Issue |
A&A
Volume 415, Number 3, March I 2004
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 905 - 913 | |
Section | Extragalactic astronomy | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20034317 | |
Published online | 13 February 2004 |
The inner kiloparsec of the jet in 3C 264
1
Dpto. Física Teórica y del Cosmos, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
2
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Apdo. 3004, 18080 Granada, Spain
3
Istituto di Radioastronomia (CNR), via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
4
Dipartimento di Astronomia, Universitá di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, 40127 Bologna, Italy
5
National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475, USA
Corresponding author: L. Lara, lucas@ugr.es
Received:
15
September
2003
Accepted:
3
November
2003
We present new multi-frequency EVN, MERLIN and VLA observations
of the radio source 3C 264, sensitive to linear scales ranging from
parsec to several kiloparsecs. The observations confirm the
existence of regions with different properties in the first kiloparsec
of the jet. The most remarkable feature is the transition between a
well collimated narrow jet at distances from the core below 80 pc, to
a conical-shaped wide jet, with an opening angle of . Another change of properties, consisting of an apparent
deflection of the jet ridge line and a diminution of the surface
brightness, occurs at a distance of ~300 pc from the core,
coincident with the radius of a ring observed at optical
wavelengths. Our observations add new pieces of information on the
spectrum of the radio-optical jet of 3C 264, with
results consistent with a synchrotron emission mechanism and a
spectrum break frequency in the infrared. Brightness profiles taken
perpendicularly to the jet of 3C 264 are consistent with a spine
brightened jet at distances below 100 pc from the core, and an
edge-brightened jet beyond, which can be interpreted as evidence of a
transverse jet velocity structure. Our observations do not allow us to
distinguish between the
presence of a face-on dust and gas disk at the center of the host
galaxy of 3C 264, or rather an evacuated bubble. However, the
properties of the jet structure, the changes in the polarization
angle, and the plausible jet orientation can be naturally brought into
agreement in the bubble scenario.
Key words: galaxies: individual: 3C 264 / galaxies: individual: NGC 3862 / galaxies: active / galaxies: nuclei / galaxies: jets / radio continuum: galaxies
© ESO, 2004
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