A highly magnetized twin-jet base pinpoints a supermassive black hole

Baczko AK, Schulz R, Kadler M, Ros E, Perucho M, Krichbaum TP, Boeck M, Bremer M, Großberger C, Lindqvist M, Lobanov AP, Mannheim K, Marti-Vidal I, Müller C, Wilms J, Zensus JA (2016)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2016

Journal

Astronomy & Astrophysics EDP Sciences

Publisher: EDP Sciences

Book Volume: 593

Article Number: A47

DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/201527951

Abstract

Supermassive black holes (SMBH) are essential for the production of jets in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN). Theoretical models based on (Blandford & Znajek 1977, MNRAS, 179, 433) extract the rotational energy from a Kerr black hole, which could be the case for NGC 1052, to launch these jets. This requires magnetic fields on the order of 10G to 10G. We imaged the vicinity of the SMBH of the AGN NGC 1052 with the Global Millimetre VLBI Array and found a bright and compact central feature that is smaller than 1.9 light days (100 Schwarzschild radii) in radius. Interpreting this as a blend of the unresolved jet bases, we derive the magnetic field at 1 Schwarzschild radius to lie between 200 G and ~ 8.3 × 10 G consistent with Blandford & Znajek models.

Authors with CRIS profile

Anne-Kathrin Baczko Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut Robert Schulz Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut Christoph Großberger Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut Cornelia Müller Dr.Karl-Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut Jörn Wilms Professur für Astronomie und Astrophysik

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie / Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy DE Germany (DE) Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg DE Germany (DE) Chalmers University of Technology / Chalmers tekniska högskola SE Sweden (SE) IRAM : Institut de Radioastronomie Millimétrique FR France (FR) University of València / Universitat de València ES Spain (ES)

How to cite

APA:

Baczko, A.-K., Schulz, R., Kadler, M., Ros, E., Perucho, M., Krichbaum, T.P.,... Zensus, J.A. (2016). A highly magnetized twin-jet base pinpoints a supermassive black hole. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 593. https://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527951

MLA:

Baczko, Anne-Kathrin, et al. "A highly magnetized twin-jet base pinpoints a supermassive black hole." Astronomy & Astrophysics 593 (2016).

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