Evidence that the bursting component of the X-ray radiation from 3C 111 originates in the PC-scale jet |
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Authors: | M B Bell S P Comeau |
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Institution: | (1) Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, Canada, K1A 0R6 |
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Abstract: | Evidence is presented indicating that the bursting component of the X-ray radiation detected in the nuclear region of the
active radio galaxy 3C 111 comes from the blobs ejected in the pc-scale jet and not from the accretion disc. After each new
outburst the radio flux density associated with it increases to a peak in ∼1 year and then subsides over a period of 1–2 years
with the flux falling off exponentially as the blob moves outward and dissipates. Similar peaks (bursts) are seen in the X-ray
light curve and a cross-correlation between the two shows a very high correlation with the X-ray peaks leading the radio peaks
by ∼100 days. A second cross-correlation, this time between the radio event start times and the X-ray light curve, also shows
a significant correlation. When this is taken together with the long (∼1 yr) delay between the start of each ejection event
and its associated X-ray peak it indicates that this bursting component of the X-ray flux must be associated with the ejected
blobs in the pc-scale jet and not with the accretion disc. Because X-ray telescopes do not have the resolution required to
resolve the accretion disc area from the pc-scale jet, this paper is the first to present observational evidence that can
pinpoint the point of origin of at least those long-timescale X-ray bursts with durations of 1–3 yrs. |
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