VLBA25B-252
Observing the real-time evolution of the jet base in M87
Abstract
The first images of the black hole shadow in the nearby M87 radio galaxy have opened a new laboratory for studies of the vicinity of black holes via direct imaging. However, a clear understanding of the processes and dynamics governing the launching and acceleration of the M87 jet still remains elusive and requires a time resolved and broadband radio observations. Here we propose new VLBA+GBT observations, with the added participation of the Haystack 37-m and the Greenland Telescope, to monitor the M87 jet over 12 epochs at a time interval of approx. 10 days at 43 and 86 GHz. This monitoring campaign will investigate the dynamics and acceleration profile of the M87 jet at scales closer to the central black hole than previously studied, while time-averaging will enable polarization imaging and insights into the magnetic field structure of the jet base and the spin of the black hole. Our proposed observations will complement the planned EHT 230 GHz VLBI M87 movie campaign to complete the picture of jet launching in M87.
Investigators
| Name | Institution |
|---|---|
| Dominic Pesce | Virginia, University of; Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory |
| GBT Operator | Green Bank Observatory |
| Sara Issaoun | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian; Nijmegen, Radboud Universiteit |
| Ramesh Narayan | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Alexander Plavin | Harvard University |
| Lindy Blackburn | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Shep Doeleman | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Iniyan Natarajan | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Nimesh Patel | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Kazunori Akiyama | Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Haystack Observatory |
| Lynn Matthews | Haystack Observatory; Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
| Keiichi Asada | Academia Sinica |
| Satoki Matsushita | Academia Sinica |
| Daniel Palumbo | Harvard University |
| Yuh Tsunetoe | Harvard University |
| Erandi Chavez | Harvard University |
| Ioannis Myserlis | Instituto de RadioAstronomia Milimetrica ; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie |
| Alan Marscher | Boston University |
| Svetlana Jorstad | Boston University |
| Andrew Chael | Princeton University |
| Rusen Lu | Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, CAS |
| Zachary Gelles | Princeton University |
| Eduardo Ros | Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie; València, Universitat de |
| Andrei Lobanov | Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie |
| Tony Zensus | National Radio Astronomy Observatory; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie |
| Jongseo Kim | Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie |
| Jongho Park | Kyung Hee University |
| Jens Kauffmann | Haystack Observatory |
| Paul Tiede * | Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian |
* indicates the PI