High Resolution Observations of the Quasar 3C147

Abstract

We report here preliminary results of observations of the quasar 3C147 which were made at 6 cm with a resolution of about 1 milliarcsecond using a VLB interferometer system with four antennas in the USA and one in Europe. Our observations are shown in Figure 1 along with previously published maps on larger size scales. VLA observations made at 2 cm wavelength (Fig. 1a) show an extended feature lying about 0.5 arc-seconds (3.5 kpc) to the northeast of a bright core (Readhead et al. 1980), while VLBI observations made at 18, 50, and 91 cm (Readhead and Wilkinson 1980, Wilkinson et al. 1977, and Simon et al. 1980) show a jet-like feature extending about 0.2 arcsec (1 kpc) in the opposite direction (Fig. 1b). The 18 cm VLB observations also indicated the presence of a smaller elongated feature extending only 3 milliarcseconds (20 pc) again toward the northeast (Fig. 1c). We have observed 3C147 in March 1978 and again in April 1981 with a resolution of 0.7 and 1.5 milliarcsec respectively. The 1981 data (Fig. 1d) clearly show the double structure of the core as well as a lower surface brightness feature which can also be seen in the 18 cm map. Our 1978 data (Fig. 1e) has better resolution and shows considerable structure in the milliarcsec component, but due to the absence of phase information in these data, the details are not reliable and the orientation is uncertain by 180°. The orientation is, however, specified by reference to the 1981 data.