Related papers: Variable structures in M87* from space, time and f…
Radio observations with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) provide the highest resolution in astronomy. Combining earth-bound with space-based telescopes and advancing the observations to mm-wavelengths increases the resolution even…
We summarize results from flux density monitoring campaigns performed with the 100 meter radio-telescope at Effelsberg and the VLA during the past 15 yrs. We briefly discuss some of the statistical properties of the rapid variability from…
In 2017, the first image of the center of the M87 galaxy was captured by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). It revealed a ring morphology and a size consistent with theoretical expectations for the light pattern around a weakly accreting…
Sagittarius A*, the ~4 x 10^6 solar mass black hole candidate at the Galactic Center, can be studied on Schwarzschild radius scales with (sub)millimeter wavelength Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). We report on 1.3 mm wavelength…
Millimetre-VLBI is an important tool in AGN astrophysics, but it is limited by short atmospheric coherence times and poor receiver and antenna performance. We demonstrate a new kind of phase referencing for the VLBA, enabling us to increase…
Very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) is a challenging observational technique, which requires in-depth knowledge about radio telescope instrumentation, interferometry, and the handling of noisy data. The reduction of the raw data is…
Blazars are active galactic nuclei with relativistic jets pointed almost directly at Earth. Blazars are characterized by strong, apparently stochastic flux variability at virtually all observed wavelengths and timescales, from minutes to…
I present an overview of important results obtained using high-resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of X-ray binary systems. These results derive from both astrometric observations and resolved imaging of…
Context.In recent years, non-blazar Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) such as Radio Galaxies have emerged as a highly instructive source class providing unique insights into high energy acceleration and radiation mechanisms. Aims.Here we aim at…
We show that very-long-baseline-interferometry (VLBI) observations of supermassive black holes will allow us to test the fundamental principles of General Relativity (GR). GR is based on the universality of gravity and Einstein's…
Using very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations at (sub)millimeter wavelengths, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) currently achieves the finest angular resolution of any astronomical facility, necessary for imaging the…
We report on new developments in VLBI, with emphasis on experiments performed at the highest frequencies possible to date (so called mm-VLBI). We have observed the nucleus of M 87 (Virgo A) with global VLBI at 3 mm. We show a new image of…
The need for a consistent quantum evolution for black holes has led to proposals that their semiclassical description is modified not just near the singularity, but at horizon or larger scales. If such modifications extend beyond the…
The first images of the black holes in Sagittarius A* and M87* have created a wide range of new scientific opportunities in gravitational physics, compact objects, and relativistic astrophysics. We discuss here the scientific opportunities…
We present the results from a full polarization study carried out with ALMA during the first VLBI campaign, which was conducted in Apr 2017 in the $\lambda$3mm and $\lambda$1.3mm bands, in concert with the Global mm-VLBI Array (GMVA) and…
In recent years, the jet formation region in active galaxies has been imaged through mm-VLBI in few ideal targets, first and foremost M87. An important leap forward for understanding jet launching could be made by identifying a larger…
Tracking the motions of transient jets launched by low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) is critical for determining the moment of jet ejection, and identifying any corresponding signatures in the accretion flow. However, these jets are often…
The direct detection of a bright, ring-like structure in horizon-resolving images of M87* by the Event Horizon Telescope is a striking validation of general relativity. The angular size and shape of the ring is a degenerate measure of the…
Radio observations using the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) technique typically have fields of view of only a few arcseconds, due to the computational problems inherent in imaging larger fields. Furthermore, sensitivity…
Context. Recent GMVA observations of M 87 at event horizon scales revealed a ring-like structure which is 50% larger at 86 GHz than the ring observed by the Event Horizon Telescope at 230 GHz. Aims. In this paper, we study a possible origin…