Related papers: Relativistic X-ray jets at high redshift
We describe our program to search for and study the kilo-parsec scale radio jets in a sample of high-redshift (greater than 3.4), flat spectrum quasars using new and archival VLA data. Two of these radio jets have been imaged with Chandra,…
Double-lobed radio galaxies a few 100s of kpc in extent, like Cygnus A, are common at redshifts of 1 to 2, arising from some 10 per cent of the most powerful Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). At higher redshifts they are rare, with none larger…
High energy emission from blazars is thought to arise in a relativistic jet launched by a supermassive black hole. The emission site must be far from the hole and the jet relativistic, in order to avoid absorption of the photons. In extreme…
Galactic binary systems that contain a black hole candidate emit hard X-rays in their low luminosity mode. We show that this emission can be understood as due to the Compton scattering of photons from the companion star and/or the accretion…
Electrons at relativistic speeds, diffusing in magnetic fields, cause copious emission at radio frequencies in both clusters of galaxies and radio galaxies, through the non-thermal radiation emission called synchrotron. However, the total…
Blazars are sources whose jet is pointing to us. Since their jets are relativistic, the flux is greatly amplified in the direction of motion, making blazars the most powerful persistent objects in the Universe. This is true at all…
Despite the fact that kpc-scale inverse-Compton (iC) scattering of cosmic microwave background (CMB) photons into the X-ray band is mandated, proof of detection in resolved quasar jets is often insecure. High redshift provides favourable…
We present results based on the first 20 Chandra images obtained in a survey of jets in radio selected flat-spectrum quasars (FSRQs), along with new sub-arcsecond radio maps and optical images. We discover jet X-ray flux in 12 sources…
Relativistic flying mirrors in plasmas are realized as thin dense electron (or electron-ion) layers accelerated by high-intensity electromagnetic waves to velocities close to the speed of light in vacuum. The reflection of an…
We present the results of Chandra observations of six radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and one optically bright radio-quiet quasar (RQQ) at z = 4.1-4.4. These observations cover a representative sample of RLQs with moderate radio-loudness (R ~…
We investigate the acceleration and simultaneous radiative losses of electrons in the vicinity of relativistic shocks. Particles undergo pitch angle diffusion, gaining energy as they cross the shock by the Fermi mechanism and also emitting…
With its exquisite spatial resolution of better than 0.5 arcsecond, the Chandra observatory is uniquely capable of resolving and studying the spatial structure of extragalactic X-ray jets on scales of a few to a few hundred kilo-parsec. Our…
The X-ray emission mechanism of powerful extragalactic jets, which has important implications for their environmental impact, is poorly understood. The X-ray/radio positional offsets in individual features of jets provide important clues.…
High-resolution observations of high-redshift ($z>4$) radio quasars offer a unique insight into jet kinematics at early cosmological epochs, as well as constraints on cosmological model parameters. Due to the general weakness of extremely…
The radiation observed by blazars is believed to originate from the transformation of bulk kinetic energy of relativistic jets into random energy. A simple way to achieve this is to have an intermittent central power source, producing…
We discuss processes accelerating cosmic ray electrons at boundaries of relativistic jets. The resulting spectrum is expected to posses two characteristic components: a power-law distribution at lower energies and a harder high energy…
Relativistic jets are one of the most powerful manifestations of the release of energy produced around supermassive black holes at the centre of active galactic nuclei (AGN). Their emission is observed across the entire electromagnetic…
Radio-loud active galactic nuclei are among the most powerful objects in the universe. In these objects, most of the emission comes from relativistic jets getting their power from the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes.…
The radio properties of 11 obscured `radio-intermediate' quasars at redshifts z>~2 have been investigated using the European Very-Long-Baseline-Interferometry Network (EVN) at 1.66 GHz. A sensitivity of ~25 micro Jy per 14x17 mas2 beam was…
We consider the interaction between radiation, matter and a magnetic field in a compact, relativistic jet. The entrained matter accelerates outward as the jet breaks out of a star or other confining medium. In some circumstances, such as…