A Cosmic Double Helix in the Archetypical Quasar 3C273
A. P. Lobanov,1*
J. A. Zensus12
Finding direct evidence for plasma instability in extragalactic
jets is crucial for understanding the nature of relativistic outflows
from active galactic nuclei. Our radio interferometric observations of
the quasar 3C273 made with the orbiting radio telescope, HALCA, and an
array of ground telescopes have yielded an image in which the emission
across the jet is resolved, revealing two threadlike patterns that form
a double helix inside the jet. This double helical structure is
consistent with a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and at least five
different instability modes can be identified and modeled by a light
jet with a Lorentz factor of 2 and Mach number of 3.5. The model
reproduces in detail the internal structure of the jet on scales of up
to 30 milli-arc seconds (~300 parsecs) and is consistent with the
general morphology of the jet on scales of up to 1 kiloparsec.
1 Max-Planck-Institut für
Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
2 National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont
Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
alobanov{at}mpifr-bonn.mpg.de
