A Revised View of the Linear Polarization in the Subparsec Core of M87 at 7 mm

The linear polarization images of the jet in the giant elliptical galaxy M87 have previously been observed with Very Long Baseline Array at 7 mm. They exhibit a complex polarization structure surrounding the optically thick and compact subparsec-scale core. However, given the low level of linear polarization in the core, it is required to verify that this complex structure does not originate from residual instrumental polarization signals in the data. We have performed a new analysis of the same data sets observed in four epochs by using the Generalized Polarization CALibration pipeline (GPCAL). This novel instrumental polarization calibration pipeline overcomes the limitations of LPCAL, a conventional calibration tool used in the previous M87 studies. The resulting images show a compact linear polarization structure with its peak nearly coincident with the total intensity peak, which is significantly different from the results of previous studies. The core linear polarization is characterized as fractional polarization of ∼0.2%–0.6% and polarization angles of ∼66°–92°, showing moderate variability. We demonstrate that, based on tests with synthetic data sets, LPCAL using calibrators having complex polarization structures cannot achieve sufficient calibration accuracy to obtain the true polarization image of M87 due to a breakdown of the “similarity approximation.” We find that GPCAL obtains more accurate D-terms than LPCAL by using observed closure traces of calibrators that are insensitive to both antenna gain and polarization leakage corruptions. This study suggests that polarization imaging of very weakly polarized sources has become possible with the advanced instrumental polarization calibration techniques.

Construction of a Second-order Six-dimensional Hamiltonian-conserving Scheme

Research has analytically shown that the energy-conserving implicit nonsymplectic scheme of Bacchini, Ripperda, Chen, and Sironi provides a first-order accuracy to numerical solutions of a six-dimensional conservative Hamiltonian system. Because of this, a new second-order energy-conserving implicit scheme is proposed. Numerical simulations of a galactic model hosting a BL Lacertae object and magnetized rotating black hole background support these analytical results. The new method with appropriate time steps is used to explore the effects of varying the parameters on the presence of chaos in the two physical models. Chaos easily occurs in the galactic model as the mass of the nucleus, the internal perturbation parameter, and the anisotropy of the potential of the elliptical galaxy increase. The dynamics of charged particles around the magnetized Kerr spacetime is easily chaotic for larger energies of the particles, smaller initial angular momenta of the particles, and stronger magnetic fields. The chaotic properties are not necessarily weakened when the black-hole spin increases. The new method can be used for any six-dimensional Hamiltonian problems, including globally hyperbolic spacetimes with readily available (3 + 1) split coordinates.

M87 Supermassive Black Hole Review

M87 is a giant elliptical galaxy in the Virgo cluster of galaxies. The radio source has a core which coincides with the nucleus of the galaxy and a jet of emission which is detected from radio to X-ray bands. A supermassive black hole is assumed to be at the centre of M87 which sends out relativistic particles in the form jets along its axis of rotation. Relativistic particles accelerated in a magnetic field, give out synchrotron radiation. The centre is surrounded by an accretion disc, which is the closest that we can probe into a black hole. High resolution observations are needed to examine the nature of the radio emission closest to the centre of M87. An array of millimetre-band telescopes across the globe were used as an interferometer, called the Event Horizon Telescope, (EHT) to probe the nuclear region. The angular resolution of this interferometer array is 25 microarc sec, at a wavelength of 1.3mm and the data was carefully calibrated and imaged. The resulting image shows an asymmetric ring which is consistent with the predictions of strong gravitational lensing of synchrotron emission from hot plasma near the event horizon. In this paper, we review the results of the observations of the radio galaxy, M87, using the Event Horizon Telescope

Discovery of a new extragalactic circular radio source with ASKAP: ORC J0102–2450

We present the discovery of another Odd Radio Circle (ORC) with the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) at 944 MHz. The observed radio ring, ORC J0102–2450, has a diameter of ∼70 arcsec or 300 kpc, if associated with the central elliptical galaxy DES J010224.33–245039.5 (z ∼ 0.27). Considering the overall radio morphology (circular ring and core) and lack of ring emission at non-radio wavelengths, we investigate if ORC J0102–2450 could be the relic lobe of a giant radio galaxy seen end-on or the result of a giant blast wave. We also explore possible interaction scenarios, for example, with the companion galaxy, DES J010226.15–245104.9, located in or projected onto the south-eastern part of the ring. We encourage the search for further ORCs in radio surveys to study their properties and origin.

WISDOM project – VII. Molecular gas measurement of the supermassive black hole mass in the elliptical galaxy NGC 7052

ABSTRACT Supermassive black hole (SMBH) masses can be measured by resolving the dynamical influences of the SMBHs on tracers of the central potentials. Modern long-baseline interferometers have enabled the use of molecular gas as such a tracer. We present here Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the elliptical galaxy NGC 7052 at 0${^{\prime\prime}_{.}}$11 ($37\,$pc) resolution in the 12CO(2-1) line and $1.3\,$ mm continuum emission. This resolution is sufficient to resolve the region in which the potential is dominated by the SMBH. We forward model these observations, using a multi-Gaussian expansion of a Hubble Space Telescope F814W image and a spatially constant mass-to-light ratio to model the stellar mass distribution. We infer an SMBH mass of $2.5\pm 0.3\times 10^{9}\, \mathrm{M_\odot }$ and a stellar I-band mass-to-light ratio of $4.6\pm 0.2\, \mathrm{M_\odot /L_{\odot ,I}}$ (3σ confidence intervals). This SMBH mass is significantly larger than that derived using ionized gas kinematics, which however appears significantly more kinematically disturbed than the molecular gas. We also show that a central molecular gas deficit is likely to be the result of tidal disruption of molecular gas clouds due to the strong gradient in the central gravitational potential.

The coherent motion of Cen A dwarf satellite galaxies remains a challenge for ΛCDM cosmology

The plane-of-satellites problem is one of the most severe small-scale challenges for the standard Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmological model: Several dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way and Andromeda co-orbit in thin, planar structures. A similar case has been identified around the nearby elliptical galaxy Centaurus A (Cen A). In this Letter, we study the satellite system of Cen A, adding twelve new galaxies with line-of-sight velocities from VLT/MUSE observations. We find that 21 out of 28 dwarf galaxies with measured velocities share a coherent motion. Similarly, flattened and coherently moving structures are found only in 0.2% of Cen A analogs in the Illustris-TNG100 cosmological simulation, independently of whether we use its dark-matter-only or hydrodynamical run. These analogs are not co-orbiting, and they arise only by chance projection, thus they are short-lived structures in such simulations. Our findings indicate that the observed co-rotating planes of satellites are a persistent challenge for ΛCDM, which is largely independent from baryon physics.

Active galactic nucleus feedback in an elliptical galaxy with the most updated AGN physics: Parameter explorations

ABSTRACT In a previous work, we have proposed a sub-grid model of active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback by taking into account the state-of-the-art AGN physics, and used that model to study the effect of AGN feedback on the evolution of an isolated elliptical galaxy by performing 2D high-resolution (i.e. the Bondi radius is well resolved) simulations. In that work, typical values of model parameters were adopted. In this work, we extend that study by exploring the effects of uncertainties of parameter values. Such a study is also useful for us to understand the respective roles of various components of the model. These parameters include the mass flux and velocity of AGN wind and radiative efficiency in both the hot and cold feedback modes, and the initial black hole (BH) mass. We find that the velocity of AGN wind in the hot mode is the most important quantity to control the typical accretion rate and luminosity of AGN, and the mass growth of the BH. The effect of the wind on star formation is less sensitive. Within the limited parameter range explored in this work, a stronger AGN wind suppresses star formation within ∼100 pc but enhances star formation beyond this radius, while the star formation integrated over the evolution time and the whole galaxy roughly remain unchanged. AGN radiation suppresses the BH accretion in a mild way, but dust is not considered here. Finally, a smaller initial BH mass results in a more violent evolution of the BH accretion rate. The corresponding AGN spends more time in the high-luminosity state and the percentage of BH mass growth is higher. Our results indicate the robustness of AGN feedback in keeping the galaxy quenched.

Structure formation of black hole jets triggered by electron-scale physics

Jets are ubiquitous in the universe[1,2]. The radio jet is a beamed plasma flow with relativistic speed accelerated by a supermassive black hole in some galaxies. Recent observations of the relativistic jet in the elliptical galaxy M87 have discovered a triple-ridge sub-structure in the jet at a distance of one thousand Schwartzchild radius from the black hole [3,4]. The triple-ridge structure may be the first strong evidence of the spine-sheath structure consisting of the fast spine region (jet spine) and relatively slow sheath region (jet sheath), which was hypothetically introduced to explain observational features in various unresolved relativistic jets [5,6]. However, the formation mechanism of such a spine-brightened jet is quite enigmatic. Here we report that the combination of the magnetic pinching force induced by an electron-scale shear-instability called Mushroom instability[7] and the high-energy electron ejections by the subsequent magnetic reconnection leads to the drastic accumulation of high-energy electrons in the center of the cylindrical jet. The concentration of high-energy electrons towards the jet center indicates the appearance of bright jet-spine as observed in M87. Thus, the electron-scale, microscopic processes would play an important role in the structure formation and generation of high-energy components in the relativistic jets. Rererences: [1] Frank, A. etal. Jets and Outflows from Star to Cloud: Observations ConfrontTheory. InBeuther, H., Klessen, R. S., Dullemond, C. P. & Henning, T. (eds.) Protostars and Planets VI, 451 (2014). [2] Blandford, R., Meier, D. & Readhead, A. Relativistic Jets from Active Galactic Nuclei. ARA&A 57, 467–509 (2019). [3] Asada, K., Nakamura, M. & Pu, H.-Y. Indication of the Black Hole Powered Jet in M87 by VSOP Observations. ApJ833, 56 (2016). [4] Hada, K. The Structure and Propagation of the Misaligned Jet M87. Galaxies 5, 2 (2017). [5] Laing, R. A. & Bridle, A. H. Relativistic models and the jet velocity field in the radio galaxy3C 31. MNRAS 336, 328–352 (2002). [6] Ghisellini, G., Tavecchio, F. & Chiaberge, M. Structured jets in TeV BL Lac objectsand radiogalaxies. Implications for the observed properties. A&A 432, 401–410 (2005). [7] Alves, E. P., Grismayer, T., Fonseca, R. A. & Silva, L. O. Transverse electron-scale instability in relativistic shear flows. PhRvE 92, 021101 (2015).

NGC 4104: A shell galaxy in a forming fossil group

Context. Groups are the most common association of galaxies in the Universe and they are found in different configuration states, such as loose, compact, and fossil groups. Aims. We studied the galaxy group MKW 4s, dominated by the giant early-type galaxy NGC 4104 at z = 0.0282, with the aim of understanding the evolutionary stage of this group and to place it within the framework of the standard ΛCDM cosmological scenario. Methods. We obtained deep optical data with CFHT/Megacam (g and r bands) and we applied both the GALFIT 2D image fitting program and the IRAF/ELLIPSE 1D radial method to model the brightest group galaxy (BGG) and its extended stellar envelope. We also analysed the publicly available XMM-Newton and Chandra X-ray data. From N-body simulations of dry-mergers with different mass ratios of the infalling galaxy, we were able to constrain the dynamical stage of this system. Results. Our results show a stellar shell system feature in NGC 4104 and an extended envelope that was reproduced by our numerical simulations of a collision with a satellite galaxy taking place about 4−6 Gyr ago. The initial pair of galaxies had a mass ratio of at least 1:3. Taking into account the stellar envelope contribution to the total r band magnitude and the X-ray luminosity, MKW 4s falls into the category of a fossil group. Conclusions. Our results show that we are witnessing a rare case of a shell elliptical galaxy in a forming fossil group.