Messier 87 (M 87) is one of the nearest radio galaxies with a prominent jet extending from sub-pc to kpc scales. Because of its proximity and the large mass of its central black hole (BH), it is one ...of the best radio sources for the study of jet formation. We study the physical conditions near the jet base at projected separations from the BH of ~7–100 Schwarzschild radii (Rsch). Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) observations at 86 GHz (λ = 3.5 mm) provide an angular resolution of ~50 μas, which corresponds to a spatial resolution of only 7 Rsch and reach the small spatial scale. We use five GMVA data sets of M 87 obtained from 2004 to 2015 and present new high angular resolution VLBI maps at 86 GHz. In particular, we focus on the analysis of the brightness temperature, the jet ridge lines, and the ratio of jet to counter-jet. The imaging reveals a parabolically expanding limb-brightened jet which emanates from a resolved VLBI core of ~(8–13) Rsch in size. The observed brightness temperature of the core at any epoch is ~(1–3) × 1010 K, which is below the equipartition brightness temperature and suggests magnetic energy dominance at the jet base. We estimate the diameter of the jet at its base to be ~5 Rsch assuming a self-similar jet structure. This suggests that the sheath of the jet may be anchored in the very inner portion of the accretion disk. The image stacking reveals faint emission at the center of the edge-brightened jet on sub-pc scales. We discuss its physical implication within the context of the spine-sheath structure of the jet.
We report the detection for the first time in space of three new pure hydrocarbon cycles in TMC-1:
c
-C
3
HCCH (ethynyl cyclopropenylidene),
c
-C
5
H
6
(cyclopentadiene), and
c
-C
9
H
8
(indene). We ...derive a column density of 3.1 × 10
11
cm
−2
for the first cycle and similar values, in the range (1−2) × 10
13
cm
−2
, for the second and third. This means that cyclopentadiene and indene, in spite of their large size, are exceptionally abundant, only a factor of five less abundant than the ubiquitous cyclic hydrocarbon
c
-C
3
H
2
. The high abundance found for these two hydrocarbon cycles together with the high abundance previously found for the propargyl radical (CH
2
CCH) and other hydrocarbons, such as vinyl and allenyl acetylene (Agúndez et al. 2021, A&A, 647, L10; Cernicharo et al. 2021a, A&A, 647, L2; Cernicharo et al. 2021b, A&A, 647, L3), start to allow us to quantify the abundant content of hydrocarbon rings in cold dark clouds and to identify the intermediate species that are probably behind the in situ bottom-up synthesis of aromatic cycles in these environments. While
c
-C
3
HCCH is most likely formed through the reaction between the radical CCH and
c
-C
3
H
2
, the high observed abundances of cyclopentadiene and indene are difficult to explain through currently proposed chemical mechanisms. Further studies are needed to identify how five- and six-membered rings are formed under the cold conditions of a cloud such as TMC-1.
We report the detection of the oxygen-bearing complex organic molecules propenal (C2H3CHO), vinyl alcohol (C2H3OH), methyl formate (HCOOCH3), and dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3) toward the cyanopolyyne peak ...of the starless core TMC-1. These molecules are detected through several emission lines in a deep Q-band line survey of TMC-1 carried out with the Yebes 40m telescope. These observations reveal that the cyanopolyyne peak of TMC-1, which is the prototype of cold dark cloud rich in carbon chains, contains also O-bearing complex organic molecules like HCOOCH3 and CH3OCH3, which have been previously seen in a handful of cold interstellar clouds. In addition, this is the first secure detection of C2H3OH in space and the first time that C2H3CHO and C2H3OH are detected in a cold environment, adding new pieces in the puzzle of complex organic molecules in cold sources. We derive column densities of (2.2 ± 0.3) × 1011 cm™2, (2.5 ± 0.5) × 1012 cm-2, (1.1 ± 0.2) × 1012 cm-2, and (2.5 ± 0.7) × 1012 cm-2 for C2H3CHO, C2H3OH, HCOOCH3, and CH3OCH3, respectively. Interestingly, C2H3OH has an abundance similar to that of its well known isomer acetaldehyde (CH3CHO), with C2H3OH/CH3CHO ~ 1 at the cyanopolyyne peak. We discuss potential formation routes to these molecules and recognize that further experimental, theoretical, and astronomical studies are needed to elucidate the true mechanism of formation of these O-bearing complex organic molecules in cold interstellar sources.
ABSTRACT
G+0.693-0.03 is a quiescent molecular cloud located within the Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2) star-forming complex. Recent spectral surveys have shown that it represents one of the most prolific ...repositories of complex organic species in the Galaxy. The origin of such chemical complexity, along with the small-scale physical structure and properties of G+0.693-0.03, remains a mystery. In this paper, we report the study of multiple molecules with interferometric observations in combination with single-dish data in G+0.693-0.03. Despite the lack of detection of continuum source, we find small-scale (0.2 pc) structures within this cloud. The analysis of the molecular emission of typical shock tracers such as SiO, HNCO, and CH3OH unveiled two molecular components, peaking at velocities of 57 and 75 km s−1. They are found to be interconnected in both space and velocity. The position–velocity diagrams show features that match with the observational signatures of a cloud–cloud collision. Additionally, we detect three series of class I methanol masers known to appear in shocked gas, supporting the cloud–cloud collision scenario. From the maser emission we provide constraints on the gas kinetic temperatures (∼30–150 K) and H2 densities (104–105 cm−2). These properties are similar to those found for the starburst galaxy NGC 253 also using class I methanol masers, suggested to be associated with a cloud–cloud collision. We conclude that shocks driven by the possible cloud–cloud collision is likely the most important mechanism responsible for the high level of chemical complexity observed in G+0.693-0.03.
We report results from a deep polarization imaging of the nearby radio galaxy 3C 84 (NGC 1275). The source was observed with the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA) at 86 GHz at an ultrahigh angular ...resolution of 50 μas (corresponding to ∼200Rs). We also add complementary multiwavelength data from the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA; 15 and 43 GHz) and from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA; 97.5, 233.0 and 343.5 GHz). At 86 GHz, we measured a fractional linear polarization of ∼2% in the VLBI core region. The polarization morphology suggests that the emission is associated with an underlying limb-brightened jet. The fractional linear polarization is lower at 43 and 15 GHz (∼0.3−0.7% and <0.1%, respectively). This suggests an increasing linear polarization degree toward shorter wavelengths on VLBI scales. We also obtain a large rotation measure (RM) of ∼105–6 rad m2 in the core at ≳43 GHz. Moreover, the VLBA 43 GHz observations show a variable RM in the VLBI core region during a small flare in 2015. Faraday depolarization and Faraday conversion in an inhomogeneous and mildly relativistic plasma could explain the observed linear polarization characteristics and the previously measured frequency dependence of the circular polarization. Our Faraday depolarization modeling suggests that the RM most likely originates from an external screen with a highly uniform RM distribution. To explain the large RM value, the uniform RM distribution and the RM variability, we suggest that the Faraday rotation is caused by a boundary layer in a transversely stratified jet. Based on the RM and the synchrotron spectrum of the core, we provide an estimate for the magnetic field strength and the electron density of the jet plasma.
The Galactic center supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is one of the most promising targets to study the dynamics of black hole accretion and outflow via direct imaging with very long ...baseline interferometry (VLBI). At 3.5 mm (86 GHz), the emission from Sgr A* is resolvable with the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA). We present the first observations of Sgr A* with the phased Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) joining the GMVA. Our observations achieve an angular resolution of ∼87 as, improving upon previous experiments by a factor of two. We reconstruct a first image of the unscattered source structure of Sgr A* at 3.5 mm, mitigating the effects of interstellar scattering. The unscattered source has a major-axis size of 120 34 as (12 3.4 Schwarzschild radii) and a symmetrical morphology (axial ratio of ), which is further supported by closure phases consistent with zero within 3 . We show that multiple disk-dominated models of Sgr A* match our observational constraints, while the two jet-dominated models considered are constrained to small viewing angles. Our long-baseline detections to ALMA also provide new constraints on the scattering of Sgr A*, and we show that refractive scattering effects are likely to be weak for images of Sgr A* at 1.3 mm with the Event Horizon Telescope. Our results provide the most stringent constraints to date for the intrinsic morphology and refractive scattering of Sgr A*, demonstrating the exceptional contribution of ALMA to millimeter VLBI.
Yebes 40m radio telescope is the main and largest observing instrument at Yebes Observatory and it is devoted to Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and single dish observations since 2010. It ...has been covering frequency bands between 2 GHz and 90 GHz in discontinuous and narrow windows in most of the cases, to match the current needs of the European VLBI Network (EVN) and the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA).
Nanocosmos project, a European Union funded synergy grant, opened the possibility to increase the instantaneous frequency coverage to observe many molecular transitions with single tunnings in single dish mode. This reduces the observing time and maximises the output from the telescope.
We present the technical specifications of the recently installed 31.5 - 50GHz (Q band) and 72 - 90.5 GHz (W band) receivers along with the main characteristics of the telescope at these frequency ranges. We have observed IRC+10216, CRL 2688 and CRL 618, which harbour a rich molecular chemistry, to demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrumentation for spectral observations in single dish mode.
The results show the high sensitivity of the telescope in the Q band. The spectrum of IRC+10126 offers a signal to noise ratio never seen before for this source in this band. On the other hand, the spectrum normalised by the continuum flux towards CRL 618 in the W band demonstrates that the 40 m radio telescope produces comparable results to those from the IRAM 30 m radio telescope, although with a smaller sensitivity. The new receivers fulfil one of the main goals of Nanocosmos and open the possibility to study the spectrum of different astrophysical media with unprecedented sensitivity.
The calibration and analysis of polarization observations in very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) requires the use of specific algorithms that suffer from several limitations, closely related to ...assumptions in the data properties that may not hold in observations taken with new-generation VLBI equipment. Currently, the instantaneous bandwidth achievable with VLBI backends can be as high as several gigahertz, covering several radio bands simultaneously. In addition, the sensitivity of VLBI observations with the most updated equipment may reach dynamic ranges of tens of thousands, both in total intensity and polarization. In this paper, we discuss the impact of the limitations of common VLBI polarimetry algorithms on narrow-field observations taken with modern VLBI arrays, from the VLBI Global Observing System to the Event Horizon Telescope, and present new software that overcomes these limitations. In particular, our software is able to perform a simultaneous fit of multiple calibrator sources, include nonlinear terms in the model of the instrumental polarization and use a self-calibration approach for the estimate of the polarization leakage in the antenna receivers.
We present the first detections of CH
SH, C
H
, C
N, HCOOH, CH
CHCN, and H
CN in an extragalactic source. Namely the spiral arm of a galaxy located at z = 0.89 on the line of sight to the radio-loud ...quasar PKS 1830-211. OCS, SO
, and NH
CN were also detected, raising the total number of molecular species identified in that early time galaxy to 54, not counting isotopologues. The detections were made in absorption against the SW quasar image, at 2 kpc from the galaxy centre, over the course of a Q band spectral line survey made with the Yebes 40 m telescope (rest-frame frequencies: 58.7-93.5 GHz). We derived the rotational temperatures and column densities of those species, which are found to be subthermally excited. The molecular abundances, and in particular the large abundances of C
H
and of several previously reported cations, are characteristic of diffuse or translucent clouds with enhanced UV radiation or strong shocks.
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