Issue |
A&A
Volume 469, Number 1, July I 2007
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | L23 - L26 | |
Section | Letters | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20077610 | |
Published online | 02 May 2007 |
Letter to the Editor
Physical properties of the jet in 0836+710 revealed by its transversal structure
Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany e-mail: perucho@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
Received:
4
April
2007
Accepted:
26
April
2007
Studying the internal structure of extragalactic jets is crucial for understanding their physics. The Japanese-led space VLBI project VSOP has presented an opportunity for such studies, by reaching baseline lengths of up to 36 000 km and resolving structures down to an angular size of ≈0.3 mas at 5 GHz. VSOP observations of the jet in 0836+710 at 1.6 and 5 GHz have enabled tracing of the radial structure of the flow on scales from 2 mas to 200 mas along the jet and determination of the wavelengths of individual oscillatory modes responsible for the formation of the structure observed. We apply linear stability analysis to identify the oscillatory modes with modes of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability that match the wavelengths of the structures observed. We find that the jet structure in 0836+710 can be reproduced by the helical surface mode and a combination of the helical and elliptic body modes of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Our results indicate that the jet is substantially stratified and different modes of the instability grow inside the jet at different distances to the jet axis. The helical surface mode can be driven externally, and we discuss the implications of the driving frequency on the physics of the active nucleus in 0836+710.
Key words: galaxies: individual: 0836+710 / galaxies: jets / galaxies: nuclei / galaxies: active / radio continuum: galaxies
© ESO, 2007
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.