Phase-reference mapping of a weak-cored double-lobed source in the 1636+473 system using MERLIN and Global VLBI

We present maps and astrometric results from first epoch, simultaneous MERLIN and Global VLBI observations of the very weak core of a double-lobed radio source, using as reference the bright, compact, flat-spectrum quasar 1636+473 A, 20 arcsec away. The observations were made in May 1995 at 5 GHz. The phase-referenced VLBI map of the weak core, of resolution 1.5 mas, contains a high percentage of the core flux density seen in the MERLIN map. Further hybrid mapping iterations reveal a faint, one-sided core extension on the same side as the MERLIN jet. We explore the effect of both temporal and other coherence losses on the phase-reference map. We relate our results to the structural asymmetry in weak AGN cores within the context of unification models.     

视超光速源0106 013的观测研究

我们在利用上海和ＳＨＥＶＥ组成的ＶＬＢＩ网做南天区５ＧＨｚＶＬＢＩ普查的过程中，对致密射电源０１０６＋０１３的视超光速运动作了进一步的研究．结果表明：（１）分量１最有可能是核；（２）原视超光速喷流分量仍以０．２ｍａｓ／ｙｒ的自行速度向外运动；（３）发现一个新分量的爆发，新分量也是视超光速的，自行速度为０．１８ｍａｓ／ｙｒ；（４）喷流在大约５ｍａｓ处有较明显的弯曲，然后趋于与ＶＬＡ喷流的方向一致．     

The distribution of spectral index in the structure of quasar 3C 286

High dynamic range images on mas scale and the distribution of spectral index in the structure of the quasar 3C 286 were obtained from observations of global VLBI arrays at 5 and 1.66 GHz. There are two components located the center of the quasar, but we cannot decide which one is the real core from the spectral index. It is impossible that the structure of 3C 286 is the result of gravitational lensing. There may be two active black holes at the center, i.e., two central engines, each with its own jet extending in different directions.     

VLBI Polarisation Properties of a Complete Sample of Radio-Loud BL Lacs

The paper summarises the results to date of an ongoing multi-epoch, multi-frequency polarisation VLBI study of a complete sample of northern 1-Jy BL Lac objects. We discuss the physical origin of the characteristic polarisation properties of the core and jet structures as revealed by both general trends for the sample as a whole and more detailed observations of individual objects. It has been known for a decade that the distribution of the core polarisation position angles at moderate centimeter wavelengths is bimodal, with the corepolarisation angle being either aligned with or perpendicular to the direction of the inner VLBI jet. A preliminary analysis of the VLBI core spectral indices from 15–5 GHz suggests that this is the result of optical depth effects and that the two peaks in the distribution correspond to cores dominated by optically thin and thick regions of emission. This interpretation is supported by the results of quasi-simultaneous VLBI and optical polarisation observations, and also by VSOP polarisation observations of OJ287. Evidence for the presence of helical or toroidal magnetic fields associated with the VLBIjets is discussed. The collected results are discussed in the context of their possible implications for circular-polarisation studies of AGN. We are now beginning a search for parsec-scale circular polarisation in the complete sample BL Lac objects and hope to have our first results by June 2003.     

On the errors and stability of reference frames

The distribution of systematic errors in the coordinates of 1217 extragalactic radio sources included in the latest version of the ICRF2 (International Celestial Reference Frame) reference catalog has been mapped for the first time by processing VLBI observations from international astrometric and geodetic programs spanning the period 1980–2012. These errors are shown to reach ±1.0 mas (milliarcseconds). However, for a sample of 752 sources observed more than 100 times, these errors do not exceed ±0.2 mas, suggesting that ICRF2 is inhomogeneous. In addition, the individual stability of dozens of extragalactic radio sources and ground-based stations included in the latest version of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame, ITRF2005, has been investigated. Significant linear trends and anomalous shifts reaching ±20 µas (microarcseconds) have been detected for many of the sources. Significant systematic shifts have also been found for some of the reference stations. The results obtained stimulate a search for new methods of analyzing VLBI observations and ways of their global adjustment that would provide greater homogeneity and stability of the ICRF and ITRF. This is needed both to increase the accuracy of determining the astrometric, geodetic, and geodynamic parameters derived from these observations and to facilitate their physical interpretation. The work has been performed with the QUASAR multifunction software package developed at the Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.     

Studies of the quasar OH 471

Based on the 1964–1996 observations in the frequency range 0.325–90 GHz, we study peculiarities of the variability of the quasar OH 471 (z=3.4). The double-humped spectrum had peaks at frequencies near 1 and 20 GHz. The flux density of the low-frequency component first decreased and then began to increase. The high-frequency component rose to 2.5 Jy in the late 1970s. The peak frequencies were virtually constant. VLBI observations at 1.6 GHz revealed a core-jet structure with the jet extended eastward to 5 mas. The object is a powerful quasar.     

The Two Mini-lobes of the CSO OQ208—— VLBI Observations at 5 GHz and 8.4 GHz

We present the results of VLBI observations at 5 GHz and 8.4 GHz of the compact symmetric object (CSO) OQ208. Images taken on four epochs at 5GHz and one at 8.4GHz show that the parsec radio structure of the source consists of two mini-lobes, both of them are resolved into two hot-spots. We note that the component D is stronger than the component C in the south-west region at 5 GHz, indicating that component D is less free-free absorbed than C at low frequency. On the basis of the separation of components A and D, a proper motion of 0.032±0.02 mas yr~(-1) between the two mini-lobes is estimated. This value is about half the previous estimates based on the separation of components A and C with 8.4 GHz VLBI data. The reason for the decrease in the expansion velocity is discussed.     

A possible precessing nozzle and the Lense-Thirring effect in blazar 3C 454.3

The kinematics of superluminal components in blazar 3C 454.3 are studied.Nine components are included:superluminal knots R1,R2,R3,R4,A,B,C and D(from Britzen et al.2013) and C4(from Pauliny-Toth 1998).We find that their kinematics derived from VLBI observations can be consistently interpreted in terms of a jet precession scenario with a period of about 14.5 yr.We discuss the model fits of their trajectory,distance from the core and apparent velocity.We show that the bulk Lorentz factor(in the range 4 to 15) derived for these components does not have any dependence on the phase of the precession(or position angle for ejection).The LenseThirring effect is assumed to interpret the precession of the jet nozzle.The results obtained for blazar 3C 454.3 are only suggestive.They are not unique and have yet to be tested,but they might be useful for understanding the kinematics of superluminal components in blazars and for disentangling different mechanisms and factors.     

Two-Component Structure of the Radio Source 0014+813 from VLBI Observations within the CONT14 Program

We consider a method of reconstructing the structure delay of extended radio sources without constructing their radio images. The residuals derived after the adjustment of geodetic VLBI observations are used for this purpose. We show that the simplest model of a radio source consisting of two point components can be represented by four parameters (the angular separation of the components, the mutual orientation relative to the poleward direction, the flux-density ratio, and the spectral index difference) that are determined for each baseline of a multi-baseline VLBI network. The efficiency of this approach is demonstrated by estimating the coordinates of the radio source 0014+813 observed during the two-week CONT14 program organized by the International VLBI Service (IVS) in May 2014. Large systematic deviations have been detected in the residuals of the observations for the radio source 0014+813. The averaged characteristics of the radio structure of 0014+813 at a frequency of 8.4 GHz can be calculated from these deviations. Our modeling using four parameters has confirmed that the source consists of two components at an angular separation of ~0.5 mas in the north–south direction. Using the structure delay when adjusting the CONT14 observations leads to a correction of the average declination estimate for the radio source 0014+813 by 0.070 mas.     

VLBI observations of 4C 39.25 at 18 and 6 cm waves

VLBI observations at wavelengths of 18 and 6 cm with baselines up to 15 and 23 million wavelengths have been made in a search for structures on scales of 10 to 100 milliarcseconds (mas) in the quasar 4C 39.25.No significant structure on these scales above 5% of the peak brightness was detected. The core itself, however, appears to be extended on a scale of 2 to 4 mas and to have a variable flux.     

Space very long baseline interferometry observations of polarization in the jet of 3C 380

A comparison between low-frequency space very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) and high-frequency ground-based VLBI images can, in principle, be used to detect small variations in rotation measure (RM) on fine angular scales inaccessible to ground arrays alone. This paper reports an attempt to perform such a comparison using the jet in the quasar 3C 380. Observations made with the VSOP antenna HALCA together with a ground array at wavelength 1.6 GHz provide total intensity and polarization images of comparable resolution to those from the ground array alone at 5 GHz. The results provide an image showing derotated magnetic vector position angle of somewhat higher resolution than that available earlier. The results show variations in an RM around component A of the order of 10 rad m⁻² that could not have been detected with the ground array alone. It is concluded that satellite VLBI observations provide a promising means to study the distribution of matter and magnetic fields around parsec-scale jets.
The ground observations used here follow the steady outward drift of component A, which has approximately doubled its distance from the core since the first observations in 1982. They also reveal total intensity and polarization structure associated with a bright knot 0.7 arcsec from the core which is reminiscent of that expected for a conical shock wave.     

Space–VLBI observations of the OH maser OH 34.26+0.15: low interstellar scattering

We report on the first space–VLBI observations of the OH 34.26+0.15 maser in two main-line OH transitions at 1665 and 1667 MHz. The observations involved the space radio telescope on board the Japanese satellite HALCA and an array of ground radio telescopes. The map of the maser region and images of individual maser spots were produced with an angular resolution of 1 mas, which is several times higher than the angular resolution available on the ground. The maser spots were only partly resolved and a lower limit to the brightness temperature     was obtained. The maser seems to be located in the direction of low interstellar scattering, an order of magnitude lower than the scattering of a nearby extragalactic source and pulsar.     

VLBI and VLA observations of intraday polarization variability in 0917+624 and 0954+658

Total intensity and polarization λ =6 cm Very Large Array (VLA) and global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images of the quasar 0917+624 and the BL Lacertae object 0954+658 (both at epoch 1991.43) are analysed. Integrated measurements using the VLA during the VLBI observations indicated that, although there were no substantial total intensity variations, there were significant polarization variations for both sources during the 24-h VLBI experiment. The VLBI data were divided into 2–3 h segments in order to try to identify corresponding rapid variability in the VLBI structure. This analysis revealed intraday variability (IDV) in the VLBI core of 0917+624: both the polarized flux and the polarization position angle varied substantially on time-scales of ∼5–10 h. There is evidence that the VLA polarization variations for 0954+658 occurred in an inner VLBI jet component, where the polarized flux varied by ∼30–40 per cent on time-scales of ∼2 h. 0917+624 and 0954+658 were observed together with 0716+714, an object that also displayed IDV in the polarized flux density measured during our experiment (analysed in a separate paper). These three sources were targeted for the VLBI observations since they had been previously identified as intraday variables, but we had no way of knowing whether they would vary during our observations. The fact that all three exhibited IDV in polarization (but not in total intensity) during our experiment suggests that polarization IDV occurs frequently in at least some IDV sources.     

Bending of Jets in the QSO NRAO 530

We present radio images of NRAO 530 on scales ranging from pc to kpc. The observations include the EVN at 5 GHz, the VLBA at 1.6, 8.6 and 15 GHz, the MERLIN at 1.6 and 5 GHz, and the VLA at 5, 8.4, 15, 22, and 43 GHz. The VLBI images show a core-jet structure with an oscillating trajectory on a scale of about 30 mas north of the strongest compact component (core). Superluminal motions are detected in five of the jet compo-nents with apparent velocities in the range of 13.6 to 25.2c. A new component is detected at 15 GHz with the VLBA observations, which appears to be associated with the outburst in 2002. Significant polarized emission is detected around the core with the VLBA observationsat 15 GHz. Rapid variations of the polarization intensity and angle are found between the epochs in 2002 and 2004. On the kpc-scale, a distant component (labelled as WL) located 11 arcsec west (PA=-86°) of the core is detected beyond the core-jet structure which ex-tended to several hundreds of mas in the north-west direction (-50°). A significant emission between the core-jet structure and the WL is revealed. A clump of diffuse emission (labelled EL, 12 arcsec long) at PA 70° to the core, is also detected in the VLA observations, suggest-ing the presence of double lobes in the source. The core component shows a flat spectrum,while the distant components WL and EL have steep spectra. The steep spectra of the distantcomponents and the detection of the arched emission suggest that the distant components are lobes or hot-spots powered by the core of NRAO 530. The morphologies from pc-to kpc- scales and the bending of jets are investigated. The observed radio morphology from pc to kcp appears to favor the model in which precession or wobbling of the nuclear disk drives the helical motion of the radio plasma and produces the S-shaped structure on kpc scale.     

VSOP observations of the compact BL Lacertae object 1803+784

Very Long Baseline Interferometry polarisation observations provide information about the magnetic-field structure of the parsec-scale jets in active galactic nuclei. 5-GHz VLBI polarisation observations of the compact BL Lacertae object 1803+784 were obtained in July 1998 with a global ground array plus the orbiting HALCA (VSOP) antenna. The extra resolution provided by baselines to the orbiting antenna has revealed a smoothly bent jet structure in 1803+784, with the magnetic field transverse all along the jet. This may indicate the presence of relativistic shocks, or possibly of a helical magnetic field surrounding the VLBI jet.     

S5 2007+777的射电性质研究

S5 2007+777是一个典型的低峰值频率的蝎虎天体,该天体具有kpc尺度的X射线喷流,文献中利用模型估算的方法,得出X射线波段的多普勒因子达到13.0,从而喷流尺度可以达到Mpc量级.在此,搜集了有关S5 2007+777的欧洲甚长基线射电干涉网(European VLBI Network, EVN)高分辨率档案数据、美国甚长基线射电干涉网(Very Long Baseline Array, VLBA) 15 GHz观测数据等,研究了喷流的射电结构、亮温度、自行等方面的性质,发现该源的甚长基线干涉测量(Very Long Baseline Interferometry,VLBI)不同波段的喷流方向一致,但与文献中给出的kpc尺度的X射线喷流和甚大阵(Very Large Array, VLA)射电喷流方向存在一定的差异,说明该源的喷流辐射存在多普勒增亮效应.由VLBI观测得到的亮温度,估算了该源的射电多普勒因子的平均值及中值均为5.0,此值小于文献中X射线波段的多普勒因子,但与文献中利用其他方法得到的射电波段多普勒因子是一致的;另外,对多历元观测数据的拟合发现此源相同波段的各个成分在长历元上没有明显的自行,短历元上的自行甚至是视超光速运动.这可能是由低表面亮度成分中心位置的转移造成的.这同时也验证了之前估算的射电多普勒因子不是很大,小于X射线波段多普勒因子的结论.利用所得到的射电多普勒因子,发现该源具有较大尺度的本征射电喷流,可达到0.5 Mpc,由于这里使用的是均值,因此说明该源也有可能具有接近巨射电星系尺度的喷流.     

在6厘米波长对类星体3C454.3的九站VLBI观测

3C454.3是近几年引起广泛注意的一个强活动射电类星体,它有毫角秒尺度的核——喷流结构,其核在1981年的一次流量密度大爆发之后,显示出“超光速增亮”现象,在6厘米波长,用包括欧洲、美国及南非的9个射电望远镜,于1983年10月对3C454.3进行了甚长基线干涉网观测。观测结果除了证实其核——喷流结构,显示了从毫角秒到角秒尺度上该类星体结构的系统弯曲外,还清楚地揭示了“超光速增亮”所预期的,在1981年8月到1983年1月期间,核的超光速膨胀现象。     

Evidence for parsec-scale absorption from VSOP observations of the BL Lacertae object 0735+178

VLBI total intensity and linear polarization images of the BL Lacertae object 0735+178 have been obtained at     using the     VLA as a ground array together with the HALCA orbiting antenna, and at     about a month later using the VLBA. The most surprising result to come from a comparison of these two images, which have nearly equivalent resolution, is that the path of the jet appears to be appreciably different at the two wavelengths. We have interpreted this as evidence for free–free absorption to the east of the core, near a bend of about 90° in the 2-cm image where the emission is very weak in the 6-cm image. Overall, the polarization structures seen in corresponding regions at the two wavelengths are in good agreement. We find tentative evidence for enhanced rotation measures near two sharp bends in the VLBI jet.     

Analysis of λ = 6 cm VLBI polarization observations of a complete sample of northern BL Lacertae objects

The results of very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) total intensity ( I ) and linear polarization ( P ) observations at     are presented for 10 radio bright BL Lacertae objects. These images complete first-epoch polarization observations for the 1-Jy sample of northern BL Lacertae objects defined by Kühr & Schmidt. Estimates of superluminal speeds are presented for several sources, bringing the total number of sources in the sample for which such estimates are available to 16. Second-epoch observations currently being reduced should yield speed estimates for VLBI features in essentially all the sources in the sample. The jet magnetic fields of these BL Lacertae objects are usually transverse to the local jet direction, but a sizeable minority (about 30 per cent) have VLBI jet components with longitudinal magnetic fields. This may suggest that the conditions in the VLBI jets of BL Lacertae objects are favourable for the formation of relativistic shocks; alternatively, it may be that the toroidal component of the intrinsic jet magnetic field is characteristically dominant in these sources.     

Evidence for deceleration in the radio jets of GRS 1915+105?

There is currently a clear discrepancy in the proper motions measured on different angular scales in the approaching radio jets of the black hole X-ray binary GRS 1915+105. Lower velocities were measured with the Very Large Array (VLA) prior to 1996 than were subsequently found from higher resolution observations made with the Very Long Baseline Array and the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network. We initiated an observing campaign to use all three arrays to attempt to track the motion of the jet knots from the 2006 February outburst of the source, giving us unprecedented simultaneous coverage of all angular scales, from milliarcsecond scales out to arcsecond scales. The derived proper motion, which was dominated by the VLA measurements, was found to be 17.0 mas d⁻¹, demonstrating that there has been no significant permanent change in the properties of the jets since 1994. We find no conclusive evidence for deceleration of the jet knots, unless this occurs within 70 mas of the core. We discuss possible causes for the varying proper motions recorded in the literature.