Event Horizon Telescope imaging of the archetypal blazar 3C 279 at an extreme 20 microarcsecond resolution
Journal article, 2020
3C 279 is an archetypal blazar with a prominent radio jet that show broadband flux density variability across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. We use an ultra-high angular resolution technique - global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at 1.3mm (230 GHz) - to resolve the innermost jet of 3C 279 in order to study its fine-scale morphology close to the jet base where highly variable-ray emission is thought to originate, according to various models. The source was observed during four days in April 2017 with the Event Horizon Telescope at 230 GHz, including the phased Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, at an angular resolution of ∼20 μas (at a redshift of z = 0:536 this corresponds to ∼0:13 pc ∼ 1700 Schwarzschild radii with a black hole mass MBH = 8 × 108 M⊙). Imaging and model-fitting techniques were applied to the data to parameterize the fine-scale source structure and its variation.We find a multicomponent inner jet morphology with the northernmost component elongated perpendicular to the direction of the jet, as imaged at longer wavelengths. The elongated nuclear structure is consistent on all four observing days and across diffierent imaging methods and model-fitting techniques, and therefore appears robust. Owing to its compactness and brightness, we associate the northern nuclear structure as the VLBI "core". This morphology can be interpreted as either a broad resolved jet base or a spatially bent jet.We also find significant day-to-day variations in the closure phases, which appear most pronounced on the triangles with the longest baselines. Our analysis shows that this variation is related to a systematic change of the source structure. Two inner jet components move non-radially at apparent speeds of ∼15 c and ∼20 c (∼1:3 and ∼1:7 μas day-1, respectively), which more strongly supports the scenario of traveling shocks or instabilities in a bent, possibly rotating jet. The observed apparent speeds are also coincident with the 3C 279 large-scale jet kinematics observed at longer (cm) wavelengths, suggesting no significant jet acceleration between the 1.3mm core and the outer jet. The intrinsic brightness temperature of the jet components are ≤1010 K, a magnitude or more lower than typical values seen at ≥7mm wavelengths. The low brightness temperature and morphological complexity suggest that the core region of 3C 279 becomes optically thin at short (mm) wavelengths.
Galaxies: active
Techniques: interferometric
Galaxies: individual: 3C 279
Galaxies: jets
Author
Jae-Young Kim
Max Planck Society
T.P. Krichbaum
Max Planck Society
Avery E. Broderick
University of Waterloo
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
M. Wielgus
Harvard University
Lindy Blackburn
Harvard University
J. L. Gomez
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
Michael D. Johnson
Harvard University
K. L. Bouman
Harvard University
A. Chael
Princeton University
Kazunori Akiyama
Harvard University
S.G. Jorstad
Boston University
A. Marscher
Boston University
S. Issaoun
Radboud University
Michael Janssen
Radboud University
Chi Kwan Chan
University of Arizona
T. Savolainen
Max Planck Society
Dominic W. Pesce
Harvard University
Feryal Özel
University of Arizona
Antxon Alberdi
Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia (IAA)
Walter Alef
Max Planck Society
K. Asada
Academia Sinica
R. Azulay
Max Planck Society
A. K. Baczko
Max Planck Society
David Ball
University of Arizona
Mislav Baloković
Harvard University
John Barrett
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Dan Bintley
East Asian Observatory
W. Boland
Nederlandse Onderzoekschool voor Astronomie (NOVA)
G. C. Bower
Academia Sinica
M. Bremer
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
C. D. Brinkerink
Radboud University
Roger Brissenden
Harvard University
Silke Britzen
Max Planck Society
D. Broguière
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Thomas Bronzwaer
Radboud University
Do Young Byun
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
J. E. Carlstrom
University of Chicago
S. Chatterjee
Cornell University
Koushik Chatterjee
University of Amsterdam
Ming Tang Chen
Academia Sinica
Yongjun Chen
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
I. Cho
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Pierre Christian
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
John Conway
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
James M. Cordes
Cornell University
G. Crew
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Yuzhu Cui
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Jordy Davelaar
Radboud University
Mariafelicia De Laurentis
University of Naples Federico II
R. P. Deane
University of Pretoria
Jessica Dempsey
East Asian Observatory
Gregory Desvignes
Université Paris PSL
Jason Dexter
University of Colorado at Boulder
S. Doeleman
Harvard University
Ralph P. Eatough
Max Planck Society
H.D. Falcke
Radboud University
V. Fish
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
E. Fomalont
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
R. Fraga-Encinas
Radboud University
P. Friberg
East Asian Observatory
Christian M. Fromm
Goethe University Frankfurt
Peter Galison
Harvard University
Charles F. Gammie
University of Illinois
Roberto Garcia
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Olivier Gentaz
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Boris Georgiev
University of Waterloo
C. Goddi
Radboud University
R. Gold
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Arturo I. Gómez-Ruiz
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Minfeng Gu
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
M. Gurwell
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
K. Hada
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Michael H. Hecht
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
R. Hesper
University of Groningen
Luis C. Ho
Beijing University of Technology
P. T. P. Ho
Academia Sinica
M. Honma
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Chih Wei L. Huang
Academia Sinica
Huang Lei
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
D. Hughes
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Shiro Ikeda
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Makoto Inoue
Academia Sinica
David J. James
ASTRAVEO
Buell T. Jannuzi
University of Arizona
Britton Jeter
University of Waterloo
Jiang Wu
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Alejandra Jimenez-Rosales
Max Planck Society
Taehyun Jung
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Mansour Karami
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
R. Karuppusamy
Max Planck Society
Tomohisa Kawashima
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
G. Keating
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
M. M. Kettenis
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
Junhan Kim
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Jongsoo Kim
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
M. Kino
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Jun Yi Koay
Academia Sinica
Patrick M. Koch
Academia Sinica
Shoko Koyama
Academia Sinica
M.A. Kramer
Max Planck Society
C. Kramer
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Cheng-Yu Kuo
National Sun Yat-Sen University
Tod R. Lauer
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
Sang Sung Lee
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Yan Rong Li
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zhiyuan Li
Nanjing University
Michael Lindqvist
Chalmers, Space, Earth and Environment, Onsala Space Observatory
R. Lico
Max Planck Society
Liu Kuo
Max Planck Society
Elisabetta Liuzzo
Istituto di Radioastronomia
Wen-Ping Lo
Academia Sinica
A. P. Lobanov
Max Planck Society
L. Loinard
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Colin Lonsdale
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
R.S. Lu
Max Planck Society
N. R. Macdonald
Max Planck Society
Jirong Mao
Chinese Academy of Sciences
S. Markoff
University of Amsterdam
D. P. Marrone
University of Arizona
Ivan Marti-Vidal
Universitat de Valencia
S. Matsushita
Academia Sinica
Lynn D. Matthews
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Lia Medeiros
University of Arizona
K. Menten
Max Planck Society
Yosuke Mizuno
Goethe University Frankfurt
Izumi Mizuno
East Asian Observatory
James M. Moran
Harvard University
Kotaro Moriyama
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
M. Mościbrodzka
Radboud University
Gibwa Musoke
Radboud University
C. Müller
Max Planck Society
H. Nagai
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
N. M. Nagar
University of Concepcion
Masanori Nakamura
Academia Sinica
Ramesh Narayan
Harvard University
Gopal Narayanan
University of Massachusetts
Iniyan Natarajan
Rhodes University
R. Neri
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Chunchong Ni
University of Waterloo
A. Noutsos
Max Planck Society
Hiroki Okino
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Héctor Olivares
Goethe University Frankfurt
G.N. Ortiz-León
Max Planck Society
Tomoaki Oyama
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Daniel C.M. Palumbo
Harvard University
Jongho Park
Academia Sinica
N. Patel
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
U. L. Pen
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Vincent Piétu
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Richard L. Plambeck
University of California
Aleksandar PopStefanija
University of Massachusetts
Oliver Porth
University of Amsterdam
Prather Ben
University of Illinois
Jorge A. Preciado-López
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Dimitrios Psaltis
University of Arizona
Hung-Yi Pu
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Venkatessh Ramakrishnan
University of Concepcion
R. Rao
Academia Sinica
M.G. Rawlings
East Asian Observatory
Alexander W. Raymond
Harvard University
Luciano Rezzolla
Goethe University Frankfurt
Bart Ripperda
Princeton University
F. Roelofs
Radboud University
A.E.E. Rogers
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Eduardo Ros
Max Planck Society
Mel Rose
University of Arizona
Arash Roshanineshat
University of Arizona
H. Rottmann
Max Planck Society
A. Roy
Max Planck Society
C. Ruszczyk
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Benjamin R. Ryan
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Kazi L.J. Rygl
Istituto di Radioastronomia
S. Sanchez
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
David Sánchez-Arguelles
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Mahito Sasada
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
F. P. Schloerb
University of Massachusetts
K. Schuster
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Lijing Shao
Max Planck Society
Zhi Qiang Shen
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Des Small
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
B. W. Sohn
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
J. SooHoo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Fumie Tazaki
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Paul Tiede
University of Waterloo
R. P. J. Tilanus
Radboud University
M. Titus
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Kenji Toma
Tohoku University
Pablo Torne
Max Planck Society
Tyler Trent
University of Arizona
E. Traianou
Max Planck Society
S. Trippe
Seoul National University
Shuichiro Tsuda
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
I. van Bemmel
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
H. J. van Langevelde
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
Daniel R. van Rossum
Radboud University
Wagner Jan
Max Planck Society
John Wardle
Brandeis University
D. Ward-Thompson
University of Central Lancashire
J. Weintroub
Harvard University
Norbert Wex
Max Planck Society
Robert Wharton
Max Planck Society
George N. Wong
University of Illinois
Qingwen Wu
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Doosoo Yoon
University of Amsterdam
A. Young
Radboud University
K. Young
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Ziri Younsi
Goethe University Frankfurt
Yuan Feng
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Ye-Fei Yuan
University of Science and Technology of China
A.J. Zensus
Max Planck Society
G. Y. Zhao
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Shan-Shan Zhao
Radboud University
Ziyan Zhu
Harvard University
Juan-Carlos Algaba
Academia Sinica
Alexander Allardi
University of Vermont
R. Amestica
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Jadyn Anczarski
Villanova University
U. Bach
Max Planck Society
Frederick K. Baganoff
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
C. Beaudoin
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Bradford A. Benson
University of Chicago
Ryan Berthold
East Asian Observatory
J. Blanchard
Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)
R. Blundell
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Sandra Bustamente
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
R. Cappallo
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Edgar Castillo-Domínguez
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Chih-Cheng Chang
Academia Sinica
Shu-Hao Chang
Academia Sinica
Song-Chu Chang
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Chung-Chen Chen
Academia Sinica
R. Chilson
Academia Sinica
Tim C. Chuter
East Asian Observatory
Rodrigo Córdova Rosado
Harvard University
Iain M. Coulson
East Asian Observatory
Joseph Crowley
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Mark Derome
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
M. Dexter
University of California
S. Dornbusch
Max Planck Society
Kevin A. Dudevoir
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Sergio A. Dzib
Max Planck Society
A. Eckart
Max Planck Society
Chris Eckert
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
N. Erickson
University of Massachusetts
Wendeline B. Everett
University of Colorado at Boulder
Aaron Faber
Western University
Joseph R. Farah
Harvard University
Vernon Fath
University of Massachusetts
Thomas W. Folkers
University of Arizona
David C. Forbes
University of Arizona
R. Freund
University of Arizona
David M. Gale
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Gao Feng
Shanghai Astronomical Observatory
Gertie Geertsema
Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute
D. Graham
Max Planck Society
C. H. Greer
University of Arizona
Ronald Grosslein
University of Massachusetts
F. Gueth
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Daryl Haggard
McGill University
N. W. Halverson
University of Colorado at Boulder
Chih-Chiang Han
Academia Sinica
Kuo-Chang Han
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Jinchi Hao
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Yutaka Hasegawa
Osaka Prefecture University
Jason W. Henning
University of Chicago
A. Hernández-Gómez
Max Planck Society
R. Herrero-Illana
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Stefan Heyminck
Max Planck Society
A. Hirota
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
James Hoge
East Asian Observatory
Yau-De Huang
Academia Sinica
C.M. Violette Impellizzeri
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Homin Jiang
Academia Sinica
David John
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Atish Kamble
Harvard University
Ryan Keisler
University of Chicago
Kimihiro Kimura
Academia Sinica
Yusuke Kono
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Derek Kubo
ASIAA Hilo Office
John Kuroda
East Asian Observatory
R. Lacasse
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Robert A. Laing
University of Manchester
E. M. Leitch
University of Chicago
Chao-Te Li
Academia Sinica
Lupin C.-C. Lin
Academia Sinica
Ching-Tang Liu
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Kuan-Yu Liu
Academia Sinica
Li-Ming Lu
National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST)
Ralph G. Marson
National Radio Astronomy Observatory Socorro
Pierre L. Martin-Cocher
Academia Sinica
Kyle D. Massingill
University of Arizona
Callie Matulonis
East Asian Observatory
Martin P. Mccoll
University of Arizona
Stephen R. Mcwhirter
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
H. Messias
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Meyer-Zhao Zheng
Academia Sinica
Daniel Michalik
European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA ESTEC)
Alfredo Montaña
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
William Montgomerie
East Asian Observatory
M. Mora-Klein
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
D. Muders
Max Planck Society
Andrew Nadolski
University of Illinois
S. Navarro
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Joseph Neilsen
Villanova University
Chi H. Nguyen
Rochester Institute of Technology
Hiroaki Nishioka
Academia Sinica
Timothy Norton
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Michael A. Nowak
Washington University in St. Louis
George Nystrom
Academia Sinica
Hideo Ogawa
Osaka Prefecture University
Peter Oshiro
Academia Sinica
Harriet Parsons
East Asian Observatory
Peñalver Juan
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
N. Phillips
European Southern Observatory Santiago
Michael Poirier
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
N. Pradel
Academia Sinica
R. Primiani
Systems and Technology Research
Philippe A. Raffin
Academia Sinica
Alexandra S. Rahlin
University of Chicago
George Reiland
University of Arizona
Christophe Risacher
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Ignacio Ruiz
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Alejandro F. Sáez-Madaín
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Remi Sassella
Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)
Pim Schellart
Radboud University
Paul Shaw
Academia Sinica
Kevin M. Silva
East Asian Observatory
Hotaka Shiokawa
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
David R. Smith
MERLAB
William Snow
Academia Sinica
Kamal Souccar
University of Massachusetts
Don Sousa
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Tirupati K. Sridharan
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Ranjani Srinivasan
Academia Sinica
William Stahm
East Asian Observatory
Antony A. Stark
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Kyle Story
Stanford University
Sjoerd T. Timmer
Radboud University
Laura Vertatschitsch
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Craig Walther
East Asian Observatory
Ta-Shun Wei
Academia Sinica
Nathan Whitehorn
University of California
Alan R. Whitney
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
David Woody
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
J.G.A Wouterloot
East Asian Observatory
Melvin Wright
University of California
Paul Yamaguchi
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Chen-Yu Yu
Academia Sinica
Milagros Zeballos
National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics
Shuo Zhang
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
L. Ziurys
University of Arizona
Astronomy and Astrophysics
0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)
Vol. 640 A69Subject Categories
Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology
Roots
Basic sciences
Infrastructure
Onsala Space Observatory
DOI
10.1051/0004-6361/202037493