GMVA17B-304

Lifting the Curtain in M87: From Accretion to Jet Formation

Abstract

Understanding the processes of mass accretion and jet-launching in supermassive black holes (SMBH) is one of the central quests in modern astrophysics. The radio galaxy M87 contains the nearest and largest active SMBH, offering the best opportunity for probing the site of mass accretion and jet launching near a SMBH. Here we propose polarization imaging of M87 at 86 GHz with 7 Rs resolution, to determine the strength and topology of the magnetic field, detect the accretion flow and discriminate between two major jet launching scenarios (Blandford & Payne (BP) or Blandford and Znajek (BZ)). In combination with near-in-time space-VLBI imaging at 22 GHz (RadioAstron) and planned 230 GHz VLBI imaging (EHT), we aim to determine the frequency dependence of the polarization vectors, which in turn will allow us to determine the _intrinsic_ B-field, corrected for Faraday rotation effects. Additional science goals are (i) the determination of the slope of the jet collimation profile, and (ii) the magnetization of flow and jet. The accurate measurement of the collimation profile will allow us to prove/disprove the reality of electromagnetic jet launching in M87 and help to determine the BH spin.

Investigators

Name Institution
GBT Operator Green Bank Observatory
Cornelia Mueller Würzburg, Universität; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit; Astronomical Institute of the University of Erlangen-Nuremburg
Hiroshi Nagai National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Masanori Nakamura Academia Sinica; National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College
Gopal Narayanan Massachusetts at Amherst, University of
Scott Noble Tulsa, University of
Monica Orienti Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Bologna, Università degli Studi di
Hung-Yi Pu Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Eduardo Ros Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; València, Universitat de
Helge Rottmann Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Karl Schuster Institut de Radio Astronomique Millimétrique
Hotaka Shiokawa Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Pablo de Vicente Yebes, Centro Astronómico de
R. Craig Walker National Radio Astronomy Observatory
John Wardle Brandeis University
Tony Zensus National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Jae-Young Kim Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kyungpook National University
Silke Britzen Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Tuomas Savolainen Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Aalto yliopisto
Rebecca Azulay València, Universitat de
Rusen Lu * Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Keiichi Asada Academia Sinica
Thomas Krichbaum Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Kazuhiro Hada Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Kazunori Akiyama Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Haystack Observatory
Walter Alef Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Lindy Blackburn Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Geoffrey Bower Academia Sinica
Michael Bremer Institut de Radio Astronomique Millimétrique
Avery Broderick Waterloo, University of
Vivek Dhawan National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Shep Doeleman Haystack Observatory
Akihiro Doi Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Heino Falcke Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Vincent Fish Haystack Observatory
Gabriele Giovannini Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Jose L. Gomez Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Marcello Giroletti Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Paul Ho Academia Sinica; East Asian Observatory
Mareki Honma National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
David Hughes Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Instituto Nacional de
Makoto Inoue Academia Sinica
Michael Johnson California at Santa Barbara, University of; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Motoki Kino National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Shoko Koyama National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Academia Sinica
Michael Lindqvist Chalmers University of Technology
Andrei Lobanov Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Ivan Marti-Vidal València, Universitat de
Alan Marscher Boston University
Satoki Matsushita Academia Sinica
Monika Moscibrodzka Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Shin Mineshige Kyoto University
Jonathan McKinney Maryland, University of

* indicates the PI