Periodic Variations of the Jet Flow Lorentz Factor in 3C 273

1 INTRODUCTIONThe quasar 3C 273 (z = 0.158) is one of the classical rwho sources showal apparellt superltalnal motion (Zensus et al. 1990, 1997). It has a large-scale jet (~ 20n of length, 3C273A)elliltting at radio, optical and X-ray bands. It has been suggested that its compel source(3C 273B) is a rmm-blazar, Undergoing strong and rapid Variations in ratio, optical-UV, X-rayand 7-my bands at various tab scales (from hours to years, Courvoisier et al. 1998, Tet al. 1999, Stevens et …     

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.     

A possible precession period for superluminal ejection in QSO 3C 279

The search for periodic features in fiux variability and superluminal ejection in blazars has been an important subject, which is helpful for providing significant clues to the understanding of the structure and kinematics of relativistic jets (physical processes of acceleration and collimation) and their association with central energy engines (black hole/accretion disk systems). The wobbling of the ejection position angle of VLBI knots in superluminal sources has been interpreted in terms of the precessio...     

3C345中视超光速节点运动轨道的数学描述

本文提出一种数学方法来描述类星体３Ｃ３４５中视超光速节点的运动轨道、它既可以描述内部节点的螺旋运动,又可以描述外部节点的直线运动这种统一的描述方法可能对描述其它致密射电源（例如ＰＫＳ０５２８＋１３４）中视超光速节点的运动是有用的。并有助于研究节点流量的内禀变化。     

Is the VLBI core of 3C 345 moving?

In the superluminal source quasar 3C 345, five VLBI knots have been observed to have superluminal motion and, in particular, the two knots C₄ and C₅ move along different curved orbits. This paper examines the possibility that this pair of orbits are due to the motion of the radio core. Using the available data, the motions of C₄ and C₅ are resolved as a superposition of a motion of the core and a motion along a common orbit. The results show that such a resolution can fit well the observations. A brief discussion is made on further test of the model and its physical implications.     

类星体3C345中的VLBI核心在运动吗?

在视超光速源3C345(类星体)中,有5个VLBI节点被观测到有视超光速运动,特别是其中靠近核心的两个节点C_4和C_5沿着不同的弯曲轨道运动.本文考虑这种双轨道运动是由于射电核心运动造成的可能性.利用现有资料,把观测到的C_4和C_5的运动,分解成射电核心的运动和它们沿着一条共同的轨道运动.结果表明,这种分解可以很好地拟合现有关于节点C_4和C_5的观测结果.对进一步的观测检验和模型的物理涵义作了扼要的讨论。     

Multiwavelength study of Cygnus A – I. Precession and slow jet speeds from radio observations

We study the jet and counterjet of the powerful classical double Fanaroff–Riley type II (FR II) radio galaxy Cygnus A as seen in the 5-, 8- and 15-GHz radio bands using the highest spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio archival data available. We demonstrate that the trace of the radio knots that delineate the jet and counterjet deviates from a straight line and that the inner parts can be satisfactorily fitted with the precession model of Hjellming & Johnston. The parameter values of the precession model fits are all plausible although the jet speed is rather low (≲ 0.5 c ) but, on investigation, found to be consistent with a number of other independent estimates of the jet speed in Cygnus A. We compare the masses and precession periods for sources with known precession and find that for the small number of active galactic nuclei with precessing jets the precession periods are significantly longer than those of microquasars.     

Is the jet of AO 0235+164 rotating?

We present the VLBI map of a superluminal radio source AO 0235+164 at 5 GHz. This shows that the object's radio structure is dominated by a strong, nearly unresolved core with two extended asymmetric weak jet components. Based on the variation of its flux density with time at 5 GHz, we suggest that the flux density of AO 0235+164 exhibits two periodic variations: a shorter-period variation of 1.81±0.06 yr and a longer-period one of 3.64±0.08 yr. These two periodic variations could be the result of the joint action of jet outbursts and jet rotation.     

3C390．3的弱秒差距尺度喷流及其变化

通过对射电星系３Ｃ３９０．３在历元１９８９．２９及６ｃｍ波长的ＶＬＢＩ观测数据的多软件包成象，辨认出其弱秒差距尺度喷流中几个分离的节，将它们和以前发表及未发表的同一波长的成象结果比较，显示了该源弱秒差距尺度喷流的弯曲和反喷流，并重新证认了喷流中节的视超光速运动。     

百秒差距尺度上的4C39.25

通过主要在短厘米波长的全球VLBI观测,已经发现强射电类星体4C39.25在十秒差距尺度结构中的视超光速运动,其运动学图景表明该源是一个很特殊的视超光速源.近几年已提出了若干模型,试图解释这特殊的运动图景.报道不多的百秒差距尺度的VLBI观测,很可能有助于检验提出的模型.本文介绍用欧洲网及上海25m天线,在18cm波长对4C39.25所作的VLBI 成象观测的初步结果,显示百秒差距尺度复杂结构及可能存在的视超光速运动.     

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．     

Cross-entropy optimizer: a new tool to study precession in astrophysical jets

Evidence of jet precession in many galactic and extragalactic sources has been reported in the literature. Much of this evidence is based on studies of the kinematics of the jet knots, which depends on the correct identification of the components to determine their respective proper motions and position angles on the plane of the sky. Identification problems related to fitting procedures, as well as observations poorly sampled in time, may influence the follow-up of the components in time, which consequently might contribute to a misinterpretation of the data. In order to deal with these limitations, we introduce a very powerful statistical tool to analyse jet precession: the cross-entropy method for continuous multi-extremal optimization. Only based on the raw data of the jet components (right ascension and declination offsets from the core), the cross-entropy method searches for the precession model parameters that better represent the data. In this work we present a large number of tests to validate this technique, using synthetic precessing jets built from a given set of precession parameters. With the aim of recovering these parameters, we applied the cross-entropy method to our precession model, varying exhaustively the quantities associated with the method. Our results have shown that even in the most challenging tests, the cross-entropy method was able to find the correct parameters within a 1 per cent level. Even for a non-precessing jet, our optimization method could point out successfully the lack of precession.     

A precessing jet model for the PN K 3 − 35: simulated radio-continuum emission

The bipolar morphology of the planetary nebula (PN) K 3 − 35 observed in radio-continuum images was modelled with 3D hydrodynamic simulations with the adaptive grid code yguazú-a . We find that the observed morphology of this PN can be reproduced considering a precessing jet evolving in a dense AGB circumstellar medium, given by a mass-loss rate     and a terminal velocity   v _w= 10 km s⁻¹  . Synthetic thermal radio-continuum maps were generated from numerical results for several frequencies. Comparing the maps and the total fluxes obtained from the simulations with the observational results, we find that a model of precessing dense jets, where each jet injects material into the surrounding CSM at a rate     (equivalent to a density of 8 × 10⁴ cm⁻³), a velocity of 1500 km s⁻¹, a precession period of 100 yr and a semi-aperture precession angle of 20° agrees well with the observations.     

The λ=6 cm VLBI polarization structure of nine BL Lacertae objects

VLBI total intensity ( I ) and linear polarization ( P ) images at λ =6 cm have been obtained for nine radio-bright BL Lacertae objects. These are the first VLBI P images for these sources, and, in a number of cases, the first I images as well. They confirm the previously noted tendency for the jet magnetic fields of BL Lacertae objects to be transverse to the local jet direction, but also provide new evidence that a sizeable minority of BL Lacertae objects have VLBI jet components with longitudinal magnetic fields. In addition, two sources have VLBI jet components in which the direction of the electric vector χ bears no obvious relation to the apparent local jet direction; the origin of these arbitrary χ offsets is unclear. A new tentative superluminal speed of β =6.3  h ⁻¹ has been determined for 0828+493; tentative speeds for two knots in 1418+546 are β =4.3 and 2.5  h ⁻¹. This work is part of an ongoing programme to determine the VLBI I and P structure of all 34 sources in the 1-Jy sample of northern BL Lacertae objects defined by Kühr & Schmidt.     

Precession of the super-massive black hole in NGC 1275 (3C 84)?

The X-ray holes at the centre of the Perseus cluster of galaxies are not all at the same position angle with respect to the centre of the cluster. This configuration would result if the jet inflating the bubbles is precessing, or moving around, and the bubbles detach at different times. The orientations which best fit the observed travel directions are an inclination of the precession axis to the line of sight of 120° and an opening angle of 50°. From the time-scales for the bubbles seen in the cluster, the precession time-scale, τ_prec, is around  3.3 × 10⁷ yr  . The bubbles rising up through different parts of the cluster may have interacted with the central cool gas, forming the whorl of cool gas observed in the temperature structure of the cluster. The dynamics of bubbles rising in fluids is discussed. The conditions present in the cluster are such that oscillatory motion, observed for bubbles rising in fluids on Earth, should take place. However, the time-scale for this motion is longer than that taken for the bubbles to evolve into spherical-cap bubbles, which do not undergo a path instability, so such motion is not expected to occur.     

O-rich SR and Mira variables in DENIS

Previous VLA observations of the triple radio continuum source in Serpens showed that it has very unusual and extraordinary characteristics. While this source is associated with a star forming region, its outer components exhibit a combination of thermal and nonthermal spectra and large proper motions, Furthermore, the NW lobe has knotty and extended emission connecting the central source with the bright outer knot. Here, we present results of new VLA radio continuum high-angular resolution observations of this Radio Jet. Combining these observations with those obtained previously, we find that: a) one of the knots along the main body of the radio jet (knot G) exhibits proper motions similar to those observed in the outer NW and SE components, and the time variable knot A; b) the outer knots are moving away from the central source in slightly different directions; and c) the orientation of the central source seems to change with time. These results are consistent with a central precessing source that undergoes periodic ejection of material.     

On the precession of accretion discs in X-ray binaries

In this Letter, recent results on the nodal precession of accretion discs in close binaries are applied to the discs in some X-ray binary systems. The ratio between the tidally forced precession period and the binary orbital period is given, as well as the condition required for the rigid precession of gaseous Keplerian discs. Hence the minimum precessional period that may be supported by a fluid Keplerian disc is determined. It is concluded that near-rigid body precession of tilted accretion discs can occur and generally reproduce observationally inferred precession periods, for reasonable system parameters. In particular, long periods in SS 433, Her X-1, LMC X-4 and SMC X-1 can be fitted by the tidal model. It is also found that the precession period that has been tentatively put forward for Cyg X-2 cannot be accommodated by a tidally precessing disc model for any realistic choice of system parameters.     

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° 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° 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     . 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.     

视超光速源中3C454.3的特殊性

本文从简要总结迄今所发现的视超光速源开始。介绍近年来探测到的视超光速源之一——类星体3C 454.3的VLBI多频段,多历元观测及其主要结果。采用列表对比方式表明此源相对其他视超光速源的一般特征呈现的特殊性。最后对此特殊的视超光速源的可能解释作初步讨论。 本文可以看作是对3C453.3观测已有报导[12]和[13]的进一步补充。     

Peculiarities of 3C 454.3 as a superluminal source

This paper begins with a brief summary of the superluminal sources discovered so far. For one of the sources, the quasar 3C 454.3, the main observed results with VLBI at many frequencies and many epochs are then presented. The peculiarities of 3C 454.3 in relation to the general properties of the other superluminal sources are highlighted by means of a comparative table. Lastly, a preliminary discussion on possible explanations for the peculiarities is given.

This paper can be regarded as a supplement to the reports [12, 13] on the observations of 3C 454.3