The Cygnus X‐3 Radio Jets at Arcsecond Scales

Abstract

A deep Very Large Array map of the X-ray binary Cygnus X-3 is presented. The compact and highly variable core of the system has been carefully removed through a special subtraction process. This procedure allows us to reveal weak extended structures very close to it that otherwise would be masked by variability artifacts. In this way, we have been able to detect a symmetric pair of plasma condensations at arcsecond distances from the core. These features are very likely to be the remnants of a strong radio flare that occurred three months before our observing run. Accepting this association, the ejection velocity derived for both condensations is highly relativistic and amounts to 0.6c[D/10 kpc]. On the other hand, we also tentatively suggest that the Cygnus X-3 radio jets may be related to other larger scale symmetric radio lobes.