CaltechAUTHORS
  A Caltech Library Service

Evidence for a large-scale helical magnetic field in the quasar 3C 454.3

Zamaninasab, M. and Savolainen, T. and Clausen-Brown, E. and Hovatta, T. and Lister, M. L. and Krichbaum, T. P. and Kovalev, Y. Y. and Pushkarev, A. B. (2013) Evidence for a large-scale helical magnetic field in the quasar 3C 454.3. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 436 (4). pp. 3341-3356. ISSN 0035-8711. doi:10.1093/mnras/stt1816. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140114-103657735

[img]
Preview
PDF - Published Version
See Usage Policy.

8MB

Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140114-103657735

Abstract

Most current theoretical models link the launching of relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei to the presence of twisted magnetic fields close to the supermassive black hole. While these models predict a large-scale, ordered, helical magnetic field near the central engine, it is not clear if, and to what extent, this order is preserved further downstream in the jet. Here, we present compelling evidence that suggests that the radio emission from the jet of the quasar 3C 454.3 exhibits multiple signatures of a large-scale, ordered helical magnetic field component at a distance of hundreds of parsecs from the launching point. Our results provide observational support for magnetic jet launching models and indicate that the ordered helical field component may remain stable over a large distance down the jet.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt1816 DOIArticle
http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/436/4/3341PublisherArticle
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Savolainen, T.0000-0001-6214-1085
Hovatta, T.0000-0002-2024-8199
Lister, M. L.0000-0003-1315-3412
Kovalev, Y. Y.0000-0001-9303-3263
Pushkarev, A. B.0000-0002-9702-2307
Additional Information:© 2013 The Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. Accepted 2013 September 24. Received 2013 September 23; in original form 2013 July 25. First published online: October 28, 2013. We would like to thank D. Homan, R. Porcas, M. Böck, J.A. Zensus and N. Sabha for their comments on the manuscript. We are grateful to M. Aller and H. Aller for providing data from the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory monitoring programme. We thank H. Wiesemeyer for providing 3 mm polarization measurements from the IRAM 30-m telescope. This research has made use of data from the MOJAVE data base that is maintained by the MOJAVE team (Lister et al. 2009). The MOJAVE project is supported under NASA Fermi grant 11-Fermi11-0019. This work made use of the VLBA, which is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. This work made use of the Swinburne University of Technology software correlator, developed as part of the Australian Major National Research Facilities Programme and operated under license (Deller et al. 2007). This research has made use of data from the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory which is supported by the National Science Foundation and by funds from the University of Michigan. Part of this work was done while MZ was supported by the German Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG, via grant SFB 956 project A2. TH was supported by the Jenny and Antti Wihuri foundation. YYK was partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (projects 11-02-00368 and 12-02-33101), Research Program OFN-17 of the Division of Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences and by the Dynasty Foundation. ABP was supported by the ‘Non-stationary processes in the Universe’ Program of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NASA Fermi Grant11-Fermi11-0019
NSFUNSPECIFIED
University of MichiganUNSPECIFIED
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)SFB 956 project A2
Jenny and Antti Wihuri FoundationUNSPECIFIED
Russian Foundation for Basic Research11-02-00368
Russian Foundation for Basic Research12-02-33101
Russian Academy of Sciences Division of PhysicsOFN-17
Dynasty FoundationUNSPECIFIED
Russian Academy of Sciences Program of the PresidiumUNSPECIFIED
Subject Keywords:black hole physics; techniques: polarimetric; galaxies: active; galaxies: jets; galaxies: nuclei; quasars: general
Issue or Number:4
DOI:10.1093/mnras/stt1816
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20140114-103657735
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20140114-103657735
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:43356
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:29 Jan 2014 20:15
Last Modified:10 Nov 2021 16:36

Repository Staff Only: item control page