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- Schulz, R., et al.
(author)
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Sub-milliarcsecond imaging of a bright flare and ejection event in the extragalactic jet 3C 111
- 2020
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In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 644:December 2020
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Context Flares in radio-loud active galactic nuclei are thought to be associated with the injection of fresh plasma into the compact jet base. Such flares are usually strongest and appear earlier at shorter radio wavelengths. Hence, very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at millimeter(mm)-wavelengths is the best-suited technique for studying the earliest structural changes of compact jets associated with emission flares. Aims We study the morphological changes of the parsec-scale jet in the nearby (z = 0.049) γ-ray bright radio galaxy 3C 111 following a flare that developed into a major radio outburst in 2007. Methods We analyse three successive observations of 3C 111 at 86 GHz with the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) between 2007 and 2008 which yield a very high angular resolution of ∼45 μas. In addition, we make use of single-dish radio flux density measurements from the F-GAMMA and POLAMI programmes, archival single-dish and VLBI data. Results We resolve the flare into multiple plasma components with a distinct morphology resembling a bend in an otherwise remarkably straight jet. The flare-associated features move with apparent velocities of ∼4.0c to ∼4.5c and can be traced also at lower frequencies in later epochs. Near the base of the jet, we find two bright features with high brightness temperatures up to ∼1011 K, which we associate with the core and a stationary feature in the jet. Conclusions The flare led to multiple new jet components indicative of a dynamic modulation during the ejection. We interpret the bend-like feature as a direct result of the outburst which makes it possible to trace the transverse structure of the jet. In this scenario, the components follow different paths in the jet stream consistent with expectations for a spine-sheath structure, which is not seen during intermediate levels of activity. The possibility of coordinated multiwavelength observations during a future bright radio flare in 3C 111 makes this source an excellent target for probing the radio-γ-ray connection.
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2. |
- Kantzas, D., et al.
(author)
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A new lepto-hadronic model applied to the first simultaneous multiwavelength data set for Cygnus X-1
- 2020
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In: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 500:2, s. 2112-2126
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Cygnus X-1 is the first Galactic source confirmed to host an accreting black hole. It has been detected across the entire electromagnetic spectrum from radio to GeV gamma-rays. The source's radio through mid-infrared radiation is thought to originate from the relativistic jets. The observed high degree of linear polarization in the MeV X-rays suggests that the relativistic jets dominate in this regime as well, whereas a hot accretion flow dominates the soft X-ray band. The origin of the GeV non-thermal emission is still debated, with both leptonic and hadronic scenarios deemed to be viable. In this work, we present results from a new semi-analytical, multizone jet model applied to the broad-band spectral energy distribution of Cygnus X-1 for both leptonic and hadronic scenarios. We try to break this degeneracy by fitting the first-ever high-quality, simultaneous multiwavelength data set obtained from the CHOCBOX campaign (Cygnus X-1 Hard state Observations of a Complete Binary Orbit in X-rays). Our model parametrizes dynamical properties, such as the jet velocity profile, the magnetic field, and the energy density. Moreover, the model combines these dynamical properties with a self-consistent radiative transfer calculation including secondary cascades, both of leptonic and hadronic origin. We conclude that sensitive TeV gamma-ray telescopes like Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will definitively answer the question of whether hadronic processes occur inside the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-1.
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