OPTICAL STRUCTURE AND POLARIZATION OF THE WESTERN HOT-SPOT OF PICTOR-A

被引：25

作者：

THOMSON, RC ^{[1
]}

CRANE, P ^{[1
]}

MACKAY, CD ^{[1
]}

机构：

[1] EUROPEAN SO OBSERV, W-8046 GARCHING, GERMANY

来源：

ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL | 1995年 / 446卷 / 02期

关键词：

GALAXIES; ACTIVE; INDIVIDUAL (PICTOR A); JETS; POLARIZATION; RADIATION MECHANISMS; NONTHERMAL;

D O I：

10.1086/187938

中图分类号：

P1 [天文学];

学科分类号：

0704 ;

摘要：

HST images of the western hot spot of the nearby FR II radio galaxy Pictor A resolve the hot spot into an amorphous region of highly polarized wisps. The high polarization (greater than or similar to 50%) indicates that the optical emission is synchrotron radiation and that the magnetic field structure has been well resolved. The magnetic field is oriented nearly perpendicular to the jet axis and apparently very uniform. We interpret these observations in terms of a compressed magnetic field at the working surface where the jet impinges on the intergalactic medium some 100 kpc from the nucleus of the host galaxy.

引用

页码：L93 / L95

页数：3

共 15 条

[1]

BIRETTA JA, 1993, ASTROPHYSICAL JETS, P263

[2] TWIN-EXHAUST MODEL FOR DOUBLE RADIO-SOURCES [J].