Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies
Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) are compact (<1 kpc), jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN), whose jet axes are not aligned close to the line of sight, and whose observed emission is not predominantly relativistically boosted toward us. Two classes of CSOs have previously been identified: approxim...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0cc2 |
| _version_ | 1797337891526934528 |
|---|---|
| author | S. Kiehlmann A. C. S. Readhead S. O’Neill P. N. Wilkinson M. L. Lister I. Liodakis S. Bruzewski V. Pavlidou T. J. Pearson E. Sheldahl A. Siemiginowska K. Tassis G. B. Taylor |
| author_facet | S. Kiehlmann A. C. S. Readhead S. O’Neill P. N. Wilkinson M. L. Lister I. Liodakis S. Bruzewski V. Pavlidou T. J. Pearson E. Sheldahl A. Siemiginowska K. Tassis G. B. Taylor |
| author_sort | S. Kiehlmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Compact symmetric objects (CSOs) are compact (<1 kpc), jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN), whose jet axes are not aligned close to the line of sight, and whose observed emission is not predominantly relativistically boosted toward us. Two classes of CSOs have previously been identified: approximately one-fifth are edge dimmed and the rest are edge brightened. We designate these as CSO 1s and 2s, respectively. This paper focuses almost exclusively on CSO 2s. Using complete samples of CSO 2s we present three independent lines of evidence, based on their relative numbers, redshift distributions, and size distributions, which show conclusively that the vast majority (>99%) of CSO 2s do not evolve into larger-scale radio sources. These CSO 2s belong to a distinct population of jetted AGN, which should be characterized as “short-lived,” as opposed to “young,” compared to the classes of larger jetted AGN. We show that there is a sharp upper cutoff in the CSO 2 size distribution at ≈500 pc. The distinct differences between most CSO 2s and other jetted AGN provides a crucial new time domain window on the formation and evolution of relativistic jets in AGN and the supermassive black holes that drive them. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:23:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9ec3739c56de4661abd0569f7e47dcff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T09:23:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-9ec3739c56de4661abd0569f7e47dcff2024-01-31T11:33:04ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572024-01-01961224110.3847/1538-4357/ad0cc2Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active GalaxiesS. Kiehlmann0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6314-9177A. C. S. Readhead1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9152-961XS. O’Neill2P. N. Wilkinson3M. L. Lister4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1315-3412I. Liodakis5S. Bruzewski6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7887-1912V. Pavlidou7T. J. Pearson8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5213-6231E. Sheldahl9A. Siemiginowska10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0905-7375K. Tassis11https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8831-2038G. B. Taylor12https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6495-7731Institute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; acr@caltech.eduOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; acr@caltech.eduJodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UKDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University , 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USAFinnish Center for Astronomy with ESO, University of Turku , Vesilinnantie 5, FI-20014, Finland; Department of Physics, University of Crete , GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USAInstitute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceOwens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; acr@caltech.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USACenter for Astrophysics ∣ Harvard & Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAInstitute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , GR-70013 Heraklion, GreeceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USACompact symmetric objects (CSOs) are compact (<1 kpc), jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN), whose jet axes are not aligned close to the line of sight, and whose observed emission is not predominantly relativistically boosted toward us. Two classes of CSOs have previously been identified: approximately one-fifth are edge dimmed and the rest are edge brightened. We designate these as CSO 1s and 2s, respectively. This paper focuses almost exclusively on CSO 2s. Using complete samples of CSO 2s we present three independent lines of evidence, based on their relative numbers, redshift distributions, and size distributions, which show conclusively that the vast majority (>99%) of CSO 2s do not evolve into larger-scale radio sources. These CSO 2s belong to a distinct population of jetted AGN, which should be characterized as “short-lived,” as opposed to “young,” compared to the classes of larger jetted AGN. We show that there is a sharp upper cutoff in the CSO 2 size distribution at ≈500 pc. The distinct differences between most CSO 2s and other jetted AGN provides a crucial new time domain window on the formation and evolution of relativistic jets in AGN and the supermassive black holes that drive them.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0cc2Active galactic nucleiActive galaxiesRelativistic jets |
| spellingShingle | S. Kiehlmann A. C. S. Readhead S. O’Neill P. N. Wilkinson M. L. Lister I. Liodakis S. Bruzewski V. Pavlidou T. J. Pearson E. Sheldahl A. Siemiginowska K. Tassis G. B. Taylor Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies The Astrophysical Journal Active galactic nuclei Active galaxies Relativistic jets |
| title | Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies |
| title_full | Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies |
| title_fullStr | Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies |
| title_short | Compact Symmetric Objects. II. Confirmation of a Distinct Population of High-luminosity Jetted Active Galaxies |
| title_sort | compact symmetric objects ii confirmation of a distinct population of high luminosity jetted active galaxies |
| topic | Active galactic nuclei Active galaxies Relativistic jets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0cc2 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT skiehlmann compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT acsreadhead compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT soneill compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT pnwilkinson compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT mllister compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT iliodakis compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT sbruzewski compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT vpavlidou compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT tjpearson compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT esheldahl compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT asiemiginowska compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT ktassis compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies AT gbtaylor compactsymmetricobjectsiiconfirmationofadistinctpopulationofhighluminosityjettedactivegalaxies |