A multifrequency study of sub-parsec jets with the Event Horizon Telescope
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2025

Context. The 2017 observing campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) delivered the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images at the observing frequency of 230 GHz, leading to a number of unique studies on black holes and relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN). In total, eighteen sources were observed, including the main science targets, Sgr A∗ and M87, and various calibrators. Sixteen sources were AGN. Aims.We investigated the morphology of the sixteen AGN in the EHT 2017 data set, focusing on the properties of the VLBI cores: size, flux density, and brightness temperature. We studied their dependence on the observing frequency in order to compare it with the Blandford-Konigl (BK) jet model. In particular, we aimed to study the signatures of jet acceleration and magnetic energy conversion. Methods. We modeled the source structure of seven AGN in the EHT 2017 data set using linearly polarized circular Gaussian components (1749+096, 1055+018, BL Lac, J0132-1654, J0006-0623, CTA102, and 3C 454.3) and collected results for the other nine AGN from dedicated EHT publications, complemented by lower frequency data in the 2-86 GHz range. Combining these data into a multifrequency EHT+ data set, we studied the dependences of the VLBI core component flux density, size, and brightness temperature on the frequency measured in the AGN host frame (and hence on the distance from the central black hole), characterizing them with power law fits. We compared the observations with the BK jet model and estimated the magnetic field strength dependence on the distance from the central black hole. Results. Our observations spanning event horizon to parsec scales indicate a deviation from the standard BK model, particularly in the decrease of the brightness temperature with the observing frequency. Only some of the discrepancies may be alleviated by tweaking the model parameters or the jet collimation profile. Either bulk acceleration of the jet material, energy transfer from the magnetic field to the particles, or both are required to explain the observations. For our sample, we estimate a general radial dependence of the Doppler factor δ ∝ r≤0.5. This interpretation is consistent with a magnetically accelerated sub-parsec jet. We also estimate a steep decrease of the magnetic field strength with radius B ∝ r-3, hinting at jet acceleration or efficient magnetic energy dissipation.

Techniques: interferometric

Galaxies: jets

Quasars: supermassive black holes

Galaxies: nuclei

Quasars: general

Galaxies: active

Författare

J. Röder

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

M. Wielgus

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

A. P. Lobanov

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

T.P. Krichbaum

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Dhanya G. Nair

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Sang Sung Lee

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

Eduardo Ros

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

V. Fish

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Lindy Blackburn

Harvard University

Chi Kwan Chan

University of Arizona

S. Issaoun

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Michael Janssen

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Michael D. Johnson

Harvard University

S. Doeleman

Harvard University

G. C. Bower

Academia Sinica

G. Crew

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

R. P. J. Tilanus

University of Arizona

T. Savolainen

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

C. M. V. Impellizzeri

Universiteit Leiden

Antxon Alberdi

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

A. K. Baczko

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

J. L. Gomez

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

R.S. Lu

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Georgios Filippos Paraschos

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

E. Traianou

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

C. Goddi

Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP)

Daewon Kim

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Mikhail Lisakov

Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso

Yuri Y. Kovalev

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Petr A. Voitsik

Independent researcher

K. V. Sokolovsky

University of Illinois

Kazunori Akiyama

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

E. Albentosa-Ruiz

Universitat de Valencia

Walter Alef

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Juan-Carlos Algaba

University of Malaya

Richard Anantua

Harvard University

K. Asada

Academia Sinica

R. Azulay

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

U. Bach

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

David Ball

University of Arizona

Mislav Baloković

Yale University

Bidisha Bandyopadhyay

Universidad de Concepción

John Barrett

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

M. Bauböck

The Grainger College of Engineering

Bradford A. Benson

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Dan Bintley

East Asian Observatory

R. Blundell

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

K. L. Bouman

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

M. Bremer

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

C. D. Brinkerink

Radboud Universiteit

Roger Brissenden

Harvard University

Silke Britzen

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Avery E. Broderick

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

D. Broguière

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Thomas Bronzwaer

Radboud Universiteit

Sandra Bustamente

University of Massachusetts

Do Young Byun

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

J. E. Carlstrom

University of Chicago

Chiara Ceccobello

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Astronomi och plasmafysik

A. Chael

Princeton University

Dominic O. Chang

Harvard University

Koushik Chatterjee

Harvard University

S. Chatterjee

Cornell University

Ming Tang Chen

Academia Sinica

Yongjun Chen

Chinese Academy of Sciences

X. P. Cheng

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

I. Cho

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Pierre Christian

Fairfield University

Nicholas S. Conroy

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

John Conway

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium

James M. Cordes

Cornell University

Thomas M. Crawford

University of Chicago

Alejandro Cruz-Osorio

Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Yuzhu Cui

Zhejiang Lab

Brandon Curd

Harvard University

Rohan Dahale

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Jordy Davelaar

Radboud Universiteit

Mariafelicia De Laurentis

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

R. P. Deane

University of Witwatersrand

Jessica Dempsey

East Asian Observatory

Gregory Desvignes

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Jason Dexter

JILA

Vedant Dhruv

The Grainger College of Engineering

Indu K. Dihingia

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Sean Dougall

University of Arizona

Sergio A. Dzib

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Ralph P. Eatough

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Razieh Emami

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

H.D. Falcke

Radboud Universiteit

Joseph R. Farah

Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network

E. Fomalont

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

H. Alyson Ford

University of Arizona

Marianna Foschi

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

R. Fraga-Encinas

Radboud Universiteit

W.T. Freeman

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

P. Friberg

East Asian Observatory

Christian M. Fromm

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Antonio Fuentes

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

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 Arizona

R. Gold

Universität Heidelberg

Arturo I. Gómez-Ruiz

Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrońica

Minfeng Gu

Chinese Academy of Sciences

M. Gurwell

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

K. Hada

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Daryl Haggard

McGill University

Kari Haworth

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Michael H. Hecht

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

R. Hesper

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Dirk Heumann

University of Arizona

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

Lei Huang

Chinese Academy of Sciences

D. Hughes

Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrońica

Shiro Ikeda

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Makoto Inoue

Academia Sinica

David J. James

ASTRAVEO

Buell T. Jannuzi

University of Arizona

Britton Jeter

Academia Sinica

Wu Jiang

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Alejandra Jimenez-Rosales

Radboud Universiteit

S.G. Jorstad

Boston University

Abhishek V. Joshi

The Grainger College of Engineering

Taehyun Jung

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

Mansour Karami

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

R. Karuppusamy

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Tomohisa Kawashima

University of Tokyo

G. Keating

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

M. M. Kettenis

Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)

Dong-Jin Kim

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Jae-Young Kim

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Jongsoo Kim

Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute

Junhan Kim

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

M. Kino

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Tomohisa Kawashima

Academia Sinica

Prashant Kocherlakota

Harvard University

Yutaro Kofuji

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Shoko Koyama

Academia Sinica

C. Kramer

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Joana A. Kramer

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

M. Kramer

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Cheng Yu Kuo

Academia Sinica

Michael Lindqvist

Radboud Universiteit

Tod R. Lauer

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

Daeyoung Lee

The Grainger College of Engineering

Po Kin Leung

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Aviad Levis

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Zhiyuan Li

Nanjing University

R. Lico

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Greg Lindahl

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Michael Lindqvist

Chalmers, Rymd-, geo- och miljövetenskap, Onsala rymdobservatorium

Jun Liu

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Kuo Liu

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Elisabetta Liuzzo

Istituto di Radioastronomia

Wen-Ping Lo

Academia Sinica

L. Loinard

Harvard University

Colin Lonsdale

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Amy E. Lowitz

University of Arizona

N. R. Macdonald

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Jirong Mao

Yunnan Observatories

Nicola Marchili

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

S. Markoff

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

D. P. Marrone

University of Arizona

A. Marscher

Boston University

Ivan Marti-Vidal

Universitat de Valencia

S. Matsushita

Academia Sinica

Lynn D. Matthews

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Lia Medeiros

Einstein Fellow

K. Menten

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Daniel Michalik

Europeiska rymdorganisationen (ESA)

Izumi Mizuno

East Asian Observatory

Yosuke Mizuno

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

James M. Moran

Harvard University

Kotaro Moriyama

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

M. Mościbrodzka

Radboud Universiteit

Wanga Mulaudzi

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

C. Müller

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Hendrik Müller

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

A. Mus

Universita degli Studi di Cagliari

Gibwa Musoke

Radboud Universiteit

I. Myserlis

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Andrew Nadolski

University of Illinois

H. Nagai

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

N. M. Nagar

Universidad de Concepción

Masanori Nakamura

Academia Sinica

Gopal Narayanan

University of Massachusetts

Iniyan Natarajan

Harvard University

Antonios Nathanail

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

S. Navarro Fuentes

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Joseph Neilsen

Villanova University

R. Neri

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Chunchong Ni

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

A. Noutsos

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Michael A. Nowak

Washington University in St. Louis

Junghwan Oh

Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe (JIVE)

Hiroki Okino

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Héctor Olivares

Centre For Research And Development In Mathematics And Applications (CIDMA)

G.N. Ortiz-León

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Tomoaki Oyama

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Feryal Özel

Georgia Institute of Technology

Daniel C.M. Palumbo

Harvard University

Jongho Park

Academia Sinica

Harriet Parsons

East Asian Observatory

N. Patel

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

U. L. Pen

Academia Sinica

Dominic W. Pesce

Harvard University

Vincent Piétu

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Richard L. Plambeck

University of California

Aleksandar PopStefanija

University of Massachusetts

Oliver Porth

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

Felix M. Pötzl

Idryma Technologias kai Erevnas (FORTH)

Ben Prather

The Grainger College of Engineering

Jorge A. Preciado-López

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

G. Principe

Istituto di Radioastronomia

Dimitrios Psaltis

Georgia Institute of Technology

Hung-Yi Pu

Academia Sinica

Venkatessh Ramakrishnan

Universidad de Concepción

R. Rao

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

M.G. Rawlings

East Asian Observatory

Angelo Ricarte

Harvard University

Bart Ripperda

Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Freek Roelofs

Radboud Universiteit

A.E.E. Rogers

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

C. Romero-Cañizales

Academia Sinica

Arash Roshanineshat

University of Arizona

H. Rottmann

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

A. Roy

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Ignacio Ruiz

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

C. Ruszczyk

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Kazi L.J. Rygl

Istituto di Radioastronomia

S. Sanchez

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

David Sánchez-Arguelles

Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrońica

M. Sánchez Portal

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Mahito Sasada

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Kaushik Satapathy

University of Arizona

T. Savolainen

University of Massachusetts

Jonathan Schonfeld

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

K. Schuster

Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM)

Lijing Shao

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Zhi Qiang Shen

Chinese Academy of Sciences

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)

León David Sosapanta Salas

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

Kamal Souccar

University of Massachusetts

Joshua S. Stanway

University of Central Lancashire

He Sun

Beijing University of Technology

Fumie Tazaki

National Astronomical Observatory of Japan

Alexandra J. Tetarenko

University of Lethbridge

Paul Tiede

Harvard University

M. Titus

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Pablo Torne

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Teresa Toscano

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)

Tyler Trent

University of Arizona

S. Trippe

Seoul National University

Matthew Turk

University of Illinois

I. van Bemmel

Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)

H. J. van Langevelde

Universiteit Leiden

Daniel R. van Rossum

Radboud Universiteit

Jesse Vos

Radboud Universiteit

Jan Wagner

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

D. Ward-Thompson

University of Central Lancashire

John Wardle

Brandeis University

Jasmin E. Washington

University of Arizona

J. Weintroub

Harvard University

Robert Wharton

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

K. Wiik

Aalto-Yliopisto

Gunther Witzel

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Michael F. Wondrak

Radboud Universiteit

George N. Wong

Princeton University

Qingwen Wu

Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Nitika Yadlapalli

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Paul Yamaguchi

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Aristomenis Yfantis

Radboud Universiteit

Doosoo Yoon

Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy

A. Young

Radboud Universiteit

Ken Young

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Ziri Younsi

Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main

Wei Yu

Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Feng Yuan

Fudan University

Ye-Fei Yuan

University of Science and Technology of China

A.J. Zensus

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Shuo Zhang

Michigan State University

G. Y. Zhao

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Shan-Shan Zhao

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Astronomy and Astrophysics

0004-6361 (ISSN) 1432-0746 (eISSN)

Vol. 695 A233

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2025)

Astronomi, astrofysik och kosmologi

Meteorologi och atmosfärsvetenskap

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202452600

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2025-11-17