Jet collimation in NGC 315 and other nearby AGN^⋆

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany
e-mail: bboccardi@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
² INAF – Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio di Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³ Departament d’Astronomia i Astrofísica, Universitat de València, C/ Dr. Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, València, Spain
⁴ Observatori Astronòmic, Universitat de València, C/ Catedràtic José Beltrán 2, 46980 Paterna, València, Spain
⁵ Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas, IESL & Institute of Astrophysics, Voutes 7110, Heraklion, Greece
⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁷ Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Universität Würzburg, Emil-Fischer-Str. 31, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
⁸ INAF–Istituto di Radioastronomia, Bologna, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁹ Fraunhofer-Institut für Hochfrequenzphysik und Radartechnik FHR, Fraunhoferstraße 20, 53343 Wachtberg, Germany

Received: 7 October 2020
Accepted: 29 December 2020

Abstract

Aims. The collimation of relativistic jets in galaxies is a poorly understood process. Detailed radio studies of the jet collimation region have been performed so far in a few individual objects, providing important constraints for jet formation models. However, the extent of the collimation zone as well as the nature of the external medium possibly confining the jet are still debated.

Methods. In this article, we present a multifrequency and multiscale analysis of the radio galaxy NGC 315, including the use of mm-VLBI data up to 86 GHz, aimed at revealing the evolution of the jet collimation profile. We then consider results from the literature to compare the jet expansion profile in a sample of 27 low-redshift sources, mainly comprising radio galaxies and BL Lacs, which were classified based on the accretion properties as low-excitation (LEG) and high-excitation (HEG) galaxies.

Results. We propose that the jet collimation in NGC 315 is completed on sub-parsec scales. A transition from a parabolic to conical jet shape is detected at z_t = 0.58 ± 0.28 parsecs or ∼5 × 10³ Schwarzschild radii (R_S) from the central engine, a distance which is much smaller than the Bondi radius, r_B ∼ 92 pc, estimated based on X-ray data. The jet in this and in a few other LEG in our sample may be initially confined by a thick disk extending out to ∼10³ − 10⁴R_S. A comparison between the mass-scaled jet expansion profiles of all sources indicates that jets in HEG are surrounded by thicker disk-launched sheaths and collimate on larger scales with respect to jets in LEG. These results suggest that disk winds play an important role in the jet collimation mechanism, particularly in high-luminosity sources. The impact of winds on the origin of the FRI and FRII dichotomy in radio galaxies is also discussed.