GMVA19B-233

Imaging Jet and Magnetic Field near the Spinning SMBH in M87

Abstract

Understanding the processes of jet formation 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 to probe the site of jet launching and subsequent propagation near a SMBH. Here we propose an ultra-deep full-polarization observation of M87 with GMVA+ALMA at 3mm, in order to image the global jet and magnetic field structure around the spinning SMBH on ~7-150 Schwarzschild radii (rs) scales in conjunction with Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations at 230GHz in Spring 2020. We aim to: (i) distinguish between high/low magnetization jet launching models, (ii) constrain the BH spin using the transverse jet brightness profile, and (iii) find firm evidence for magnetic jet launching in M87 through measurement of the B-field helicity. Combination of previous GMVA+ALMA Cycle 5 and new Cycle 7 data will robustly identify persistent features in the jet against temporal variability. Therefore, the proposed GMVA+ALMA imaging will decisively associate the horizon-scale structures seen by the EHT to the larger-scale jet, completing our understanding of how jets are connected to the central object and how they are launched.

Investigators

Name	Institution
Rocco Lico	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
David Sanchez-Arguelles	Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Instituto Nacional de
Katherine Bouman	Massachusetts Institute of Technology; California Institute of Technology
Nicholas MacDonald	Boston University; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Mississippi, University of
Wu Jiang	Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
David James	Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Fumie Tazaki	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Tokyo Electron Technology Solutions Ltd.
Kenji Toma	Tohoku University
Michael Janssen	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Maciek Wielgus	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
Sara Issaoun	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Luciano Rezzolla	Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-Universität
Kazi Rygl	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Ilje Cho	Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute; Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de; Korea University of Science and Technology
Tomohisa Kawashima	Tokyo, University of
Jordy Davelaar	Columbia University
Elisabetta Liuzzo	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Tony Zensus	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
John Wardle	Brandeis University
Pablo de Vicente	Yebes, Centro Astronómico de
Hotaka Shiokawa	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
zhi-qiang shen	Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Karl Schuster	Institut de Radio Astronomique Millimétrique
Tuomas Savolainen	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Aalto yliopisto
Helge Rottmann	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Eduardo Ros	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; València, Universitat de
Hung-Yi Pu	Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Oliver Porth	Amsterdam, Universiteit van; Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-Universität
Yurii Pidopryhora	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Monica Orienti	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Bologna, Universita degli Studi di
Scott Noble	Tulsa, University of
Gopal Narayanan	Massachusetts at Amherst, University of
Hiroshi Nagai	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Yosuke Mizuno	Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-Universität
Shin Mineshige	Kyoto University
Monika Moscibrodzka	Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Hugo Messias	Joint ALMA Observatory
Jonathan McKinney	Maryland, University of
Satoki Matsushita	Academia Sinica
Alan Marscher	Boston University
Ivan Marti-Vidal	València, Universitat de
Sera Markoff	Amsterdam, Universiteit van
Andrei Lobanov	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Michael Lindqvist	Chalmers University of Technology
Shoko Koyama	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Academia Sinica
Motoki Kino	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Michael Johnson	California at Santa Barbara, University of; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Makoto Inoue	Academia Sinica
Violette Impellizzeri	National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Leiden, University of; Joint ALMA Observatory
David Hughes	Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Instituto Nacional de
Mareki Honma	National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
Paul Ho	Academia Sinica; East Asian Observatory
Ruben Herrero-Illana	European Southern Observatory
Marcello Giroletti	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Jose L. Gomez	Andalucía, Instituto de Astrofísica de
Gabriele Giovannini	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica
Vincent Fish	Haystack Observatory
Heino Falcke	Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit
Akihiro Doi	Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Shep Doeleman	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Geoffrey Crew	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sunil Chandra	North-West University
Avery Broderick	Waterloo, University of
Michael Bremer	Institut de Radio Astronomique Millimétrique
Silke Britzen	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Geoffrey Bower	Academia Sinica
Lindy Blackburn	Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian
Rebecca Azulay	València, Universitat de
Walter Alef	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Kazunori Akiyama	Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Haystack Observatory
Keiichi Asada	Academia Sinica
Thomas Krichbaum	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
Rusen Lu	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS
Masanori Nakamura	Academia Sinica; National Institute of Technology, Hachinohe College
Kazuhiro Hada	Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; National Astronomical Observatory of Japan ; Nagoya City University
Jae-Young Kim *	Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Kyungpook National University
GBT Operator	Green Bank Observatory

* indicates the PI