Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit

Y. Y. Kovalev; N. S. Kardashev; K. I. Kellermann; A. P. Lobanov; M. D. Johnson; L. I. Gurvits; P. A. Voitsik; J. A. Zensus; J. M. Anderson; U. Bach; D. L. Jauncey; F. Ghigo; T. Ghosh; A. Kraus; Yu A. Kovalev; M. M. Lisakov; L. Yu Petrov; J. D. Romney; C. J. Salter; K. V. Sokolovsky

doi:10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9

Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit

Y. Y. Kovalev, N. S. Kardashev, K. I. Kellermann, A. P. Lobanov, M. D. Johnson, L. I. Gurvits, P. A. Voitsik, J. A. Zensus, J. M. Anderson, U. Bach, D. L. Jauncey, F. Ghigo, T. Ghosh, A. Kraus, Yu A. Kovalev, M. M. Lisakov, L. Yu Petrov, J. D. Romney, C. J. Salter, K. V. Sokolovsky

Astrodynamics & Space Missions

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Abstract

Inverse Compton cooling limits the brightness temperature of the radiating plasma to a maximum of 10^11.5 K. Relativistic boosting can increase its observed value, but apparent brightness temperatures much in excess of 10¹³ K are inaccessible using ground-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at any wavelength. We present observations of the quasar 3C 273, made with the space VLBI mission RadioAstron on baselines up to 171,000 km, which directly reveal the presence of angular structure as small as 26 μas (2.7 light months) and brightness temperature in excess of 10¹³ K. These measurements challenge our understanding of the non-thermal continuum emission in the vicinity of supermassive black holes and require a much higher Doppler factor than what is determined from jet apparent kinematics.

Original language	English
Article number	L9
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	820
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9
Publication status	Published - 20 Mar 2016

Keywords

galaxies: active
galaxies: jets
quasars: individual (3C273)
radio continuum: galaxies
techniques: interferometric

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10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9

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Kovalev, Y. Y., Kardashev, N. S., Kellermann, K. I., Lobanov, A. P., Johnson, M. D., Gurvits, L. I., Voitsik, P. A., Zensus, J. A., Anderson, J. M., Bach, U., Jauncey, D. L., Ghigo, F., Ghosh, T., Kraus, A., Kovalev, Y. A., Lisakov, M. M., Petrov, L. Y., Romney, J. D., Salter, C. J., & Sokolovsky, K. V. (2016). Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 820(1), Article L9. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9

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title = "Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit",

abstract = "Inverse Compton cooling limits the brightness temperature of the radiating plasma to a maximum of 1011.5 K. Relativistic boosting can increase its observed value, but apparent brightness temperatures much in excess of 1013 K are inaccessible using ground-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at any wavelength. We present observations of the quasar 3C 273, made with the space VLBI mission RadioAstron on baselines up to 171,000 km, which directly reveal the presence of angular structure as small as 26 μas (2.7 light months) and brightness temperature in excess of 1013 K. These measurements challenge our understanding of the non-thermal continuum emission in the vicinity of supermassive black holes and require a much higher Doppler factor than what is determined from jet apparent kinematics.",

keywords = "galaxies: active, galaxies: jets, quasars: individual (3C273), radio continuum: galaxies, techniques: interferometric",

author = "Kovalev, {Y. Y.} and Kardashev, {N. S.} and Kellermann, {K. I.} and Lobanov, {A. P.} and Johnson, {M. D.} and Gurvits, {L. I.} and Voitsik, {P. A.} and Zensus, {J. A.} and Anderson, {J. M.} and U. Bach and Jauncey, {D. L.} and F. Ghigo and T. Ghosh and A. Kraus and Kovalev, {Yu A.} and Lisakov, {M. M.} and Petrov, {L. Yu} and Romney, {J. D.} and Salter, {C. J.} and Sokolovsky, {K. V.}",

year = "2016",

month = mar,

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doi = "10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9",

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Kovalev, YY, Kardashev, NS, Kellermann, KI, Lobanov, AP, Johnson, MD, Gurvits, LI, Voitsik, PA, Zensus, JA, Anderson, JM, Bach, U, Jauncey, DL, Ghigo, F, Ghosh, T, Kraus, A, Kovalev, YA, Lisakov, MM, Petrov, LY, Romney, JD, Salter, CJ & Sokolovsky, KV 2016, 'Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 820, no. 1, L9. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9

TY - JOUR

T1 - Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273

T2 - A challenge to the brightness temperature limit

AU - Kovalev, Y. Y.

AU - Kardashev, N. S.

AU - Kellermann, K. I.

AU - Lobanov, A. P.

AU - Johnson, M. D.

AU - Gurvits, L. I.

AU - Voitsik, P. A.

AU - Zensus, J. A.

AU - Anderson, J. M.

AU - Bach, U.

AU - Jauncey, D. L.

AU - Ghigo, F.

AU - Ghosh, T.

AU - Kraus, A.

AU - Kovalev, Yu A.

AU - Lisakov, M. M.

AU - Petrov, L. Yu

AU - Romney, J. D.

AU - Salter, C. J.

AU - Sokolovsky, K. V.

PY - 2016/3/20

Y1 - 2016/3/20

N2 - Inverse Compton cooling limits the brightness temperature of the radiating plasma to a maximum of 1011.5 K. Relativistic boosting can increase its observed value, but apparent brightness temperatures much in excess of 1013 K are inaccessible using ground-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at any wavelength. We present observations of the quasar 3C 273, made with the space VLBI mission RadioAstron on baselines up to 171,000 km, which directly reveal the presence of angular structure as small as 26 μas (2.7 light months) and brightness temperature in excess of 1013 K. These measurements challenge our understanding of the non-thermal continuum emission in the vicinity of supermassive black holes and require a much higher Doppler factor than what is determined from jet apparent kinematics.

AB - Inverse Compton cooling limits the brightness temperature of the radiating plasma to a maximum of 1011.5 K. Relativistic boosting can increase its observed value, but apparent brightness temperatures much in excess of 1013 K are inaccessible using ground-based very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at any wavelength. We present observations of the quasar 3C 273, made with the space VLBI mission RadioAstron on baselines up to 171,000 km, which directly reveal the presence of angular structure as small as 26 μas (2.7 light months) and brightness temperature in excess of 1013 K. These measurements challenge our understanding of the non-thermal continuum emission in the vicinity of supermassive black holes and require a much higher Doppler factor than what is determined from jet apparent kinematics.

KW - galaxies: active

KW - galaxies: jets

KW - quasars: individual (3C273)

KW - radio continuum: galaxies

KW - techniques: interferometric

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DO - 10.3847/2041-8205/820/1/L9

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AN - SCOPUS:84962205994

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 820

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 1

M1 - L9

ER -

Radioastron observations of the quasar 3C 273: A challenge to the brightness temperature limit

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Keywords

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