Studies of the fine structure of the object 1803+784

We have investigated the fine structure of the object 1803+784 at a wavelength of 18 cm with an angular resolution of ～0.5 mas. The structure consists of a core (injector) and a jet. The angle of the relativistic plasma outflow is equal to the angle of a conical diverging helix—the trajectory of compact components, suggesting a similar shape of the jet. The helical structure and the curvature of the jet axis are assumed to be determined by rapid and long-period precession of the rotation axis. The core radio emission at 18 cm is attenuated by absorption in the ambient ionized medium (cocoon wall) by >25 db. The bright compact component is the nearby part of the jet extending outside the dense part of the screen. Ionization variations in the medium cause low-frequency radio variability. Screen parameters are estimated.     

H II regions and radio visibility of quasar nuclei

The core (injector) and the jet (relativistic plasma outflow) of AGN objects are surrounded by an ionized medium, an H II region observed in emission lines. The synchrotron radiation from the core and the jet is observed through a thin screen that cocoons the structure under consideration. The screen transparency depends on wavelength and distance from the injector. We consider the objects 3C 345 and 1803+784 whose core emission at decimeter wavelengths is absorption by more than 25 dB. The visible bright compact component is the bright nearby portion of the jet that extends outside the dense part of the screen. We explore the possibility of measuring the screen transparency from absorption in Hα recombination lines with different quantum numbers at centimeter wavelengths.     

Structural peculiarities of the AGN object 1803+784

The structure of the AGN object 1803+784 has been investigated at a wavelength of 7 mm with a limiting angular resolution reaching 20 μas. The ejector nozzle surrounded by a ring structure, an accretion disk, has been identified. The nozzle size is ∼0.1 pc, the diameter of the ring structure is ∼1.4 pc, and its width is ∼0.25 pc. The reaction of the plasma flow produces a multimode precession responsible for the conical helical structure of the jet with a variable step and a curved axis. The viewing angle of the flow ejection is ∼40°. The central part of the ejected flow moving along the axis accelerates to a relativistic velocity. The apparent velocity reaches 12 s at a distance of ∼1 mas or ∼6 pc from the ejector. The outer part of the flow moves along a helix around a high-velocity component whose step is a factor of 4 smaller, because the longitudinal velocity is relatively low. The plasma is ejected almost toward the observer, as confirmed by its high brightness temperature T _b ≈ 8 × 10¹³ K and highly beamed emission. The polarized emission from the nozzle is axisymmetric. The orientation of the polarization of the flow along the whole length is aligned with the direction of its motion, suggesting the excitation of a ring magnetic field around it and self-focusing.     

The Star Formation Structure and H2O Supermaser Radiation in Orion KL

The extra fine structure of the active region of H₂O supermaser emission of Orion KL (angular resolution is 0.1 mas) is studied. A central body / accretion disk / bipolar outflow / bullets / envelope is discovered, that corresponds to the earliest stage of the small-mass star formation. The ejector – a compact bright source ≤0.05 AU, T_b ≈ 10¹⁷K. The bipolar outflow, v_ej ≈ 10km/s is a highly-collimated stream with a ration length/diameter～ 60, rotation period is ～ 0.5 yr, precession period ～ 10 yrs, precession angle ～ 33°. Precession forms a conical helix jet. The envelope amplified radio emission by about three orders of magnitude at velocity at v=7.65 km/s.     

The star-forming region in Orion KL

We have studied the fine structure of the active H₂O supermaser emission region in Orion KL with an angular resolution of 0.1 mas. We found central features suggestive of a bipolar outflow, bullets, and an envelope which correspond to the earliest stage of low-mass star formation. The ejector is a bright compact source ≤0.05 AU in size with a brightness temperature T _b ?10¹⁷ K. The highly collimated bipolar outflow ～30 has a velocity v _ej ?10 km s^?1, a rotation period of ～0.5 yr, a precession period of ～10 yr, and a precession angle of ～33°. Precession gives rise to a jet in the shape of a conical helix. The envelope amplifies the radio emission from the components by about three orders of magnitude at a velocity v=7.65 km s^?1.     

活动星系核中相对论电子束的物理效应

本文研究了Ｂｌａｚａｒ天体的辐射性质，提出一种新的喷流模型，即具有幂律分布的极端相对论电子团从中心核注入喷流等离子体中，它在一定的注入速度下，不仅能在喷流等离子体中激发等离子体湍动，产生电磁波的相干辐射，而且能产生强的同步辐射。利用等离子体的弱湍理论，我们研究了极端相对论电子团在喷流等离子体中的辐射过程，并详细研究了它在解释Ｂｌａｚａｒ天体辐射特性中的应用，本文认为，Ｂｌａｚａｒ天体的不稳定辐射与极端相对论电子团的无规注入、喷流等离子体的物理环境瞬息变化有关。Ｂｌａｚａｒ中快速变化的辐射偏振角摆动。产生于相对论电子团在湍动等离子体中的同步辐射过程。另外，Ｘ选和射电选的ＢＬＬａｃ天体之间的区别取决于喷流等离子体的运动状态和物理环境。     

A quantitative model of coherent,stimulated emission in astrophysical jets

On the basis of issues raised by observations of BL Lac objects and the qualitative jet model proposed by Bakeret al. in 1988, we have been led to consider the quantitative role of coherent, stimulated emission in jets and construct a new jet model of blazars in which a relativistic electron beam with an axial symmetric, power-law distribution is injected from the central engine into the jet plasma. We study quantitatively the synchrotron emission of the relativistic electron beams. Using the weak turbulent theory of plasma, we discuss the interaction between relativistic electron beams and jet plasma, and the roles of stimulated emission. The main results are:

1. The synchrotron emission increases sensitively with the increase of the angle between the direction of the beam and the magnetic field. When the direction of the beam is vertical to the magnetic field, the synchrotron emission reaches its maximum, i.e. the emitted waves are beamed in the direction of the jet axis. We suggest that radio selected BL Lac objects belong to this extreme classification.
2. The synchrotron emission of the relativistic beam increases rapidly with the increase of the Lorentz factor of the relativistic electron,γ, whenγ ≤ 22.5, then decreases rapidly with increase ofγ.
3. The stimulated emission also increases with increasing Lorentz factorγ of the relativistic electrons whenγ ≤ 35 and then decreases with the increasingγ. The maximum stimulated emission and the maximum synchrotron emission occur at different frequencies. Stimulated emission is probably very important and reasonable flare mechanism in blazars.
4. The rapid polarization position angle (PA) swings may arise from the interaction between the relativistic electron beam and the turbulent plasma.

     

The inverse Compton X-ray-emitting lobes of the high-redshift giant radio galaxy 6C 0905+39

We present new XMM–Newton data of the high-redshift  ( z = 1.883)  , Mpc-sized giant radio galaxy 6C 0905+39. The larger collecting area and longer observation time for our new data means that we can better characterize the extended X-ray emission, in particular its spectrum, which arises from cosmic microwave background photons scattered into the X-ray band by the energetic electrons in the spent synchrotron plasma of the (largely) radio-quiet lobes of 6C 0905+39. We calculate the energy that its jet-ejected plasma has dumped into its surroundings in the last  3 × 10⁷   yr and discuss the impact that similar, or even more extreme, examples of spent, radio-quiet lobes would have on their surroundings. Interestingly, there is an indication that the emission from the hotspots is softer than the rest of the extended emission and the core, implying it is due to synchrotron emission. We confirm our previous detection of the low-energy turnover in the eastern hotspot of 6C 0905+39.     

Extragalactic MeV γ-ray emission from cocoons of young radio galaxies

Strong γ-ray emission from cocoons of young radio galaxies is predicted for the first time. Considering the process of adiabatic injection of the shock dissipation energy and mass of the relativistic jet in active nuclei into the cocoon, while assuming thermalizing electron plasma interactions, we find that the thermal electron temperature of the cocoon is typically predicted to be of the order of ∼ MeV, and is determined only by the bulk Lorentz factor of the relativistic jet. Together with the time-dependent dynamics of the cocoon expansion, we find that young cocoons can yield thermal bremsstrahlung emissions at energies ∼MeV.     

Active star-forming region in Orion KL, epoch 2012

Polarization measurements of the H₂O maser emission from the active region in Orion KL were carried out at epoch 2011?C2012 on the Svetloe-Zelenchukskaya radio interferometer. The bipolar outflow structure and polarized emission parameters have been determined. The emission from the components at v = 7.6 and 7.0 km s^?1 dominates in the line profile; the relative contribution of the former component has increased. The velocity of the bipolar outflow ejector region is almost equal to that of the local standard of rest v _LSR = 7.65 km s^?1, while the velocity of the remote component is v = 7.0 km s^?1. The emission from the bipolar outflow is observed at a distance up to 11 mas from the ejector. Its diameter does not exceed 0.3 mas. The outflow orientation in the plane of the sky is ?37°. The outflow velocity components along the line of sight differ by ??v = 0.3 km s^?1. The polarization levels of the bipolar outflow and the remote component reach m = 62 and 39%, respectively.     

Polarized emission from the ejector in Orion KL

The superfine structure of the active region in Orion KL has been investigated in the H₂O maser line at two epochs, December 23, 1998, and April 24, 1999, with an angular resolution as high as 0.01 mas. A bright central source, a bipolar outflow ejector with two nozzles spaced 0.008 mas apart, has been identified. The impact of the ejected flows causes precession of the rotation axis and gives rise to a jet structure in the shape of diverging helixes of opposite signs. The longitudinal velocities of the flows differ by 0.12 km s^?1. The flow emission at the exit from the nozzles is linearly polarized and oriented at an angle of 22° relative to the rotation axis or parallel to the flow velocities. Their brightness temperature exceeds T _b > 10¹⁸ K. The width of the emission line profiles is 0.43 km s^?1, their relative shift is ±0.06 km s^?1, and the orientations of the polarization planes differ by 45°, which determines the extraordinary rotation of the polarization plane, 25°/km s^?1.     

The X-ray jet and halo of PKS 0521−365

Chandra ACIS observations of PKS 0521−365 find that the X-ray emission of this BL Lac object consists of emission from an unresolved core, a diffuse halo and a 2-arcsec jet feature coincident with the inner radio/optical jet. A comparison with a new ATCA 8.6-GHz map also finds X-ray emission from the bright hotspot south-east of the nucleus. The jet spectrum, from radio to X-ray, is probably synchrotron emission from an electron population with a broken power-law energy distribution, and resembles the spectra seen from the jets of low-power (FR I) radio galaxies. The hotspot X-ray flux is consistent with the expectations of synchrotron self-Compton emission from a plasma close to equipartition, as seen in studies of high-power (FR II) radio galaxies. While the angular structure of the halo is similar to that found by an analysis of the ROSAT High Resolution Imager image, its brightness is seen to be lower with Chandra , and the halo is best interpreted as thermal emission from an atmosphere of similar luminosity to the haloes around FR I radio galaxies. The X-ray properties of PKS 0521−365 are consistent with it being a foreshortened, beamed, radio galaxy.     

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.     

Natural MHD oscillations of a neutron star

Natural, low-frequency, hydromagnetic oscillations of an isolated, nonrotating neutron star, which are localized in the peripheral crust, the structure of which is determined by the electron-nuclear plasma (the Ae phase), are studied. The plasma medium of the outer crust is treated as a homogeneous, infinitely conducting, incompressible continuum, the motions of which are determined by the equations of magnetohydrodynamics. In the approximation of a constant magnetic field inside the crust (the magnetic field outside the star is assumed to have a dipole structure), the spectrum of normal poloidal and toroidal hydromagnetic oscillations, due to presumed residual fluctuations of flow and their associated fluctuations in magnetic field strength, is calculated. Numerical estimates given for the periods of MHD oscillations fall in the range of periods of radio pulsar emission, indicating a close connection between the residual hydromagnetic oscillations and the electromagnetic activity of neutron stars. Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 77–86, January–March, 1997.     

Quantum relativistic theory of the synchrotron/cyclotron radiation in a strongly-magnetized plasma: The case of longitudinal propagation

Full quantum relativistic treatment of the cyclotron/synchrotron emission and absorption in tenuous plasmas with superstrong magnetic field is developed for the case when the radiation wave-vector is parallel to the magnetic field. The emissivities and absorption coefficients for a plasma with arbitrary distribution function of particles are presented in terms of simple sums over the Landau levels. On the basis of these expressions, the negative absorption (maser amplification) is shown to be impossible for the longitudinal propagation in a tenuous plasma. The summation over the Landau levels is performed analytically, and the quantum effects are analysed in detail, for the thermal distribution of plasma particles. A new type of quantum relativistic oscillations is predicted in the emission and absorption spectra for a plasma with anisotropic temperature. The results obtained are useful for an interpretation of the X-ray and gamma-ray observations of the objects associated with strongly magnetized neutron stars (particularly of the gamma-ray bursters).     

Multiwavelength study of Cygnus A – III. Evidence for relic lobe plasma

We study the particle energy distribution in the cocoon surrounding Cygnus A, using radio images between 151 MHz and 15 GHz and a 200 ks Chandra Advanced CCD Imaging Spectrometer-Imaging (ACIS-I) image. We show that the excess low-frequency emission in the lobe further from the Earth cannot be explained by absorption or excess adiabatic expansion of the lobe or a combination of both. We show that this excess emission is consistent with emission from a relic counterlobe and a relic counterjet that are being re-energized by compression from the current lobe. We detect hints of a relic hotspot at the end of the relic X-ray jet in the more distant lobe. We do not detect relic emission in the lobe nearer to the Earth as expected from light traveltime effects assuming intrinsic symmetry. We determine that the duration of the previous jet activity phase was slightly less than that of the current jet-active phase. Further, we explain some features observed at 5 and 15 GHz as due to the presence of a relic jet.     

Fine core-jet structure of the galaxy M87

The fine core-jet structure of the radio galaxy M87 has been investigated in the millimeter-decimeter wave band. A counterjet whose extent is ρ(λ) ≈ 0.036λ pc, where the wavelength λ is expressed in centimeters, has been identified. At a wavelength of 2 cm, the brightness of the jet and counterjet decreases exponentially to the minimally detectable level. However, the decline for the jet slows down from a level of several percent of the peak value. The bipolar jet consists of a highly collimated relativistic plasma flow surrounded by a nonrelativistic low-velocity component. The low-velocity jet flow includes a helical component observable up to a distance of 20 mas or 1.6 pc. The reaction of the flow produces a multimode precession responsible for the helical shape of the relativistic jet with a variable pitch and a curved axis. The helical structures of the jet and counterjet are mirror reflections of each other relative to the ejector. The apparent size of the accretion disk seen edge-on reaches 1.5 mas or 0.12 pc.     

Synchrotron self-Compton models of high brightness temperature radio sources

We re-examine the maximum brightness temperature that a synchrotron source can sustain by adapting standard synchrotron theory to an electron distribution that exhibits a deficit at low energy. The absence of low energy electrons reduces the absorption of synchrotron photons, allowing the source to reach a higher brightness temperature without the onset of catastrophic cooling. We find that a temperature of ∼10¹⁴ K is possible at GHz frequencies. In addition, a high degree of intrinsic circular polarisation is produced. We compute the stationary, synchrotron and self-Compton spectrum arising from the continuous injection of such a distribution (modelled as a double power-law) balanced by radiative losses and escape, and compare it with the simultaneously observed multi-wavelength spectrum of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714. This framework may provide an explanation of other high brightness-temperature sources without the need for mechanisms such as coherent emission or proton synchrotron radiation.     

A unified theory of the formation of galactic bars

We give arguments for a basically unified formation mechanism of slow (Lynden-Bell) and fast (common) galactic bars. This mechanism is based on an instability that is akin to the well-known instability of radial orbits and is produced by the mutual attraction and alignment of precessing stellar orbits (so far, only the formation of slow bars has been explained in this way). We present a general theory of the low-frequency modes in a disk that consists of orbits precessing at different angular velocities. The problem of determining these modes is reduced to integral equations of moderately complex structure. The characteristic pattern angular velocities Ω_p of the low-frequency modes are of the order of the mean orbital precession angular velocity \(\bar \Omega _{pr}\). Bar modes are also among the low-frequency modes; while \(\Omega _p \approx \bar \Omega _{pr}\) for slow bars, Ω_p for fast bars can appreciably exceed even the maximum orbital precession angular velocity in the disk Ω _pr ^max (however, it remains of the order of these precession angular velocities). The possibility of such an excess of Ω_p over Ω _pr ^max is associated with the effect of “repelling” orbits. The latter tend to move in a direction opposite to the direction in which they are pushed. We analyze the pattern of orbital precession in potentials typical of galactic disks. We note that the maximum radius of an “attracting” circular orbit r_c can serve as a reasonable estimate of the bar length l_b. Such an estimate is in good agreement with the available results of N-body simulations.     

Kinematics of the active region of the quasar 3C 345

The fine structure of the quasar 3C 345 in polarized emission at 7 mm and 2 cm has been investigated. The kinematics is shown to correspond to an anticentrifuge: the thermal plasma of the surrounding space accretes onto the disk, flows to the center, and is ejected in the form of a rotating bipolar outflow that carries away the excess angular momentum as it accumulates. The bipolar outflow consists of a high-velocity central jet surrounded by a low-velocity component. The low-velocity flows are the rotating hollow tubes ejected from the peripheral part of the disk with a diameter ～Ø₁ = 2.2 pc and from the region Ø₂ = 1 pc. The high-velocity jet with a diameter Ø₃ = 0.2 pc is ejected from the central part of the disk, while the remnant falls onto the forming central body. The ejection velocity of the high-velocity flow is v ? 0.06c. At a distance up to ～1 pc, the jet accelerates to an apparent velocity v ～ 8c. Further out, uniform motion is observed within ～2 pc following which deceleration occurs. The jet structure corresponding to a conical diverging helix with an increasing pitch is determined by gasdynamic instability. The counterjet structure is a mirror reflection of the nearby part of the jet. The brightness temperature of the fragment of the high-velocity flow at the exit from the counterjet nozzle is T _b ≈ (10¹²?10¹³) K. The disk inclined at an angle of 60° to the plane of the sky shadows the jet ejector region. Ring currents observed in the tangential directions as parallel chains of components are excited in the rotating flows. The magnetic fields of the rotating bipolar outflow and the disk are aligned and oriented along the rotation axis. The translational motions of the jet and counterjet are parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field, which determines their acceleration or deceleration. The quasar core is surrounded by a thermal plasma. The sizes of the HII region reach ～30 pc. The electron density decreases with increasing distance from the center from N _e ≈ 10⁸ to ≈10⁵ cm^?3. The observed emission from the jet fragments at the exit from the nozzle is partially absorbed by the thermal plasma, is refracted with increasing distance—moves with an apparent superluminal velocity, and decelerates as it goes outside the HII region.