Attenuation of shear-waves in the back-arc region of the Hellenic arc for frequencies from 0.6 to 16 Hz

Q_β for shear-waves is determined for the inner part of the Hellenic arc, the back-arc area, as a function of frequency in the range 0.6–16 Hz. We used 314 digital records from 32 earthquakes with magnitudes (M_w) ranging from 3.9 to 5.1. Epicentral distances ranged from 65 to 515 km. The data were obtained in 1997 during a 6-month operation of a digital portable network in Greece. The Q_β estimates were made for five frequency bands centred at 0.8, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0 and 12.0 Hz and the Q_β values obtained were 47, 79, 143, 271 and 553, respectively. The results show that Q_β for S-waves increases with frequency taking the form Q_β=55f ^0.91 (or Q_β⁻¹0.018f^−0.91). The high attenuation and the strong frequency dependence found, which is close to the frequency dependence of coda Q for Greece, are characteristic of an area with high seismicity, rapid extension, and in agreement with other similar studies in Greece.     

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.     

Continuum Evn and Merlin Observations of Ultra Luminous Infrared Galaxies

Radio imaging of ULIR galaxies is ideal to explore the connection between the starburst and the AGN phenomenon since it is unaffected by dust obscuration, and provides the required high angular resolution to distinguish between an AGN and starburst emission. We have made combined 18 cm radio continuum, EVN and MERLIN observations of 13 ULIRGs that have the parsec and deci-parsec scale resolution necessary to distinguish between an AGN and supernovae remnants at the centres of these galaxies, and assess the contribution of each to the total energy distribution. Images of three galaxies are presented here.     

The youngest lobe-dominated radio sources

We present an analysis of multi-epoch global VLBI observations of the Compact Symmetric Objects: 2352+495 and 0710+439 at 5 GHz. Analysis of data spread over almost two decades shows strong evidence for an increase in separation of the outer components of both sources at a rate of 0.2h⁻¹c (for q=0.5 and H=100h km s⁻¹Mpc⁻¹). Dividing the overall sizes of the sources by their separation rates implies that these Compact Symmetric Objects have a kinematic age 10⁴ years. These results (and those for other CSOs) strongly argue that CSOs are indeed very young sources that probably evolve into much larger classical doubles.     

VSOP monitoring of the Quasar 1928+738

We present the results from a campaign to monitor the relatively low redshift (z=0.3) circumpolar superluminal quasar 1928+738 with VSOP during the first Announcement of Opportunity period. The four epochs of data show that there have been substantial structural changes in this source near the core on the time-scale of a few months.     

Superluminal motion in the parsec-scale jet in 3C 380

We present extensive multi-epoch VLBI observations of the quasar 3C 380 which reveal a bent parsec-scale radio jet with complex substructure which exhibits superluminal motion out to ∼100 pc from the active core. The general characteristics of the jet and its motion are similar to those in several other well-studied superluminal sources, most notably a rapid increase in the opening angle at a projected distance of a few tens of parsecs from the core and apparent acceleration along the jet. This acceleration could be a simple kinematic effect associated with bulk flow at a constant speed, but at a varying angle to the line of sight. The jet is well resolved in the transverse direction for the majority of its length and resembles numerical simulations of a jet disrupted by the rapid growth of sinusoidal 'Kelvin–Helmholtz' modes. Our maps also reveal extremely rapid localized variations in brightness which have not yet been seen in other nuclear jets. We suggest that phase effects, arising from the intersection of oblique shocks, may be the cause of these dramatic changes. 3C 380 is often classified as a compact steep spectrum (CSS) source; however, in contrast to the majority of CSS sources, it is likely that 3C 380 is simply a powerful FRII source seen approximately end-on.