GMVA18B-039

Disorder vs. Order: Discerning the nature of the magnetic field in PKS 1510-089

Abstract

We propose using a combined ALMA+GMVA array to map the polarized emission emanating from the gamma-ray bright blazar PKS 1510-089 in an effort to discern whether the jet is magnetically disordered or ordered on the pc-scales probed by VLBI at 86 GHz. PKS 1510-089, along with a number of other blazars, has exhibited prominent orphan gamma-ray flaring behavior that can be explained by disordered turbulence in the jet spine or inverse-Compton scattering of photons emanating from regions of ordered magnetic field in the jet sheath. Determining the nature of the magnetic field within PKS 1510-089 using the high resolution (and sensitivity) afforded by a phased ALMA in concert with the GMVA will help discriminate between models of blazar emission that have been developed to explain this high-energy variability.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Jae-Young Kim	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kyungpook National University
Svetlana Jorstad	Boston University
Alan Marscher	Boston University
Rusen Lu	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Carolina Casadio	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Foundation for Research & Technology - Hellas
Thomas Krichbaum	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Eduardo Ros	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; València, Universitat de
Nicholas MacDonald *	Boston University; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Mississippi, University of
GBT Operator	Green Bank Observatory

* indicates the PI