent simultaneous optical polarization measurements. We discuss the similarities and complexities of polarization behavior at different frequencies along with the VLBI properties
5 year Global 3-mm VLBI survey of Gamma-ray active blazars
The Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) is a network of 14 3\,mm and 7\,mm capable
telescopes spanning Europe and the United States, with planned extensions to
Asia. The array is capable of sensitive maps with angular resolution often
exceeding 50\,as. Using the GMVA, a large sample of prominent -ray
blazars have been observed approximately 6 monthly from later 2008 until now.
Combining 3\,mm maps from the GMVA with near-in-time 7\,mm maps from the
VLBA-BU-BLAZAR program and 2\,cm maps from the MOJAVE program, we determine the
sub-pc morphology and high frequency spectral structure of -ray
blazars. The magnetic field strength can be estimated at different locations
along the jet under the assumption of equipartition between magnetic field and
relativistic particle energies. Making assumptions on the jet magnetic field
configuration (e.g. poloidal or toroidal), we can estimate the separation of
the mm-wave "core" and the jet base, and estimate the strength of the magnetic
field there. The results of this analysis show that on average, the magnetic
field strength decreases with a power-law , .
This suggests that on average, the mm-wave "core" is \,pc downstream
of the de-projected jet apex and that the magnetic field strength is of the
order \,kG, broadly consistent with the predictions of
magnetic jet launching (e.g. via magnetically arrested disks (MAD)).Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur
- …