The twin-jet system in the FRII radio galaxy 3C 452: A sub-parsec scale VLBI study

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Madika, Eftychia, Boccardi, Bia, Ricci, Luca, Grandi, Paola, Torresi, Eleonora, Giovannini, Gabriele, Kadler, Matthias, Zensus, J. Anton
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Madika, Eftychia
Boccardi, Bia
Ricci, Luca
Grandi, Paola
Torresi, Eleonora
Giovannini, Gabriele
Kadler, Matthias
Zensus, J. Anton
author_facet Madika, Eftychia
Boccardi, Bia
Ricci, Luca
Grandi, Paola
Torresi, Eleonora
Giovannini, Gabriele
Kadler, Matthias
Zensus, J. Anton
contents We present a comprehensive multifrequency VLBI analysis of the FRII, high-excitation radio galaxy 3C 452, aiming to resolve and analyze for the first time its twin-jet structure on sub-parsec scales. Our data set comprises High Sensitivity Array (HSA) observations at 4.9, 8.4, 15.4, 23.6, and 43.2 GHz. Through fitting methods performed in both the visibility and the image plane, we trace the jet expansion from scales of a few thousand to nearly $10^5$ Schwarzschild radii ($R_S$) on both the approaching and receding jets. Additionally, we derive the core brightness temperatures and Doppler factors to constrain the jet's orientation and intrinsic speed. Our study provides the first detailed description of the twin-jet system in 3C 452 on VLBI scales, confirming it as a rare FRII source with jets detected down to millimeter wavelengths. We resolve both jet and counter-jet down to scales of a few thousand $R_S$, revealing a symmetric, parabolically expanding structure with power-law indices $k \approx 0.66$ (jet) and $k \approx 0.47$ (counter-jet). The brightness temperature analysis yields low Doppler factors ($δ\sim 0.03$-$0.83$), indicative of Doppler de-boosting due to the large viewing angle ($θ\approx 70^\circ$) and/or a magnetically dominated jet base. A spectral index analysis reveals a strongly inverted core spectrum ($α> 2$) with additional absorption at the highest frequencies, followed by a sharp steepening ($α\sim -2.5$) to optically thin values in the innermost jet. Finally, a comparison between broad- and narrow-line high-excitation radio galaxies shows that jets in narrow-line sources such as 3C 452 and Cygnus A complete collimation at $\leq 10^5 R_S$, whereas broad-line sources exhibit shape transitions at $10^6$-$10^7 R_S$, suggesting that orientation plays an important role in the observed collimation scales.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_12003
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The twin-jet system in the FRII radio galaxy 3C 452: A sub-parsec scale VLBI study
Madika, Eftychia
Boccardi, Bia
Ricci, Luca
Grandi, Paola
Torresi, Eleonora
Giovannini, Gabriele
Kadler, Matthias
Zensus, J. Anton
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
We present a comprehensive multifrequency VLBI analysis of the FRII, high-excitation radio galaxy 3C 452, aiming to resolve and analyze for the first time its twin-jet structure on sub-parsec scales. Our data set comprises High Sensitivity Array (HSA) observations at 4.9, 8.4, 15.4, 23.6, and 43.2 GHz. Through fitting methods performed in both the visibility and the image plane, we trace the jet expansion from scales of a few thousand to nearly $10^5$ Schwarzschild radii ($R_S$) on both the approaching and receding jets. Additionally, we derive the core brightness temperatures and Doppler factors to constrain the jet's orientation and intrinsic speed. Our study provides the first detailed description of the twin-jet system in 3C 452 on VLBI scales, confirming it as a rare FRII source with jets detected down to millimeter wavelengths. We resolve both jet and counter-jet down to scales of a few thousand $R_S$, revealing a symmetric, parabolically expanding structure with power-law indices $k \approx 0.66$ (jet) and $k \approx 0.47$ (counter-jet). The brightness temperature analysis yields low Doppler factors ($δ\sim 0.03$-$0.83$), indicative of Doppler de-boosting due to the large viewing angle ($θ\approx 70^\circ$) and/or a magnetically dominated jet base. A spectral index analysis reveals a strongly inverted core spectrum ($α> 2$) with additional absorption at the highest frequencies, followed by a sharp steepening ($α\sim -2.5$) to optically thin values in the innermost jet. Finally, a comparison between broad- and narrow-line high-excitation radio galaxies shows that jets in narrow-line sources such as 3C 452 and Cygnus A complete collimation at $\leq 10^5 R_S$, whereas broad-line sources exhibit shape transitions at $10^6$-$10^7 R_S$, suggesting that orientation plays an important role in the observed collimation scales.
title The twin-jet system in the FRII radio galaxy 3C 452: A sub-parsec scale VLBI study
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.12003