2017/10/23 by Brian Punsly · 5 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Black hole (networking) #Event (particle physics) #Event horizon #Flux (metallurgy) #Galaxy #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Jet (fluid) #Luminosity #Opacity #Optics #Physics #Very-long-baseline interferometry #astro-ph.GA
paper · pdf · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa960a
published in The Astrophysical Journal 850(2), 190 (IOP Publishing) · To appear in ApJ
arxiv created 2017/10/23 · openalex publication_date 2017/12/01 · arxiv updated 2017/12/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Abstract Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations at 230 GHz are combined with Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations at 86 GHz and high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope optical observations in order to constrain the broadband spectrum of the emission from the base of the jet in M87. The recent VLBI observations of Hada et al. provide much stricter limits on the 86 GHz luminosity and component acceleration in the jet base than were available to previous modelers. They reveal an almost hollow jet on sub-mas scales. Thus, tubular models of the jet base emanating from the innermost accretion disk are considered within the region responsible for the EHT correlated flux. There is substantial synchrotron self-absorbed opacity at 86 GHz. A parametric analysis indicates that the jet dimensions and power depend strongly on the 86 GHz flux density and the black hole spin, but depend weakly on other parameters, such as jet speed, 230 GHz flux density, and optical flux. The entire power budget of the M87 jet, , can be accommodated by the tubular jet. No invisible, powerful spine is required. Even though this analysis never employs the resolution of the EHT, the spectral shape implies a dimension transverse to the jet direction of 12–21 ( ) for ( ), where M is the mass and a is the angular momentum per unit mass of the central black hole.