It is widely accepted that strong and variable radiation detected over all accessible energy bands in a number of active galaxies arises from a relativistic, Doppler-boosted jet pointing close to our line of sight1. The size of the emitting zone and the location of this region relative to the central supermassive black hole are, however, poorly known, with estimates ranging from light-hours to a light-year or more. Here we report the coincidence of a gamma (γ)-ray flare with a dramatic change of optical polarization angle. This provides evidence for co-spatiality of optical and γ-ray emission regions and indicates a highly ordered jet magnetic field. The results also require a non-axisymmetric structure of the emission zone, implying a curved trajectory for the emitting material within the jet, with the dissipation region located at a considerable distance from the black hole, at about 105 gravitational radii.

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A change in the optical polarization associated with a γ-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279

We present a study of the trends in luminosity, linear size, spectral index, and redshift of classical double radio sources, from three complete samples selected at successively fainter low radio-frequency flux limits. We have been able to decouple the effects of the tight correlation between redshift and luminosity (inherent in any single flux-limited sample) which have hitherto hindered interpretation of the relationships between these four source properties. The major trends found are that (i) spectral indices increase with linear size, (ii) rest-frame spectral indices have a stronger dependence on luminosity than on redshift except at high (GHz) frequencies, and (iii) the linear sizes are smaller at higher redshifts. We reproduce the observed dependences in a model for radio sources (born throughout cosmic time according to a radio-source birth function) whose lobes are fed with a synchrotron-emitting population from compact hotspots, and which suffer inverse Compton, synchrotron, and adiabatic expansion losses. The magnetic energy density within each hotspot is proportional to the jet power, and synchrotron losses suffered in the hotspot mean that the energy spectrum of the emitting particles fed to the lobes is governed by the jet power. The axial ratios of radio sources in our model increase as the sources age, and axial ratios are higher in sources with higher jet power. In simulating the basic observed dependences, we find that there is no need to invoke any systematic change in the environments of these objects with redshift if the consequences of imposing a survey flux limit on our simulated data sets are properly included in the model. It is also necessary to include appropriate energy loss mechanisms (such as the effects of the cosmic microwave background and feeding the lobes from a compact hotspot), which cause decreasing luminosity through the life of a source. Although our study has broken the luminosity-redshift degeneracy, we present evidence that for such studies there is an unavoidable youth-redshift degeneracy, even though radio sources are short-lived relative to the age of the universe; it is imperative to take this into account in studies that seemingly reveal correlations of source properties with redshift such as the alignment effect.

The Nature and Evolution of Classical Double Radio Sources from Complete Samples

We give for a plasma with a history of several expansion and contraction phases an analytical model of the evolution of a contained relativistic electron population under synchrotron, inverse Compton and adiabatic energy losses or gains. This is applied to different scenarios for evolution of radio plasma inside the cocoons of radio galaxies, after the activity of the central engine has ceased. It is demonstrated that fossil radio plasma with an age of even up to 2 Gyr can be revived by compression in a shock wave of large-scale structure formation, caused during the merging events of galaxy clusters, or by the accretion onto galaxy clusters. We argue, that this is a highly plausible explanation for the observed cluster radio relics, which are the regions of diffuse radio emission found in clusters of galaxies, without any likely parent radio galaxy seen nearby. An implication of this model is the existence of a population of diffuse, ultra-steep spectrum, very low frequency radio sources located inside and possibly outside of clusters of galaxies, tracing the revival of aged fossil radio plasma by the shock waves associated with large-scale structure formation.

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Reviving fossil radio plasma in clusters of galaxies by adiabatic compression in environmental shock waves

We review the statistical properties of the main populations of radio sources, as emerging from radio and millimeter sky surveys. Recent determinations of local luminosity functions are presented and compared with earlier estimates still in widespread use. A number of unresolved issues are discussed. These include: the (possibly luminosity-dependent) decline of source space densities at high redshifts; the possible dichotomies between evolutionary properties of low- versus high-luminosity and of flat- versus steep-spectrum AGN-powered radio sources; and the nature of sources accounting for the upturn of source counts at sub-milli-Jansky (mJy) levels. It is shown that straightforward extrapolations of evolutionary models, accounting for both the far-IR counts and redshift distributions of star-forming galaxies, match the radio source counts at flux-density levels of tens of μJy remarkably well. We consider the statistical properties of rare but physically very interesting classes of sources, such as GHz Peak Spectrum and ADAF/ADIOS sources, and radio afterglows of γ-ray bursts. We also discuss the exploitation of large-area radio surveys to investigate large-scale structure through studies of clustering and the Integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect. Finally, we briefly describe the potential of the new and forthcoming generations of radio telescopes. A compendium of source counts at different frequencies is given in Supplementary Material.

Radio and Millimeter Continuum Surveys and their Astrophysical Implications

We consider the polarization properties of optically thin synchrotron radiation emitted by relativistically moving electron-positron jets carrying large-scale helical magnetic fields. In our model, the jet is cylindrical, and the emitting plasma moves parallel to the jet axis with a characteristic Lorentz factor {Lambda}. We draw attention to the strong influence that the bulk relativistic motion of the emitting relativistic particles has on the observed polarization. Our computations predict and explain the following behavior. (1) For jets unresolved in the direction perpendicular to their direction of propagation, the position angle of the electric vector of the linear polarization has a bimodal distribution, being oriented either parallel or perpendicular to the jet. (2) If an ultra-relativistic jet with {Lambda} >> 1 whose axis makes a small angle to the line of sight, {theta} {approx} 1/{Lambda}, experiences a relatively small change in the direction of propagation, velocity or pitch angle of the magnetic fields, the polarization is likely to remain parallel or perpendicular; on the other hand, in some cases, the degree of polarization can exhibit large variations and the polarization position angle can experience abrupt 90{sup o} changes. This change is more likely to occur in jets with flatter spectra. (3)more » In order for the jet polarization to be oriented along the jet axis, the intrinsic toroidal magnetic field (in the frame of the jet) should be of the order of or stronger than the intrinsic poloidal field; in this case, the highly relativistic motion of the jet implies that, in the observer's frame, the jet is strongly dominated by the toroidal magnetic field B{sub {phi}}/B{sub z} {ge} {Lambda}. (4) The emission-weighted average pitch angle of the intrinsic helical field in the jet must not be too small to produce polarization along the jet axis. In force-free jets with a smooth distribution of emissivities, the emission should be generated in a limited range of radii not too close to the jet core. (5) For mildly relativistic jets, when a counter jet can be seen, the polarization of the counter jet is preferentially orthogonal to the axis, unless the jet is strongly dominated by the toroidal magnetic field in its rest frame. (6) For resolved jets, the polarization pattern is not symmetric with respect to jet axis. Under certain conditions, this can be used to deduce the direction of the spin of the central object (black hole or disk), whether it is aligned or anti-aligned with the jet axis. (7) In resolved ''cylindrical shell'' type jets, the central parts of the jet are polarized along the axis, while the outer parts are polarized orthogonal to it, in accordance with observations. We conclude that large-scale magnetic fields can explain the salient polarization properties of parsec-scale AGN jets. Since the typical degrees of polarization are {le} 15%, the emitting parts of the jets must have comparable rest-frame toroidal and poloidal fields. In this case, most relativistic jets are strongly dominated by the toroidal magnetic field component in the observer's frame, B{sub {phi}}/B{sub z} {approx} {Lambda}. We also discuss the possibility that relativistic AGN jets may be electromagnetically (Poynting flux) dominated. In this case, dissipation of the toroidal magnetic field (and not fluid shocks) may be responsible for particle acceleration.« less

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Polarization and structure of relativistic parsec-scale AGN jets

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A model for the magnetic-field structure in extended radio sources

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The relation between radio luminosity and spectrum for extended extragalactic radio sources

Multifrequency observations of 40 powerful extragalactic sources with the 5-km telescope

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Observations of M87 at 15.4 GHz with the 5-km telescope

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R. A. Laing

Papers

A model for the magnetic-field structure in extended radio sources

The relation between radio luminosity and spectrum for extended extragalactic radio sources

Multifrequency observations of 40 powerful extragalactic sources with the 5-km telescope

Observations of M87 at 15.4 GHz with the 5-km telescope

Observations of compact radio sources with the 5-km telescope