Jet In S5 Research Articles

Derivation of the physical parameters of the jet in S5 0836+710 from stability analysis

Context. A number of extragalactic jets show periodic structures at different scales that can be associated with growing instabilities. The wavelengths of the developing instability modes and their ratios depend on the flow parameters, so the study of those structures can shed light on jet physics at the scales involved. Aims. In this work, we use the fits to the jet ridgeline obtained from different observations of S5 B0836+710 and apply stability analysis of relativistic, sheared flows to derive an estimate of the physical parameters of the jet. Methods. Based on the assumption that the observed structures are generated by growing Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) instability modes, we ran numerical calculations of stability of a relativistic, sheared jet over a range of different jet parameters. We spanned several orders of magnitude in jet-to-ambient medium density ratio, and jet internal energy, and checked different values of the Lorentz factor and shear layer width. This represents an independent method to obtain estimates of the physical parameters of a jet. Results. By comparing the fastest growing wavelengths of each relevant mode given by the calculations with the observed wavelengths reported in the literature, we have derived independent estimates of the jet Lorentz factor, specific internal energy, jet-to-ambient medium density ratio, and Mach number. We obtain a jet Lorentz factor γ ≃ 12, specific internal energy of ε ≃ 10−2 c2, jet-to-ambient medium density ratio of η ∼ 10−3, and an internal (classical) jet Mach number of Mj ∼ 12. We also find that the wavelength ratios are better recovered by a transversal structure with a width of ≃10% of the jet radius. Conclusions. This method represents a powerful tool to derive the jet parameters in all jets showing helical patterns with different wavelengths.

S5 0836+710: An FRII jet disrupted by the growth of a helical instability?

The remarkable stability of extragalactic jets is surprising, given the reasonable possibility of the growth of instabilities. In addition, much work in the literature has invoked this possibility in order to explain observed jet structures and obtain information from these structures. For example, it was recently shown that the observed helical structures in the jet in S5 0836+710 could be associated with helical pressure waves generated by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Our aim is to resolve the arc-second structure of the jet in the quasar S5 0836+710 and confirm the lack of a hot-spot (reverse jet-shock) found by present observing arrays, as this lack implies a loss of jet collimation before interaction with the intergalactic medium. In this work, we use an observation performed in 2008 using EVN and MERLIN. The combined data reduction has provided a complete image of the object at arc-second scales. The lack of a hot-spot in the arc-second radio structure is taken as evidence that the jet losses its collimation between the VLBI region and the region of interaction with the ambient medium. This result, together with the previous identification of the helical structures in the jet with helical pressure waves that grow in amplitude with distance, allow us to conclude that the jet is probably disrupted by the growth of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. This observational evidence confirms that the physical parameters of jets can be extracted using the assumption that instability is present in jets and can be the reason for many observed structures. Interestingly, the observed jet is classified as a FRII object in terms of its luminosity, but its large-scale morphology does not correspond to this classification. The implications of this fact are discussed.

ANATOMY OF HELICAL EXTRAGALACTIC JETS: THE CASE OF S5 0836+710

Helical structures are common in extragalactic jets. They are usually attributed in the literature to periodical phenomena in the source (e.g., precession). In this work, we use VLBI data of the radio-jet in the quasar S5 0836+710 and hypothesize that the ridge-line of helical jets like this corresponds to a pressure maximum in the jet and assume that the helically twisted pressure maximum is the result of a helical wave pattern. For our study, we use observations of the jet in S5 0836+710 at different frequencies and epochs. The results show that the structures observed are physical and not generated artificially by the observing arrays. Our hypothesis that the observed intensity ridge-line can correspond to a helically twisted pressure maximum is confirmed by our observational tests. This interpretation allows us to explain jet misalignment between parsec and kiloparsec scales when the viewing angle is small, and also brings us to the conclusion that high-frequency observations may show only a small region of the jet flow concentrated around the maximum pressure ridge-line observed at low frequencies. Our work provides a potential explanation for the apparent transversal superluminal speeds observed in several extragalactic jets by means of transversal shift of an apparent core position with time.

A Kiloparsec‐Scale X‐Ray Jet in the BL Lac Source S5 2007+777

X-ray jets in AGNs are commonly observed in FR II and FR I radio galaxies, but rarely in BL Lac objects, most probably due to their orientation close to the line of sight and the ensuing foreshortening effects. Only three BL Lac objects are known so far to contain a kpc-scale X-ray jet. In this paper we present the evidence for the existence of a fourth extended X-ray jet in the classical radio-selected source S5 2007+777, which for its hybrid FR I and FR II radio morphology has been classified as a HYMOR (HYbrid MOrphology Radio source). Our Chandra ACIS-S observations of this source revealed an X-ray counterpart to the 19'' long radio jet. Interestingly, the X-ray properties of the kpc-scale jet in S5 2007+777 are very similar to those observed in FR II jets. First, the X-ray morphology closely mirrors the radio one, with the X-rays being concentrated in the discrete radio knots. Second, the X-ray continuum of the jet/brightest knot is described by a very hard power law, with photon index ΓX ~ 1, although the uncertainties are large. Third, the optical upper limit from archival HST data implies a concave radio-to-X-ray SED. If the X-ray emission is attributed to IC/CMB with equipartition, strong beaming (δ = 13) is required, implying a very large scale (Mpc) jet. The beaming requirement can be somewhat relaxed assuming a magnetic field lower than equipartition. Alternatively, synchrotron emission from a second population of very high-energy electrons is viable. Comparison to other HYMOR jets detected with Chandra is discussed, as well as general implications for the origin of the FR I/FR II division.

Dual-Frequency VSOP Imaging of the Jet in S5 0836+710

Abstract The luminous high-redshift ($z=2.17$) quasar S5 0836$+$710 was observed in 1997 October with the VSOP at 1.6 GHz and 5 GHz. We report here a previously unpublished image made from the data at 1.6 GHz, and compare the structure of a relativistic jet in this quasar at two frequencies. We present a spectral index image tracing the spectral properties of the jet up to $\sim 40$ milliarcsec distance from the nucleus. The curved jet ridge line observed in the images and the spectral index distribution can be described by a Kelvin–Helmholtz instability developing in a relativistic outflow with a Mach number of $\sim 6$. In this description, the overall ridge line of the jet is formed by the helical surface mode of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, while areas of flatter spectral index embedded into the flow correspond to pressure enhancements produced by the elliptical surface mode of the instability. An alternative explanation involving a sequence of slowly dissipating shocks cannot be ruled out at this point.