VLBI observations of nearby radio loud Active Galactic Nuclei
G. Giovannini, E. Liuzzo, M. Giroletti, G. B. Taylor
备注：
6 pages, 7 figures, Proceedings for "The Universe under the Microscope" (AHAR 2008), April 2008, to be published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series by Institute of Physics Publishing; R. Schoedel, A. Eckart, S. Pfalzner, and E. Ros eds
We present an update of the parsec scale properties of the Bologna Complete Sample consisting of 95 radio sources from the B2 Catalog of Radio Sources and the Third Cambridge Revised Catalog (3CR), with z < 0.1. Thanks to recent new data we have now parsec scale images for 76 sources of the sample. Most of them show a one-sided jet structure but we find a higher fraction of two-sided sources in comparison with previous flux-limited VLBI surveys. A few peculiar sources are presented and discussed in more detail.
Gigahertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) sources form a key element in the study of the onset and evolution of radio-loud AGN, since they are most likely the young counterparts of extended radio sources. Here we discuss space-VLBI observations of GPS sources, which enable us to obtain unprecedented angular resolution at frequencies near their spectral turnovers. Observed peak brightness temperatures of Log[T]=10.5-11 Kelvin indicate that synchrotron self absorption is responsible for their spectral turnovers. This is in close agreement with previous size - spectral turnover statistics for GPS sources. …
We performed phase-reference very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations on five radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s) at 8.4 GHz with the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN). Each of the five targets (RXS J08066+7248, RXS J16290+4007, RXS J16333+4718, RXS J16446+2619, and B3 1702+457) in milli-Jansky levels were detected and unresolved in milli-arcsecond resolutions, i.e., with brightness temperatures higher than 10^7 K. The nonthermal processes of active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity, rather than starbursts, are predominantly responsible for the radio emissions from these NLS1…
We observed the narrow-line quasar SDSS J094857.3+002225, which has the highest known radio loudness for a narrow-line Seyfert~1 galaxy (NLS1), at 1.7--15.4 GHz with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). This is the first very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) investigation for a radio-loud NLS1. We independently found very high brightness temperatures from (1) its compactness in a VLBA image and (2) flux variation among the VLBA observation, our other observations with the VLBA, and the Very Large Array (VLA). A Doppler factor larger than 2.7--5.5 was required to meet an intrinsic limit of b…
Compact radio cores in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are classical targets of Very-Long-Baseline interferometric (VLBI) research. Until today little has been known about their X-ray properties in comparison to radio-quiet AGNs. Here, we present results from a systematic X-ray spectral survey of radio-loud AGNs. This study is based on a statistically complete sample of regularly monitored compact, extragalactic radio jets from the VLBA 2 cm Survey and makes use of high-quality X-ray spectroscopic data from the archives of the X-ray observatories ASCA, BeppoSax, CHANDRA, and XMM-Newto…
Multi-epoch GHz Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) data of the radio-loud quasar J1101+7225 were analyzed to estimate the proper motion of extended optically thin jet components. Two components separated from the core could be mapped at 1.66 GHz, which is consistent with earlier observations. In one case we found evidence of high apparent superluminal motion (beta_app= 22.5+/-4) at large (deprojected) distances to the core (22 mas ~ 4 kpc at z= 1.46). Typically in other quasars such high separation velocities are only found much closer to the core component. Furthermore the Doppler facto…
The formation of powerful extragalactic jets is not well understood at present as well as the associated key question:``What makes an AGN radio loud?''. Here we discuss how the combination of VLBI and X-ray spectroscopic observations allows the inter-relation between the accretion flow and the formation of relativistic jets in AGN to be explored.
I review observational properties of low power radio loud AGN. High resolution VLBI observations allow the estimate of the jet velocity and orientation with respect to the line of sight and the determination of the Doppler factor. These data reveal rich structures, including two-sided jets and secondary components. New results on 1144+35, a giant radio source with superluminal motion are shown in detail.
We present very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images of ten very high redshift (z>3) quasars at 5 GHz. The sources 0004+139, 0830+101, 0906+041, 0938+119 and 1500+045 were observed in September 1992 using a global VLBI array, while 0046+063, 0243+181, 1338+381, 1428+423 and 1557+032 were observed in October 1996 with the European VLBI Network and Hartebeesthoek, South Africa. Most of the sources are resolved and show asymmetric structure. The sample includes 1428+423, the most distant radio loud quasar known to date (z=4.72). It is barely resolved with an angular resolution of about 2.0*…
[ABRIDGED] This is the third in a series of three papers exploring the connection between the multiwavelength properties of AGN in nearby early-type galaxies and the characteristics of their hosts. We selected 116 AGN candidates requiring a radio flux of 1 mJy. We classified the objects with HST images into ``core'' and ``power-law'' galaxies, on the basis of the nuclear slope of their brightness profiles. We used HST and Chandra data to isolate their nuclear emission to study the multiwavelength behaviour of their nuclei. The properties of the nuclei hosted by the 29 core galaxies were presen…
We have observed a complete sample of 21 nearby (D < 70h^{-1} Mpc) Fanaroff & Riley Type I galaxies with HST/WFPC2 and detected dust disks and lanes in 19 of them. The radio jets are roughly perpendicular to the dust which is used to constrain the Doppler boosting factors of the radio jet and cores. The VLBA core flux correlates with the central Halpha+[NII] flux which might indicate that the VLBA core is dominated by an isotropic component. Twelve galaxies show nuclear optical sources. We discuss various possible origins for this emission.
We present the basic features and the activities of Japanese VLBI network (JVN), a newly-established VLBI network with baselines ranging from 50 to 2560 km spreading across the Japanese islands, and capable of observing at 6.7, 8.4, and 22 GHz. We show a number of results of JVN observations: 8.4-GHz continuum images of a Giga-hertz Peaked Spectrum (GPS) source and radio-loud Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLS1s), the spatial and velocity structures of water masers in NML Cygni as well as methanol masers in Cep A, and demonstrative observations with the bigradient phase referencing.
Infrared-Faint Radio Sources represent a new and unexpected class of object which is bright at radio wavelengths but unusually faint at infrared wavelengths. If, like most mJy radio sources, they were either conventional active or star-forming galaxies in the local Universe, we would expect them to be detectable at infrared wavelengths, and so their non-detection by the Spitzer Space Telescope is surprising. Here we report the detection of one of these sources using Very Long Baseline Interferometry, from which we conclude that the sources are driven by Active Galactic Nuclei. We suggest that …
We present and analyse HST/WFPC2 broad- and narrow-band observations of the central regions of 19 nearby radio-loud early-type galaxies. Together with two more galaxies they form a complete sample of Fanaroff & Riley Type I galaxies. We obtained V- and I-band images and narrow-band images centered on the \HalphaNII emission lines. We use archival data for six galaxies. We describe the data reduction, give isophotal fits and analyse the central emission-line gas and dust distributions. Our main conclusions are the following. Although obscuration by dust inhibits a direct determination of centra…
We present initial results of our analysis of line emission produced in gas disks found at the centers of a sample of nearby, radio galaxies with radio jets. We obtained data using STIS (The Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph) at three parallel slit positions on the nucleus of each galaxy. This allows us to map the H$α$ + [NII] flux, the gas radial velocity and the velocity dispersion. We find evidence of rotating disks in 11 of the sample galaxies and we can not currently rule out a rotating disk model for the remaining eight. For rotating systems, we find that the minimum central enclosed …
Mapping the central 5 pc region of the nearby radio galaxy NGC 6251 with a 0.2 pc resolution using VLBI at two radio frequencies, 5 GHz and 15 GHz, we have found the sub-pc-scale counter jet for the first time in this radio galaxy. This discovery allows us to investigate the jet acceleration based on the relativistic beaming model (Ghisellini et al. 1993).
The majority of quasars are weak in their radio emission, with flux densities comparable to those in the optical, and energies far lower. A small fraction, about 10%, are hundreds to thousands of times stronger in the radio. Conventional wisdom holds that there are two classes of quasars, the radio quiets and radio louds, with a deficit of sources having intermediate power. Are there really two separate populations, and if so, is the physics of the radio emission fundamentally different between them? This paper addresses the second question, through a study of radio variability across the full…
We study the galaxy environment of active galaxies, radio-loud and radio-quiet quasars in the redshift range $0.1\leq z\leq0.25$. We use APM galaxies in order to explore the local galaxy overdensity and the $b_J-R$ colour distribution of neighbouring galaxies of these target samples. For comparison, we perform similar analysis on samples of Abell clusters with X-ray emission, and samples of Abell clusters with richness R=1 and R=0. The projected cross-correlations show that the samples of quasars and active galaxies reside in regions of galaxy density enhancements lower than those typical of R…
We report the results of a 5-GHz southern-hemisphere snapshot VLBI observation of a sample of blazars. The observations were performed with the Southern Hemisphere VLBI Network plus the Shanghai station in 1993 May. Twenty-three flat-spectrum, radio-loud sources were imaged. These are the first VLBI images for 15 of the sources. Eight of the sources are EGRET (> 100 MeV) gamma-ray sources. The milliarcsecond morphology shows a core-jet structure for 12 sources, and a single compact core for the remaining 11. No compact doubles were seen. Compared with other radio images at different epochs and…
We present VLBI (EVN+MERLIN) observations of a sample of three low-redshift radio-intermediate PG quasars (RIQ) with flat and variable radio spectrum (III Zw 2, PG 1309+355, PG 2209+184). Their radio-to-optical flux ratio (R) is slightly lower than the average R for steep-spectrum quasars, but their radio spectral properties are those of core-dominated quasars. It was proposed previously that these sources might be relativistically boosted jets in radio-weak quasars. Our VLBI observations now indeed confirm the presence of a high brightness temperature core in all three of these objects --- tw…
We have developed a new phase referencing technique for high frequency VLBI observations. In conventional phase referencing, one interleaves short scans on a nearby phase calibrator between the target source observations. In fast frequency switching described here, one observes the target source continuously while switching rapidly between the target frequency and a lower reference frequency. We demonstrate that the technique allows phase calibration almost reaching the thermal noise limit and present the first detection of the AGN in the FR I radio galaxy NGC 4261 at 86 GHz. Although point-li…
The radio source M81* at the core of the nearby spiral galaxy M81 is a low-luminosity active galactic nucleus. The close distance of 3.63Mpc allows its morphology to be studied in great detail. Here we present preliminary results from continuum 7 mm VLBI observations of its core, using phase-referencing techniques. These observations set constrains on the size of M81* at this frequency and enable us to test the frequency dependence on its physical properties.
(abridged) We present a comprehensive study of a sample of 23 genuine radio-loud NLS1 galaxies which have the radio-loudness parameters greater than 100. The radio sources of the sample are ubiquitously compact. A significant fraction of these objects show interesting radio to X-ray properties that are unusual to most of the previously known radio-loud NLS1 AGN, but are reminiscent of blazars. These include flat radio spectra, large amplitude flux and spectral variability, compact VLBI cores, very high brightness temperatures derived from variability, enhanced optical emission in excess of the…
VLBI is the only technology that will allow sub-milliarcsecond resolution imaging in the near future. As such, it is the only way to image expanding supernovae in nearby galaxies. Such images potentially allow us to study the early evolution of neutron stars or black holes left behind by core-collapse supernovae, the circumstellar wind history of the supernova progenitor stars, the shock acceleration of cosmic-ray particles in supernovae as well as the evolutionary process by which supernova shells merge into, and enrich, the ISM. I will discuss the results of the on-going VLBI imaging campaig…
In this review the correlations between host galaxy properties and black-hole mass determined from nearby quiescent galaxies are briefly discussed, before proceeding to investigate their application to active galactic nuclei (AGN). The recent advances in estimating the black-hole masses of AGN are then reviewed, followed by an examination of the connection between black-hole mass and radio luminosity.
We have made a high-resolution VLBI observation of the gamma-ray loud quasar PKS 1622-297 with the HALCA spacecraft and ground radio telescopes at 5 GHz in 1998 February, almost three years after the source exhibited a spectacular GeV gamma-ray flare. The source shows an elongated structure toward the west on the parsec scale. The visibility data are well modeled by three distinct components; a bright core and two weaker jet components. Comparison with previous observations confirms that the jet components have an apparent superluminal motion up to 12.1 h^{-1}c, with the inner jet components h…
Using the surface photometric analysis data for a well defined sample of 79 nearby radio galaxies (z < 0.12), it is shown that the level of radio emission associated with an elliptical galaxy during the radio-loud phase is related to the presence of large amounts of isophotal twist in its optical image. In particular, radio galaxies with P_408 > 3 x 10^{25} W/Hz appear to show a preference to be associated with elliptical hosts exhibiting an isophotal twist in excess of ~20 degrees.
The broadband emission observed from radio galaxies, BL Lac objects and quasars is thought to be produced by energetic electrons confined in plasma blobs which are ejected from supermassive black holes at relativistic speeds. The lower energy radio-through-optical component is almost certainly nonthermal electron synchrotron radiation, while the higher-energy $γ$-ray component is probably due to Compton scattering of target photons by these same electrons. If the high-energy component is formed by jet electrons Compton-scattering radiation from outside the jet, such as the direct or rescattere…
We present sensitive phase-referenced VLBI results on the radio continuum emission from the z=4.7 double source BRI 1202-0725. The observations were carried out at 1425 MHz using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), the phased Very Large Array (VLA), and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT). Our sensitive VLBI images of BRI 1202-0725 at 0.25 x 0.14 arcsec resolution show a continuum structure in each of its two components. Fitting Gaussian models to these continuum structures yield total flux densities of 315 +/- 38 and 250 +/- 39 microJy, for the northern and the southern components, respectively. …
We observed SDSS J0836+0054, the most distant radio-loud quasar known at present (z=5.774) with the European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Network at the 5 GHz frequency on 2003 November 4. The source is compact at the milli-arcsecond (mas) angular scale with a flux density of 0.34 mJy. The observations with the Very Large Array (VLA) made on the consecutive day support a conclusion that the radio emission from SDSS J0836+0054 is essentially confined within the central 40 pc. Based on our phase-referenced VLBI observation, we obtained the astrometric position of the source accurate …
We study the most central regions of AGN jets with an angular resolution of tens of micro-arcseconds using VLBI at millimeter wavelengths (mm-VLBI). We present and discuss a new 86 GHz VLBI survey of compact radio sources. We show new high dynamic range images of two nearby radio galaxies (3C 120 and M87). In M87 the size of the compact VLBI core (the jet base) is < 15 Schwarzschild radii. Future mm-VLBI observations at 1 mm and shorter wavelengths should lead to images of galactic and extragalactic radio sources with a spatial resolution down to a few Schwarzschild radii of the central super …
We give an overview of circumstellar interaction in young Type II supernovae, as seen through the eyes of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations. The resolution attained by such observations (best than 1 mas) is a powerful tool to probe the interaction that takes place after a supernova goes off. The direct imaging of a supernova permits, in principle, to estimate the deceleration of its expansion, and to obtain information on the eject and circumstellar density profiles, as well as estimates of the magnetic field intensity and relativistic particle energy density in the superno…
In an examination of the relationship between the black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs), we studied two effects which may cause uncertainties in the black hole mass estimates of radio-loud AGNs: the relativistic beaming effect on the observed optical continuum radiation and the orientation effect on the broad emission line width. After correcting these two effects, we re-examined the relation between black hole mass and stellar velocity dispersion which derived from [OIII] line width for a sample of radio-loud and radio-quiet AGNs, and foun…
We present and discuss the results of VLBI (EVN) observations of three low-luminosity (P(5 GHz)<10^25 W/Hz) Broad Emission Line AGNs carefully selected from a sample of flat spectrum radio sources (CLASS). Based on the total and the extended radio power at 5 GHz and at 1.4 GHz respectively, these objects should be technically classified as radio-quiet AGN and thus the origin of their radio emission is not clearly understood. The VLBI observations presented in this paper have revealed compact radio cores which imply a lower limit on the brightness temperature of about 3X10^8 K. This result rule…
A candidate radio-loud broad absorption line quasar (RLBAL) has been reported by Becker et al. (1997). We present JHK observations of this object and three other radio-detected BALs taken with the new Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT/Ohio State/Aladdin IR Camera (MOSAIC) on the KPNO 4-meter. The candidate RLBAL 1556+3517 has B-K=6.63, redder than all but one or two known z>1 quasars. This strongly suggests the observed continuum of this quasar is reddened by dust. Even when this extreme reddening is taken into account 1556+3517 is still probably radio-loud, although near-IR spectroscopy to measure its B…
The clumpy maser disks observed in some galactic nuclei mark the outskirts of the accretion disk that fuels the central black hole and provide a potential site of nuclear star formation. Unfortunately, most of the gas in maser disks is currently not being probed; large maser gains favor paths that are characterized by a small velocity gradient and require rare edge-on orientations of the disk. Here we propose a method for mapping the atomic hydrogen distribution in nuclear disks through its 21cm absorption against the radio continuum glow around the central black hole. In NGC 4258, the 21cm op…
We compare the host galaxies properties of BL Lac objects with those of radio loud quasars (RLQs) imaged by the WFPC2 on board of HST. The considered objects (z<0.5) are always well resolved and their host galaxies satisfactorily modelled by ellipticals. After homogeneous treatment of the data we find RLQs hosts are systematically more luminous (by ~0.7 mag) with respect to the hosts of BL Lacs. Using the M_BH - L_bulge relation, derived for nearby elliptical galaxies, we have evaluated the central black hole masses of our sample of active galaxies. These data are discussed in conjunction with…
We review VLBI observations of supernovae over the last quarter century and discuss the prospect of imaging future supernovae with space VLBI in the context of VSOP-2. From thousands of discovered supernovae, most of them at cosmological distances, ~50 have been detected at radio wavelengths, most of them in relatively nearby galaxies. All of the radio supernovae are Type II or Ib/c, which originate from the explosion of massive progenitor stars. Of these, 12 were observed with VLBI and four of them, SN 1979C, SN 1986J, SN 1993J, and SN 1987A, could be imaged in detail, the former three with V…
We report on the results of multi-epoch VLBI observations with VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) of the 22 GHz H2O masers associated with the young stellar object SVS 13 in the NGC 1333 region. We have carried out phase-referencing VLBI astrometry and measured an annual parallax of the maser features in SVS 13 of 4.25+/-0.32 mas, corresponding to the distance of 235+/-18 pc from the Sun. Our result is consistent with a photometric distance of 220 pc previously reported. Even though the maser features were detectable only for 6 months, the present results provide the distance to NGC 1…
We present the results of EVN+MERLIN VLBI polarization observations of 8 Broad Absorption Line (BAL) quasars at 1.6 GHz, including 4 LoBALs and 4 HiBALs with either steep or flat spectra on VLA scales. Only one steep-spectrum source, J1122+3124, shows two-sided structure on the scale of 2 kpc. The other four steep-spectrum sources and three flat-spectrum sources display either an unresolved image or a core-jet structure on scales of less than three hundred parsecs. In all cases the marginally resolved core is the dominant radio component. Linear polarization in the cores has been detected in t…
We present phase-referenced VLBI results on the radio continuum and the OH 18 cm megamaser emission from the Ultra-Luminous Infrared Galaxy, IRAS 17208--0014. The observations were carried out at 1599 MHz using the Very Long Baseline Array, the phased VLA, and the Green Bank Telescope. The highest resolution radio continuum results show several compact sources with brightness temperatures on the order of $10^{6}$ K. These sources are more likely to be clustered supernova remnants and/or luminous radio supernovae. However, the agreement between the number of observed and expected compact source…
We present the results of a second epoch of 18cm global Very Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations, taken on 23 February 2001, of the central kiloparsec of the nearby starburst galaxy Messier 82. These observations further investigate the structural and flux evolution of the most compact radio sources in the central region of M82. The two most compact radio objects in M82 have been investigated (41.95+575 and 43.31+592). Using this recent epoch of data in comparison with our previous global VLBI observations and two earlier epochs of European VLBI Network observations we measure exp…
This is the second of a series of three papers exploring the connection between the multiwavelength properties of AGN in nearby early-type galaxies and the characteristics of their hosts. In Capetti et al. (2005) we presented a study of the surface brightness profiles for the 65 objects with available archival HST images out of the 116 radio-detected galaxies. We classified early-type galaxies into ``core'' and ``power-law'' galaxies, discriminating on the basis of the slope of their nuclear brightness profiles. Here we focus on the 29 core galaxies (hereafter CoreG). We used HST and Chandra d…
We show how an idealized high-frequency VLBI can probe the metric of nearby supermassive black holes. No quantitative assumptions about plasma dynamics are used in the suggested diagnostic, which is based on strong-field lensing.
We have presented the results of a second epoch of global Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations, taken on 23 February 2001 at a wavelength of 18 cm, of the central kiloparsec of the nearby starburst galaxy Messier 82. These observations were aimed at studying the structural and flux evolution of some of the compact radio sources in the central region that have been identified as supernova remnants. The objects 41.95+575 and 43.31+592 have been studied, expansion velocities of 2500 +/- 1200 km/s and 7350 +/- 2100 km/s respectively have been derived. Flux densities of 31.1 +/- 0.3 mJy a…
[ABRIDGED] We recently presented evidence of a connection between the brightness profiles of nearby early-type galaxies and the properties of the AGN they host. The radio loudness of the AGN appears to be univocally related to the host's brightness profile: radio-loud nuclei are only hosted by ``core'' galaxies while radio-quiet AGN are only found in ``power-law'' galaxies. We extend our analysis here to a sample of 42 nearby (V < 7000 km/s) Seyfert galaxies hosted by early-type galaxies. We used the available HST images to study their brightness profiles. Having excluded complex and highly nu…
We report on the first space-VLBI observations of the OH34.26+0.15 maser in two main line OH transitions at 1665 and 1667 MHz. The observations involved the space radiotelescope on board the Japanese satellite HALCA and an array of ground radio telescopes. The map of the maser region and images of individual maser spots were produced with an angular resolution of 1 milliarcsec which is several times higher than the angular resolution available on the ground. The maser spots were only partly resolved and a lower limit to the brightness temperature 6x10^{12} K was obtained. The maser seems to be…
Compact radio cores are not only common in radio galaxies and quasars but also in many nearby galaxies with low-active, supermassive black holes. One famous example is the Galactic Center source Sgr A*. Recent studies of proper motions and radial velocities of stars in the inner parsec of the Galaxy convincingly demonstrate the presence of a compact dark mass of 2.5 10^6 Mo in the nucleus of the Milky Way. Millimeter VLBI and submm observations of Sgr A* thus probe a region of only a few Schwarzschild radii in diameter. In this paper I will review our current theoretical and observational know…
We use a comprehensive database of black hole masses and nuclear luminosities to investigate the relationship between radio emission and black hole mass. Our sample covers a wide range of nuclear activity, from nearby inactive nuclei to classical Seyfert 1 nuclei and luminous quasars. Contrary to some previous studies, we find that the radio continuum power, either integrated for the entire galaxy or isolated for the core, correlates poorly with black hole mass. The degree of nuclear radio loudness, parameterized by the radio-to-optical luminosity ratio R, also shows no clear dependence on bla…
We present preliminary results from a VLBI survey at $λ=6 $cm of a sample of 35 sources with flux densities of 2 - 100 mJy. These sources were selected from the VLA FIRST survey at $λ= 20 $cm, in a 3 degree field around the bright calibrator 1156+295, simply by imposing $S_{20} > 10 $ mJy and $θ< 5$ arcsec. MERLIN observations at $λ6 $cm detected 70/127 of these sources with a threshold of 2 mJy at 50 mas resolution and the closest 35 of these to the calibrator were observed with the VLBA+EVN in snapshot mode at $λ6 $cm. These sources are a mixture of flat and steep-spectrum sources and includ…
We have used the VLBI High Sensitivity Array (VLBA with VLA, Green Bank Telescope, and Arecibo) to search for young radio supernovae in three nearby Wolf Rayet dwarf galaxies containing Super Star Clusters (SSCs) and signs of extreme star formation in the last few million years. No milliarcsecond radio sources were detected in II Zw 40, He 2-10, or NGC 5253, implying that these galaxies contain few radio supernovae, despite the fact that they have at least some star formation going back to 10 million years ago. The upper limits of the source powers range from 6 x 10^17 W/Hz to ~2 x 10^18 W/Hz …
We investigate the host galaxy luminosities of BL Lac Objects (BLLs) and Radio Loud Quasars (RLQs) at z<0.5 imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). From a homogeneous treatment of the data we construct the host galaxy luminosity functions (HGLFs) and find that RLQ hosts are ~0.5 mag brighter than those of BLL: <M[R]_RLQ = -24.0, <M[R]>_BLL= -23.5. For both classes the HGLFs exhibit a remarkably different distribution with respect to that of normal (inactive) ellipticals, with clear preference for more luminous galaxies to show nuclear activity. We make use of the black hole mass -- bulge…
We present the results of three ROSAT HRI observations of AGN expected to reside in clusters of galaxies. Although the exposures were truncated by the premature end of the ROSAT mission, valuable information could be achieved which greatly improved upon the previous PSPC results. For RGB 1745+398 we could separate the cluster emission from that of the BL Lac and could confirm the cluster parameters obtained from optical follow-up observations. In MRC 0625-536 the flux from the central point source contributes less than 3% to the total X-ray flux and the eastern component of the dumbbell galaxy…
GPS and CSS radio sources are the objects of choice to investigate the evolution of young radio-loud AGN. Previous investigations, mainly based on number counts and source size distributions, indicate that GPS/CSS sources decrease significantly in radio power when evolving into old, extended objects. We suggest this is preceded by a period of increase in radio luminosity, which lasts as long as the radio source is confined within the core-radius of its host galaxy. We have selected a sample of nearby compact radio sources, unbiased by radio spectrum, to determine their radio luminosity functio…
We present results of multi-epoch VLBI observations with VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) of the 22 GHz H$_{2}$O masers associated with a young stellar object (YSO) IRAS 22198+6336 in a dark cloud L1204G. Based on the phase-referencing VLBI astrometry, we derive an annual parallax of IRAS 22198+6336 to be 1.309$\pm$0.047 mas, corresponding to the distance of 764$\pm$27 pc from the Sun. Although the most principal error source of our astrometry is attributed to the internal structure of the maser spots, we successfully reduce the errors in the derived annual parallax by employing the…
The majority of nearby radio-loud AGN are found in massive, old elliptical galaxies with weak emission lines. At high redshifts,however, most known radio AGN have strong emission lines. In this paper, we examine a subset of radio AGN with emission lines selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The probability for a nearby radio AGN to have emission lines is a strongly decreasing function of galaxy mass and an increasing function of radio luminosity above 10^25 W/Hz. Emission line and radio luminosities are correlated, but with large dispersion. At a given radio power, AGN with small black h…
We have recently shown that X-ray observations of the population of `low-excitation' radio galaxies, which includes most low-power, Fanaroff-Riley class I sources as well as some more powerful Fanaroff-Riley class II objects, are consistent with a model in which the active nuclei of these objects are not radiatively efficient at any waveband. In another recent paper Allen et al. have shown that Bondi accretion of the hot, X-ray emitting phase of the intergalactic medium (IGM) is sufficient to power the jets of several nearby, low-power radio galaxies at the centres of clusters. In this paper w…
We have observed three Type 2 radio loud active galactic nuclei using the VLBA at five frequencies between 1.6 GHz and 15 GHz, in a search for the free-free absorption cutoff predicted by some models for optically-obscuring dusty molecular tori. We find no evidence for sharp cutoffs toward low frequencies in any of the sources. However, one source, OW637, has VLBI components which are steeply falling toward high frequencies (S_nu \propto nu^-2).
We report a serendipitous detection of rapid, large amplitude flux density variations in the highly core-dominated, flat-spectrum radio quasar 1156+295 during an observing session at the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA). The source was observed as a part of the MOJAVE survey programme with the VLBA at 15 GHz on February 5, 2007. Large amplitude variability in the correlated flux density, unexplainable in terms of the source structure, was first discovered while processing the data, and later confirmed by calibrating the antenna gains using 24 other sources observed in the experiment. The source…
We present here the discovery of rapid, large amplitude intraday variability in the compact flat-spectrum radio quasar 1156+295. The detection of 40% flux density variations at 15 GHz on a timescale of only 2.7 hours was serendipitously made when the source was observed with the Very Long Baseline Array as a part of the MOJAVE survey programme on February 5, 2007. Intraday variability on timescales of a few hours or less is rare, and there exist very few sources that show large-amplitude variations on a timescale as short as what is now observed for 1156+295. The shape of the visibility functi…
Shock heating by radio jets is potentially an important process in a range of environments, as it will increase the entropy of the heated gas. Although this process is expected to occur in the most powerful radio-loud AGN, strong shocks have so far only been detected in nearby low-power radio galaxies. Here we discuss X-ray detections of strong shocks in nearby galaxies, including a new detection of shocked gas around both lobes of the nearby radio galaxy NGC 3801 with inferred Mach numbers of 3 - 6 and a total injected energy comparable to the thermal energy of the ISM within 11 kpc. We discu…
