The Subparsec-scale Structure and Evolution of Centaurus A. III. A Multi-Epoch Spectral And Polarimetric VLBA Study

Fuente: arXiv
Gespeichert in:
Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: Prabu, Steve, Tingay, Steven J, Bahramian, Arash, Miller-Jones, James C. A., Wood, Callan M., O'Sullivan, Shane P.
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
Schlagworte:
Online-Zugang:
Tags: Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
_version_ 1866909411722657792
author Prabu, Steve
Tingay, Steven J
Bahramian, Arash
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
Wood, Callan M.
O'Sullivan, Shane P.
author_facet Prabu, Steve
Tingay, Steven J
Bahramian, Arash
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
Wood, Callan M.
O'Sullivan, Shane P.
contents The Centaurus A radio galaxy, due to its proximity, presents itself as one of the few systems that allow the study of relativistic jet outflows at sub-parsec distances from the central supermassive black holes, with high signal to noise. We present the results from the first multi-epoch spectropolarimetric observations of Centaurus A at milliarcsecond resolution, with a continuous frequency coverage of $4.59-7.78$\,GHz. Using a Bayesian framework, we perform a comprehensive study of the jet kinematics, and discuss aspects of the jet geometry including the jet inclination angle, jet opening angle, and the jet expansion profile. We calculate an upper limit on the jet's inclination to the line of sight to be $<25^{\circ}$, implying the lower limit on the intrinsic jet speed to be $0.2$\,c. On the observed VLBA scales we detect new jet components launched by the central engine since our previous study. Using the observed frequency-dependent core shift in Centaurus A, we find the jet to have reached constant bulk speed and conical outflow at the regions probed by the base of the jet at $7.78- 4.59$\,GHz, and we also estimate the location of the central black hole further upstream. Through polarimetric analysis (by applying RM synthesis for the first time on VLBI data), we find evidence to suggest the possible onset of acceleration towards the leading edge of Centaurus A's subparsec-scale jet studied here.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2412_01222
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Subparsec-scale Structure and Evolution of Centaurus A. III. A Multi-Epoch Spectral And Polarimetric VLBA Study
Prabu, Steve
Tingay, Steven J
Bahramian, Arash
Miller-Jones, James C. A.
Wood, Callan M.
O'Sullivan, Shane P.
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
The Centaurus A radio galaxy, due to its proximity, presents itself as one of the few systems that allow the study of relativistic jet outflows at sub-parsec distances from the central supermassive black holes, with high signal to noise. We present the results from the first multi-epoch spectropolarimetric observations of Centaurus A at milliarcsecond resolution, with a continuous frequency coverage of $4.59-7.78$\,GHz. Using a Bayesian framework, we perform a comprehensive study of the jet kinematics, and discuss aspects of the jet geometry including the jet inclination angle, jet opening angle, and the jet expansion profile. We calculate an upper limit on the jet's inclination to the line of sight to be $<25^{\circ}$, implying the lower limit on the intrinsic jet speed to be $0.2$\,c. On the observed VLBA scales we detect new jet components launched by the central engine since our previous study. Using the observed frequency-dependent core shift in Centaurus A, we find the jet to have reached constant bulk speed and conical outflow at the regions probed by the base of the jet at $7.78- 4.59$\,GHz, and we also estimate the location of the central black hole further upstream. Through polarimetric analysis (by applying RM synthesis for the first time on VLBI data), we find evidence to suggest the possible onset of acceleration towards the leading edge of Centaurus A's subparsec-scale jet studied here.
title The Subparsec-scale Structure and Evolution of Centaurus A. III. A Multi-Epoch Spectral And Polarimetric VLBA Study
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.01222