Search for groups of extragalactic radio sources

We explore the possibility of searching for groups of radio sources from the FIRST catalog on angular scales 1′–5′. We developed an efficient method of searching for such groups that takes into account the need for combining the components of extended sources represented in the catalog by separate objects. We found 31 groups of radio sources with angular sizes <5′ that contain no fewer than five sources with flux densities ≥3 mJy. This number is at least triple the expected number of such groups for a random Poisson distribution of radio sources in the sky. The prospects for using groups of radio sources to detect and study distant systems of galaxies are discussed.     

One more explanation of superluminal motion

The occurrence of superluminal motion in extragalactic radio sources is believed to be quite common. Among others, the geometrical scattering of radio radiation can also cause superluminal expansion and or motion and halo formation, In this paper, the effectiveness of the stimulated Raman scattering in producing these features is investigated. The scattering medium is a plasma whose position, density and temperature decide the rate and angle of scattering. When the radiation from a stationary and constant source gets scattered from a stationary plasma, a halo is formed around the source. However, the scattering of a rotating radiation beam does produce superluminal motion of the virtual source. It is found that the plasma should have the characteristics of the emission-line regions and the intercloud medium in order to Raman scatter the radiation. Since the scattering is polarization dependent, it is possible to estimate the rotation of the electric vector along the direction of the apparent motion of a radio source.     

几个河外射电源第二历元的327MHz VLBI观测

１９９１年３月，我们利用上海２５ｍ射电望远镜和欧洲ＶＬＢＩ网联合对几个河外射电源进行了第二历元的３２７ＭＨｚＶＬＢＩ观测．数据的相关处理先后在上海天文台三台站ＭＫ２相关处理机和美国的Ｃａｌｔｅｃｈ／ＪＰＬ相关处理机进行，以便于比较相关结果。本文给出３Ｃ８４、３Ｃ３４５和３Ｃ３８０的混合图。与第一历元的观测比较，３Ｃ３４５和３Ｃ３８０的流量密度没有明显的变化，但３Ｃ３４５的结构变化明显。３Ｃ８４和３Ｃ３４５有喷流的迹象．３Ｃ４５４．３的总流量在不到两年的时间内增加了２５％，如果这个变化是内禀的话，那么可能意味着一次新的流量爆发。     

Extragalactic sources with very asymmetric radio structure: VLA and MERLIN observations

As part of our study to understand the nature of extragalactic radio sources which are very asymmetric in the surface brightness of the two lobes, often with radio emission on only one side of the nucleus, we have observed a large number of them with high angular resolution and good surface brightness sensitivity at radio frequencies. In this paper we present VLA and MERLIN observations of 15 such sources. We discuss their observed structures and spectra, and possible explanations for their morphologies. We report evidence of a possible correlation between the hot-spot brightness ratio and the degree of core prominence, used as a Statistical measure of source orientation, suggesting that relativistic beaming of the hot-spot emission does play a significant role in the observed brightness asymmetry. To explain the apparently one-sided sources within the relativistic beaming framework, the velocities required are in the range of 0.2 to 0.8c. We discuss the possibility that the lobe which is seen to the south of the jet in 3C273 is the counter-lobe seen in projection. We also draw-attention to a number of one-sided sources with very weak cores, and discuss their possible nature.     

A VLBI study of 20 southern extragalactic radio sources

This paper describes a 5 GHz VLBI survey in the southern hemisphere. The first observation of 23 extragalactic radio sources was conducted in November 1992. Twenty VLBI images were obtained, of which 15 sources show core-jet structure, one has a two-sided jet, and three sources are unresolved. No compact double source was found. Eleven of the 16 sources with core-jet (including a two-aided jet) show evidence of jet bending. In addition, four sources appear to be superluminal, of which three sources are new.     

Extragalactic Astronomy with the VLTI: a new window on the Universe

Interferometry in the optical and near infrared has so far played a marginal role in Extragalactic Astronomy. Active Galactic Nuclei are the brightest and most compact extragalactic sources, nonetheless only a very limited number could be studied with speckle interferometry and none with long baseline interferometry. The VLTI will allow the study of moderately faint extragalactic objects with very high spatial resolution thus opening a new window on the universe. With this paper we focus on three scientific cases to show how AMBER and MIDI can be used to tackle open issues in extragalactic astronomy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Further observations of radio sources from the BG survey. II. Mainly extragalactic

New observations of six fields from the low galactic latitude BG survey are presented. The radio sources within each of these fields appear to be of a predominantly extragalactic nature. However, one object is in close positional proximity to the pulsar 1922 + 20 and the possibility of their association is considered. The extended source BGE 0323 + 65 is shown to be unlikely to exist.     

Constraints on the photon charge from observations of extragalactic sources

Having analyzed high-resolution observations of extragalactic compact radio sources with modern systems of radio telescopes, we obtained an estimate of the upper limit for the photon electric charge, e_γ ? 3×10^?33 of the elementary charge (assuming the photon charge to be energy independent). This is three orders of magnitude better than the limit obtained from radio pulsar timing. We also set a limit on the charge of a gamma-ray (energy ～0.1 MeV) photon. In the future, the estimate based on extragalactic sources can be improved significantly.     

Relativistic beaming in the central components of double radio quasars

Using a large sample of 78 well-observed double quasars, we have investigated several consequences of the relativistic beaming model. In this model the ratio of the strengths of the central component and outer lobes of a double source depends on whether the jet axis lies close to or away from the line of sight, If this is the actual situation, the fraction of emission from the core,f _c, may be used as a statistical measure of the orientation of the source and should be correlated with other source parameters which also depend on the inclination of the jet axis to the line of sight. We findf _c to be anticorrelated with the overall projected linear size of the extended emission but to exhibit a positive correlation with both the observed degree of misalignment from a collinear double structure, and the ratio of separations of the outer hotspots from the central component. As might be expected from these relationships, we also find sources of smaller projected linear sizes to appear more misaligned and the degree of misalignment to be correlated with the ratio of separations of the outer hotspots. All these correlations are consistent with the predictions of the relativistic beaming model.     

水脉泽寄主星系的倾角分析

迄今已经在104个河外星系中检测到水脉泽辐射.同其它没有检测到水脉泽的星系相比,水脉泽星系可能隐含着某种或某些特殊性质.收集了到当前为止(截止2008.09)发表的所有水脉泽星系以及相关的观测资料.计算得到了这些源的星系盘的倾角,并分析讨论了这些水脉泽源星系盘和脉泽盘的倾角可能存在的相关.统计发现只有大约10%的盘脉泽源的星系盘侧面对着我们的视线.然而VLBI对6个盘脉泽源高空间分辨率的成图观测显示那些旋转脉泽盘都是近似侧向的,脉泽盘的倾角都大于80°.对大多数水盘脉泽星系而言,他们的星系盘和脉泽盘方向不一致,这可能间接支持盘脉泽仅仅同星系核相关.为了探讨遮蔽物质的由来和水脉泽辐射的放大机制,对整个水脉泽样本的脉泽光度,X射线吸收气体柱密度和寄主星系倾角的可能相关进行了分析.结果显示高密度的遮蔽物质主要来自于星系核区,而水脉泽辐射的放大更可能发生在围绕核的尘埃盘(～100Pc)或更小尺度的核盘上.