A differential method of maximum entropy

We consider a differential method of maximum entropy that is based on the linearity of Fourier transform and involves reconstruction of images from the differences of the visibility function. The efficiency of the method is demonstrated with respect to the recovery of source images with bright components against the background of a sufficiently weak extended base. The simulation results are given along with the maps of an extragalactic radio source 0059+581, which were obtained using the standard and differential methods of maximum entropy for three observation dates and show that the principle of differential mapping allows us to increase considerably the dynamic interval of images.Comment: Latex, 6 pages with 4 Postscript figure

A View through Faraday's Fog 2: Parsec Scale Rotation Measures in 40 AGN

Results from a survey of the parsec scale Faraday rotation measure properties for 40 quasars, radio galaxies and BL Lac objects are presented. Core rotation measures for quasars vary from approximately 500 to several thousand radians per meter squared. Quasar jets have rotation measures which are typically 500 radians per meter squared or less. The cores and jets of the BL Lac objects have rotation measures similar to those found in quasar jets. The jets of radio galaxies exhibit a range of rotation measures from a few hundred radians per meter squared to almost 10,000 radians per meter squared for the jet of M87. Radio galaxy cores are generally depolarized, and only one of four radio galaxies (3C-120) has a detectable rotation measure in the core. Several potential identities for the foreground Faraday screen are considered and we believe the most promising candidate for all the AGN types considered is a screen in close proximity to the jet. This constrains the path length to approximately 10 parsecs, and magnetic field strengths of approximately 1 microGauss can account for the observed rotation measures. For 27 out of 34 quasars and BL Lacs their optically thick cores have good agreement to a lambda squared law. This requires the different tau = 1 surfaces to have the same intrinsic polarization angle independent of frequency and distance from the black hole.Comment: Accepted to the Astrophysical Journal: 71 pages, 40 figure

Frequency-dependent time-delays for strong outbursts in selected blazars from the Metsähovi and the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory monitoring databases – I

The combined data of the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory and Metsähovi Radio Observatory provide us with radio light curves for active galactic nuclei monitored by both observatories from 4.8 to 37 GHz covering time-intervals up to similar to 25 yr. We consider here such composite light curves for four gamma-ray blazars that have been nearly continuously monitored at both observatories: 0458-020, 0528+134, 1730-130 and 2230+114. We have decomposed the most prominent outbursts in the light curves of these four blazars into individual components using Gaussian model fitting, and estimated the epochs, amplitudes, and half-widths of these components as functions of frequency. We attempt to distinguish 'core outbursts', which show frequency-dependent time-delays and are associated with brightening of the core, from 'jet outbursts', which appear nearly synchronous at all frequencies and are accompanied by the emergence of new jet components and their subsequent evolution. The outbursts in 0528+134 and 2230+114 display fine structure and consist of individual sub-outbursts. Available 43-GHz Very Long Baseline Array images allow us to identify only one pure core outburst (in 2230+114) and one pure jet outburst (0458-020). Most of the outbursts analysed are mixed, in the sense that they display frequency-dependent time-delays (i.e. they are optically thick) and are associated with the eventual emergence of new jet components. The maxima of the jet and mixed outbursts probably correspond to epochs when newly ejected components become fully optically thin. These epochs are also marked by a significant increase in the angular velocities of the ejected components. There is evidence that the outbursts in 2230+114 repeat every 8.0 +/- 0.3 yr, with the positions of individual suboutbursts being preserved from one quasi-periodic eight-year cycle to another, even though their amplitudes vary by more than a factor of 2. Preliminary estimates of the total durations of possible activity cycles based on an analysis of total flux-density variations and all available very long baseline interferometry data are given for the remaining sources

A search for periodicity in the light curves of selected blazars

We present an analysis of multifrequency light curves of the sources 2223-052 (3C 446), 2230+114 (CTA 102), and 2251+158 (3C 454.3), which had shown evidence of quasi-periodic activity. The analysis made use of data from the University of Michican Radio Astronomy Observatory (USA) at 4.8, 8, and 14.5 GHz, as well as the Metsahovi Radio Astronomy Observatory (Finland) at 22 and 37 GHz. Application of two different methods (the discrete autocorrelation function and the method of Jurkevich) both revealed evidence for periodicity in the flux variations of these sources at essentially all frequencies. The periods derived for at least two of the sources -- 2223-052 and 2251+158-- are in good agreement with the time interval between the appearance of successive VLBI components. The derived periods for 2251+158 (P = 12.4 yr and 2223-052 (P = 5.8 yr) coincide with the periods found earlier by other authors based on optical light curves.Comment: 27 pages, 11 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy Report

Phaseless VLBI mapping of compact extragalactic radio sources

The problem of phaseless aperture synthesis is of current interest in phase-unstable VLBI with a small number of elements when either the use of closure phases is not possible (a two-element interferometer) or their quality and number are not enough for acceptable image reconstruction by standard adaptive calibration methods. Therefore, we discuss the problem of unique image reconstruction only from the spectrum magnitude of a source. We suggest an efficient method for phaseless VLBI mapping of compact extragalactic radio sources. This method is based on the reconstruction of the spectrum magnitude for a source on the entire UV plane from the measured visibility magnitude on a limited set of points and the reconstruction of the sought-for image of the source by Fienup's method from the spectrum magnitude reconstructed at the first stage. We present the results of our mapping of the extragalactic radio source 2200 +420 using astrometric and geodetic observations on a global VLBI array. Particular attention is given to studying the capabilities of a two-element interferometer in connection with the putting into operation of a Russian-made radio interferometer based on Quasar RT-32 radio telescopes.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

A possible jet precession in the periodic quasar B0605-085

The quasar B0605-085 (OH 010) shows a hint for probable periodical variability in the radio total flux-density light curves. We study the possible periodicity of B0605-085 in the total flux-density, spectra and opacity changes in order to compare it with jet kinematics on parsec scales. We have analyzed archival total flux-density variability at ten frequencies (408 MHz, 4.8 GHz, 6.7 GHz, 8 GHz, 10.7 GHz, 14.5 GHz, 22 GHz, 37 GHz, 90 GHz, and 230 GHz) together with the archival high-resolution very long baseline interferometry data at 15 GHz from the MOJAVE monitoring campaign. Using the Fourier transform and discrete autocorrelation methods we have searched for periods in the total flux-density light curves. In addition, spectral evolution and changes of the opacity have been analyzed. We found a period in multi-frequency total flux-density light curves of 7.9+-0.5 yrs. Moreover, a quasi-stationary jet component C1 follows a prominent helical path on a similar time scale of 8 years. We have also found that the average instantaneous speeds of the jet components show a clear helical pattern along the jet with a characteristic scale of 3 mas. Taking into account average speeds of jet components, this scale corresponds to a time scale of about 7.7 years. Jet precession can explain the helical path of the quasi-stationary jet component C1 and the periodical modulation of the total flux-density light curves. We have fitted a precession model to the trajectory of the jet component C1, with a viewing angle phi=2.6+-2.2 degrees, aperture angle of the precession cone Omega=23.9+-1.9 degrees and fixed precession period (in the observers frame) P = 7.9 yrs.Comment: 14 pages, 16 figures, 5 tables, accepted for publication in A&

Multi-waveband polarimetric observations of NRAO 530 on parsec-scale

We report on multi-bands VLBA polarimetric observations of NRAO 530 in February 1997. Total intensity, EVPA distributions at all these frequencies are presented. Model fitting has been performed, from which the fitted southmost component A is confirmed as the core of the radio structure with relatively high brightness temperature and hard spectrum between 15 and 43 GHz in comparison with the central component B of dominant flux. The relatively high degree of polarization for the component A may arise from its complex radio structure, which is resolvable at 86 GHz. As a contrast, the component B shows a well fitted power-law spectrum with the spectral index of about -0.5, and a linear correlation between EVPAs and wavelength square with the observed RM of about -1062 rad m^{-2}, indicating its structural singleness. Assuming that the component B has a comparable degree of polarization without depolarization at these frequencies, the decrease in fractional polarization with wavelength mainly results from opacity and Faraday rotation, in which the opacity plays quite a large part of role. A spine-sheath like structure in fractional polarization is detected covering almost the whole emission region at 5 and 8 GHz. The linear polarization at 5 GHz shows 3 separate polarized emission regions with alternately aligned and orthogonal polarization vectors down the jet. The polarization goes to zero between the top two regions, with the highest polarization level occurring at the top and bottom. The 5 and 8 GHz images show EVPA changes across the width of the jet as well as along the jet. These complex polarimetric properties can be explained in terms of either the presence of a large helical magnetic field or tangled magnetic fields compressed and sheared down the jet.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA