NRAO 150

Sequence of images of NRAO 150 obtained with the VLBA at 43 GHz (7mm) at a resolution of 0.16 milliarcseconds from 1997 to 2007. NRAO 150 is a compact and bright object at radio and millimeter wavelengths that was identified in 2005 with a quasar at redshift z = 1.52 through a near-IR spectral observation. The figure shows the time evolution of the parsec-scale millimeter-wave source, which displays (after 2000) the typical jet-like structure observed in quasars. Such jets, composed of plasma at high relativistic energies and speeds, point in directions that make very small angles to our line of sight. For these reasons we have a distorted view of jets in quasars, which can display *apparent* speeds higher than the speed of light, as projected on the plane of the sky. These images have for the first time allowed study of the kinematics of the NRAO 150 jet on the smallest accessible scales and to compute the first estimates of the basic physical properties of such a jet. The kinematic study shows a pronounced projected counter-clockwise jet position angle swing at an angular rate of up to ~11 deg./yr within the inner ~30 parsecs of the jet. This phenomenon is associated with an extremely bent (i.e. non-ballistic) trajectory of superluminal motion in the jet, which makes NRAO 150 a source of great interest. These results, together with independent computations of the magnetic field intensity in the jet of NRAO 150, suggest that the magnetic field could play an important role in the dynamics of this jet.

The figure shows a selection of 18 of the 34 NRAO 150 images obtained from 1997 to 2007 with the VLBA at 43 GHz under different monitoring programs (BA071, BA082, BB152, BM230, BD080, BD079, BD069, BD046). All the images have been convolved with the same circular beam of 0.16 mas. The common intensity scale ranges from 0.025 Jy/beam to 4.128 Jy/beam. Information about each individual image and observing setup can be found in the Journal article.

Legacy Astronomical Images

NRAO/AUI/NSF does not hold full copyright for this image. Contact the archivist for details.

Legacy Astronomical Image

NRAO150

Ivan Agudo, Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), Granada, Spain

I. Agudo, U. Bach, T. P. Krichbaum, A. P. Marscher, I. Gonidakis, P. J. Diamond, M. Perucho, W. Alef, D. A. Graham, A. Witzel, J. A. Zensus, M. Bremer, J. A. Acosta-Pulido, R. Barrena

Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)

2007-02-26

continuum

Q

7 mm

45 GHz

RA 3:59:29.747, Dec: 50:57:50.161 (J2000)

0.001900 x 0.001900 arcsec

Contact the archivist for a high resolution tif of this image.

Active Galactic Nuclei Series

Quasars Unit