Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “VLBI”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

18 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Fundamental physics opportunities with future ground-based mm/sub-mm VLBI arrays

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration recently published the first images of the supermassive black holes in the cores of the Messier 87 and Milky Way galaxies. These observations have provided a new means to study supermassive black holes and probe physical processes occurring in the strong-field regime. We review the prospects of future observations and theoretical studies of supermassive black hole systems. Current ground-based very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) arrays like the EHT and proposed future extensions like the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope will greatly enhance the capabilities of black-hole imaging interferometry. These enhancements will open up several previously inaccessible avenues of investigation, thereby providing important new insights into the properties of supermassive black holes and their environments. This review describes the current state of knowledge for five key science cases, summarising the unique challenges and opportunities for fundamental physics investigations that future mm/sub-mm VLBI developments will enable.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multi-scale VLBI observations of the candidate host galaxy of GRB 200716C

We present the discovery and the subsequent follow up of radio emission from SDSS J130402.36+293840.6 (J1304+2938), the candidate host galaxy of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 200716C. The galaxy is detected in the RACS (0.89 GHz), the NVSS, the Apertif imaging survey, and the FIRST (1.4 GHz), the VLASS (3 GHz), and in public LOFAR (130–170 MHz), WISE (3.4–22 μm), and SDSS (z, i, r, g, u filters) data. The luminosity inferred at 1.4 GHz is (5.1 ± 0.2) × 10 30 erg s -1 Hz -1 . To characterise the emission and distinguish between different components within the galaxy, we performed dedicated, high-sensitivity and high-resolution observations with the European VLBI Network (EVN) + e-MERLIN at 1.6 and 5 GHz. We did not detect any emission from a compact core, suggesting that the presence of a radio-loud active galactic nucleus (AGN) is unlikely, and therefore we ascribe the emission observed in the public surveys to star-forming regions within the galaxy. We confirm and refine the redshift estimate, z = 0.341 ± 0.004, with a dedicated Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) spectroscopic observation. Finally, we compiled a list of all the known hosts of GRB afterglows detected in radio and computed the corresponding radio luminosity: if GRB 200716C belongs to J1304+2938, this is the third most radio-luminous host of a GRB, implying one of the highest star-formation rates (SFRs) currently known, namely SFR ~ 324±61 M ⊙ yr -1 . On the other hand, through the analysis of the prompt emission light curve, recent works suggest that GRB 200716C might be a short-duration GRB located beyond J1304+2938 and gravitationally lensed by an intermediate-mass black hole (IMBH) hosted by the galaxy. Neither the public data nor our Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations can confirm or rule out the presence of an IMBH acting as a (milli-)lens hosted by the galaxy, a scenario still compatible with the set of radio observations presented in this work.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Polarimetric Geometric Modeling for mm-VLBI Observations of Black Holes

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) is a millimeter very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) array that has imaged the apparent shadows of the supermassive black holes M87* and Sagittarius A*. Polarimetric data from these observations contain a wealth of information on the black hole and accretion flow properties. In this work, we develop polarimetric geometric modeling methods for mm-VLBI data, focusing on approaches that fit data products with differing degrees of invariance to broad classes of calibration errors. We establish a fitting procedure using a polarimetric “m-ring” model to approximate the image structure near a black hole. By fitting this model to synthetic EHT data from general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic models, we show that the linear and circular polarization structure can be successfully approximated with relatively few model parameters. We then fit this model to EHT observations of M87* taken in 2017. In total intensity and linear polarization, the m-ring fits are consistent with previous results from imaging methods. In circular polarization, the m-ring fits indicate the presence of event-horizon-scale circular polarization structure, with a persistent dipolar asymmetry and orientation across several days. The same structure was recovered independently of observing band, used data products, and model assumptions. Despite this broad agreement, imaging methods do not produce similarly consistent results. Our circular polarization results, which imposed additional assumptions on the source structure, should thus be interpreted with some caution. Polarimetric geometric modeling provides a useful and powerful method to constrain the properties of horizon-scale polarized emission, particularly for sparse arrays like the EHT.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The US Naval Observatory VLBI Spectroscopic Catalog

Despite their importance for astrometry and navigation, the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that comprise the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) are relatively poorly understood, with key information such as their spectroscopic redshifts, AGN spectral type, and emission-/absorption-line properties generally missing from the literature. Using an updated, publicly available, state-of-the-art spectroscopic fitting code optimized for the spectra of AGNs from low to high redshift, we present a catalog of emission-line and spectral continuum parameters for 1014 unique ICRF3 objects with single-fiber spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey DR16. We additionally present black hole virial mass scaling relationships that use Hα-, Hβ-, Mg II -, and C IV -based line widths, all consistent with each other, which can be used in studies of radio-loud objects across a wide range of redshifts, and we use these scaling relationships to provide derived properties such as black hole masses and bolometric luminosities for the catalog. We briefly comment on these properties for the ICRF objects, as well as their overall spectroscopic characteristics.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Ordered magnetic fields around the 3C 84 central black hole

Context. 3C 84 is a nearby radio source with a complex total intensity structure, showing linear polarisation and spectral patterns. A detailed investigation of the central engine region necessitates the use of very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) above the hitherto available maximum frequency of 86 GHz.Aims. Using ultrahigh resolution VLBI observations at the currently highest available frequency of 228 GHz, we aim to perform a direct detection of compact structures and understand the physical conditions in the compact region of 3C 84.Methods. We used Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) 228 GHz observations and, given the limited (u, v)-coverage, applied geometric model fitting to the data. Furthermore, we employed quasi-simultaneously observed, ancillary multi-frequency VLBI data for the source in order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the core structure.Results. We report the detection of a highly ordered, strong magnetic field around the central, supermassive black hole of 3C 84. The brightness temperature analysis suggests that the system is in equipartition. We also determined a turnover frequency of νm = (113 ± 4) GHz, a corresponding synchrotron self-absorbed magnetic field of BSSA = (2.9 ± 1.6) G, and an equipartition magnetic field of Beq = (5.2 ± 0.6) G. Three components are resolved with the highest fractional polarisation detected for this object (mnet = (17.0 ± 3.9)%). The positions of the components are compatible with those seen in low-frequency VLBI observations since 2017–2018. We report a steeply negative slope of the spectrum at 228 GHz. We used these findings to test existing models of jet formation, propagation, and Faraday rotation in 3C 84.Conclusions. The findings of our investigation into different flow geometries and black hole spins support an advection-dominated accretion flow in a magnetically arrested state around a rapidly rotating supermassive black hole as a model of the jet-launching system in the core of 3C 84. However, systematic uncertainties due to the limited (u, v)-coverage, however, cannot be ignored. Our upcoming work using new EHT data, which offer full imaging capabilities, will shed more light on the compact region of 3C 84.Key words: techniques: high angular resolution / techniques: interferometric / galaxies: active / galaxies: individual: NGC 1275 / galaxies: jets

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evidence of a toroidal magnetic field in the core of 3C 84

The spatial scales of relativistic radio jets, probed by relativistic magneto-hydrodynamic (RMHD) jet launching simulations and by most very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations differ by an order of magnitude. Bridging the gap between these RMHD simulations and VLBI observations requires selecting nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN), the parsec-scale region of which can be resolved. The radio source 3C 84 is a nearby bright AGN fulfilling the necessary requirements: it is launching a powerful, relativistic jet powered by a central supermassive black hole, while also being very bright. Using 22 GHz globe-spanning VLBI measurements of 3C 84 we studied its sub-parsec region in both total intensity and linear polarisation to explore the properties of this jet, with a linear resolution of ~0.1 parsec. We tested different simulation set-ups by altering the bulk Lorentz factor Γ of the jet, as well as the magnetic field configuration (toroidal, poloidal, helical). We confirm the persistence of a limb brightened structure, which reaches deep into the sub-parsec region. The corresponding electric vector position angles (EVPAs) follow the bulk jet flow inside but tend to be orthogonal to it near the edges. Our state-of-the-art RMHD simulations show that this geometry is consistent with a spine-sheath model, associated with a mildly relativistic flow and a toroidal magnetic field configuration.

3C 84 (NGC 1275)↗
DOE OSTI2025

A multifrequency study of sub-parsec jets with the Event Horizon Telescope

Context. The 2017 observing campaign of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) delivered the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images at the observing frequency of 230 GHz, leading to a number of unique studies on black holes and relativistic jets from active galactic nuclei (AGN). In total, eighteen sources were observed, including the main science targets, Sgr A* and M 87, and various calibrators. Sixteen sources were AGN.Aims. We investigated the morphology of the sixteen AGN in the EHT 2017 data set, focusing on the properties of the VLBI cores: size, flux density, and brightness temperature. We studied their dependence on the observing frequency in order to compare it with the Blandford-Königl (BK) jet model. In particular, we aimed to study the signatures of jet acceleration and magnetic energy conversion.Methods. We modeled the source structure of seven AGN in the EHT 2017 data set using linearly polarized circular Gaussian components (1749+096, 1055+018, BL Lac, J0132–1654, J0006–0623, CTA 102, and 3C 454.3) and collected results for the other nine AGN from dedicated EHT publications, complemented by lower frequency data in the 2–86 GHz range. Combining these data into a multifrequency EHT+ data set, we studied the dependences of the VLBI core component flux density, size, and brightness temperature on the frequency measured in the AGN host frame (and hence on the distance from the central black hole), characterizing them with power law fits. We compared the observations with the BK jet model and estimated the magnetic field strength dependence on the distance from the central black hole.Results. Our observations spanning event horizon to parsec scales indicate a deviation from the standard BK model, particularly in the decrease of the brightness temperature with the observing frequency. Only some of the discrepancies may be alleviated by tweaking the model parameters or the jet collimation profile. Either bulk acceleration of the jet material, energy transfer from the magnetic field to the particles, or both are required to explain the observations. For our sample, we estimate a general radial dependence of the Doppler factor δ ∝ r≤0.5. This interpretation is consistent with a magnetically accelerated sub-parsec jet. We also estimate a steep decrease of the magnetic field strength with radius B ∝ r−3, hinting at jet acceleration or efficient magnetic energy dissipation.Key words: techniques: interferometric / galaxies: active / galaxies: jets / galaxies: nuclei / quasars: general / quasars: supermassive black holes⋆⋆ Deceased.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2025

First polarization study of the M87 jet and active galactic nuclei at submillimeter wavelengths with ALMA

We investigated the polarization and Faraday properties of Messier 87 (M87) and seven other radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at λ0.87 mm (345 GHz) using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Our goal was to characterize the linear polarization (LP) fractions, measure Faraday rotation measures (RMs), and examine the magnetic field structures in the emission regions of these AGNs. We conducted full-polarization observations as part of the ALMA Band 7 very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) commissioning during the April 2021 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) campaign. We analyzed the LP fractions and RMs to assess the nature of Faraday screens and magnetic fields in the submillimeter emission regions. We find LP fractions between 1% and 17% and RMs exceeding 10 5 rad m −2 , which are 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than typically observed at longer wavelengths (λ>3 mm). This suggests denser Faraday screens or stronger magnetic fields. Additionally, we present the first submillimeter polarized images of the M87 jet and the observed AGNs, revealing RM gradients and sign reversals in the M87 jet indicative of a kiloparsec-scale helical magnetic field structure. Our results provide essential constraints for calibrating, analyzing, and interpreting VLBI data from the EHT at 345 GHz, representing a critical step toward submillimeter VLBI imaging.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

First Very Long Baseline Interferometry Detections at 870μm

The first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) detections at 870$\mu$m wavelength (345$\,$GHz frequency) are reported, achieving the highest diffraction-limited angular resolution yet obtained from the surface of the Earth, and the highest-frequency example of the VLBI technique to date. These include strong detections for multiple sources observed on inter-continental baselines between telescopes in Chile, Hawaii, and Spain, obtained during observations in October 2018. The longest-baseline detections approach 11$\,$G$\lambda$ corresponding to an angular resolution, or fringe spacing, of 19$\mu$as. The Allan deviation of the visibility phase at 870$\mu$m is comparable to that at 1.3$\,$mm on the relevant integration time scales between 2 and 100$\,$s. The detections confirm that the sensitivity and signal chain stability of stations in the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) array are suitable for VLBI observations at 870$\mu$m. Operation at this short wavelength, combined with anticipated enhancements of the EHT, will lead to a unique high angular resolution instrument for black hole studies, capable of resolving the event horizons of supermassive black holes in both space and time.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Birefringence tomography for axion cloud

An axion cloud surrounding a supermassive black hole can be naturally produced through the superradiance process. Its existence can be examined by the axion induced birefringence effect. It predicts an oscillation of the electric vector position angle of linearly polarized radiations. Stringent constraints of the existence of the axion in a particular mass window has been obtained based on the recent Event Horizon Telescope measurement on M87$^\star$. The future Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) observations will be able to measure the vicinity of many supermassive black holes, thus it opens the possibility to search for the existence of axions in a wide mass regime. In this paper, we study how different black hole properties and accretion flows influence the signatures of the axion induced birefringence. We include the impacts of black hole inclination angles, spins, magnetic fields, plasma velocity distributions, the thickness of the accretion flows. We pay special attention to characterize the washout effects induced by the finite thickness of the accretion flows and the lensed photons. Finally, based on this study, we give prospects on how to optimize the axion search using future VLBI observations, such as the next-generation Event Horizon Telescope, to further increase the sensitivity.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Multifrequency Analysis of Favored Models for the Messier 87* Accretion Flow

Abstract The polarized images of the supermassive black hole Messier 87* (M87*) produced by the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) provide a direct view of the near-horizon emission from a black hole accretion and jet system. The EHT theoretical analysis of the polarized M87* images compared thousands of snapshots from numerical models with a variety of spins, magnetization states, viewing inclinations, and electron energy distributions, and found a small subset consistent with the observed image. In this article, we examine two models favored by EHT analyses: a magnetically arrested disk with moderate retrograde spin and a magnetically arrested disk with high prograde spin. Both have electron distribution functions that lead to strong depolarization by cold electrons. We ray trace five snapshots from each model at 22, 43, 86, 230, 345, and 690 GHz to forecast future very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations and examine limitations in numerical models. We find that even at low frequencies where optical and Faraday rotation depths are large, approximately rotationally symmetric polarization persists, suggesting that shallow depths dominate the polarization signal. However, morphology and spectra suggest that the assumed thermal electron distribution is not adequate to describe emission from the jet. We find 86 GHz images show a ringlike shape determined by a combination of plasma and spacetime imprints, smaller in diameter than recent results from the Global mm-VLBI Array. We find that the photon ring becomes more apparent with increasing frequency, and is more apparent in the retrograde model, leading to large differences between models in asymmetry and polarization structure.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Photon rings around warped black holes

Abstract The black hole photon ring is a prime target for upcoming space-based VLBI missions seeking to image the fine structure of astrophysical black holes. The classical Lyapunov exponents of the corresponding nearly bound null geodesics control the quasinormal ringing of a perturbed black hole as it settles back down to equilibrium, and they admit a holographic interpretation in terms of quantum Ruelle resonances of the microstate dual to the Kerr black hole. Recent work has identified a number of emergent symmetries related to the intricate self-similar structure of the photon ring. Here, we explore this web of interrelated phenomena in an exactly soluble example that arises as an approximation to the near-extremal Kerr black hole. The self-dual warped AdS 3 geometry has a photon ring as well as S L ( 2 , R ) isometries and an exactly calculable quasinormal mode (QNM) spectrum. We show explicitly that the geometric optics approximation reproduces the eikonal limit of the exact scalar QNM spectrum, as well as the approximate ‘near-ring’ wavefunctions. The S L ( 2 , R ) isometries are directly related to the emergent conformal symmetry of the photon ring in black hole images but are distinct from a recently discussed conformal symmetry of the eikonal QNM spectrum. The equivalence of the classical QNM spectrum—and thus the photon ring—to the quantum Ruelle resonances in the context of a spacetime with a putative holographic dual suggests that the photon ring of a warped black hole is indeed part of the black hole hologram.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

The X-shaped Radio Galaxy J0725+5835 is Associated with an AGN Pair

X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs) are those that exhibit two pairs of unaligned radio lobes (main radio lobes and wings). One of the promising models for the peculiar morphology is jet reorientation. To clarify this, we conducted a 5 GHz observation with the European VLBI Network (EVN) of XRG J0725+5835, which resembles the archetypal binary active galactic nuclei (AGNs) 0402+379 in radio morphology, but it is larger in angular size. In our observation, two milliarcsecond-scale radio components with nonthermal radio emission are detected. Each of them coincides with an optical counterpart with similar photometric redshift and (optical and infrared) magnitude, corresponding to dual active nuclei. Furthermore, with the improved Very Large Array (VLA) images, we find a bridge between the two radio cores and a jet bending in the region surrounding the companion galaxy. This further supports the interplay between the main and companion galaxies. In addition, we also report the discovery of an arcsecond-scale jet in the companion. Given the projected separation of ~100 kpc between the main and companion galaxies, XRG J0725+5835 is likely associated with a dual jetted-AGN system. In both EVN and VLA observations, we find signatures that the jet is changing its direction, which is likely responsible for the X-shaped morphology. For the origin of jet reorientation, several scenarios are discussed.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Resolving the Inner Parsec of the Blazar J1924–2914 with the Event Horizon Telescope

The blazar J1924–2914 is a primary Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) calibrator for the Galactic center’s black hole Sagittarius A*. Here we present the first total and linearly polarized intensity images of this source obtained with the unprecedented 20 μas resolution of the EHT. J1924–2914 is a very compact flat-spectrum radio source with strong optical variability and polarization. In April 2017 the source was observed quasi-simultaneously with the EHT (April 5–11), the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (April 3), and the Very Long Baseline Array (April 28), giving a novel view of the source at four observing frequencies, 230, 86, 8.7, and 2.3 GHz. These observations probe jet properties from the subparsec to 100 pc scales. We combine the multifrequency images of J1924–2914 to study the source morphology. We find that the jet exhibits a characteristic bending, with a gradual clockwise rotation of the jet projected position angle of about 90° between 2.3 and 230 GHz. Linearly polarized intensity images of J1924–2914 with the extremely fine resolution of the EHT provide evidence for ordered toroidal magnetic fields in the blazar compact core.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Full-polarization millimeter wavelength variability of Sagittarius A * during the 2018 EHT campaign

Context. Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, provides a unique laboratory to study accretion dynamics and plasma processes near the event horizon. Aims. We investigated the variability and polarization properties of Sgr A* using ALMA observations during the 2018 Event Horizon Telescope campaign. Methods. We analyzed high-cadence full-polarization light curves from ALMA at millimeter wavelengths, performed time-series analysis, and investigated the temporal behavior during an X-ray flare observed by Chandra on 2018 April 24. The variability characteristics are compared with expectations from standard accretion flow models. Results. We find low variability in total intensity (σ/μ < 10%), but significantly higher variability in linear and circular polarization (∼30% and ∼50%, respectively). A time-series analysis reveals red-noise variability, with power spectral densities between −2 and −3 across all Stokes parameters. Polarized intensity shows stable intra-day timescales, while total intensity exhibits more variable timescales, suggesting distinct emission regions, with polarization likely arising from a coherent structure. On April 24, a statistically significant inter-band delay in polarized intensity coincides with a near-simultaneous X-ray and millimeter peak that deviates from the typical delayed flare scenario. This event also features enhanced millimeter variability and coherent polarization loop evolution. The observed simultaneity challenges standard models of transient synchrotron emission with cooling delays, favoring instead a scenario of continuous energy injection in an optically thin region. Conclusions. Our results offer new constraints on the physical mechanisms driving variability in Sgr A*, and provide key observational input for refining theoretical models of accretion and plasma behavior in the vicinity of supermassive black holes.

Galaxy: center↗
DOE OSTI2026

Locating the missing large-scale emission in the jet of M87* with short EHT baselines

In very-long baseline interferometric arrays, nearly co-located stations probe the largest scales and typically cannot resolve the observed source. In the absence of a large-scale structure, closure phases constructed with these stations are zero and, since they are independent of station-based errors, they can be used to probe data issues. Here, we show how these trivial closure phases become nonzero with a brightness distribution on smaller scales than their short baseline would suggest. When applied to sources that are made up of a bright compact and large-scale diffuse component, the trivial closure phases directly measure the centroid relative to the compact source and higher-order image moments. We present a technique to measure these image moments with minimal model assumptions and validate it on synthetic Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) data. We then apply this technique to 2017 and 2018 EHT observations of M87* and find a weak preference for extended emission in the direction of the large-scale jet. We also apply it to 2021 EHT data and measure the source centroid about 1 mas northwest of the compact ring, which is consistent with the jet observed at lower frequencies.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

Probing jet base emission of M87* with the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope observations

We investigate the presence and spatial characteristics of the jet base emission in M87* at 230 GHz, enabled by the significantly enhanced (u,v) coverage in the 2021 Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) observations. The integration of the 12−m Kitt Peak Telescope (USA) and NOEMA (France) stations into the array introduces two critical intermediate-length baselines to SMT (USA) and IRAM 30−m (Spain), providing sensitivity to emission structures at spatial scales of ∼250 μas and ∼2500 μas (∼ 0.02 pc and ∼ 0.02 pc). Without these new baselines, previous EHT observations of the source in 2017 and 2018 lacked the capability to constrain emission on large scales, where a “missing flux” of order ∼1 Jy is expected to reside. To probe these scales, we analyzed closure phases–robust against station-based gain calibration errors–and model the jet base emission using a simple Gaussian component offset from the compact ring emission at spatial separations > 100 μas. Our analysis revealed a Gaussian feature centered at (ΔRA ≈ 320 μ as, ΔDec. ≈ 60 μ as), projected separation of ≈ 5500 AU, with an estimated flux density of only ∼60 mJy, implying that most of the missing flux identified in previous EHT studies had to originate from different, larger scales. Brighter emission at the relevant spatial scales is firmly ruled out, and the data do not favor more complex models. This component aligns with the inferred position of the large-scale jet and is therefore physically consistent with the emission of the jet base. While our findings point to detectable jet base emission at 230 GHz, the limited coverage provided by only two intermediate baselines limits our ability to robustly reconstruct its morphology. Consequently, we treated the recovered Gaussian as an upper limit on the jet base flux density. Future EHT observations with expanded intermediate baseline coverage will be essential to constrain the structure and nature of this component with higher precision.

accretion, accretion disks↗
DOE OSTI2026

Spatially resolved polarization swings in the supermassive binary black hole candidate OJ 287 with first Event Horizon Telescope observations

We present the first Event Horizon Telescope 1.3 mm observations of the supermassive binary black hole candidate OJ 287. The observations achieved an unprecedented angular resolution of 18 μas and reveal significant structural and polarization variability over just five days, marking the shortest timescale on which such changes have been directly imaged in this source. The inner jet exhibits a twisted ridgeline structure, with features displaying apparent superluminal motions up to about 22 c. The linear polarization maps reveal three main polarized features whose electric-vector position angles (EVPAs) change substantially over the time span of our observations, including a component with a radial polarization consistent with being produced by a recollimation shock. Most notably, we directly resolved two innermost jet components whose EVPAs rotate in opposite directions. The faster component, moving at 2.4 ± 0.9 μas/day (17.4 ± 6.5 c), exhibits counterclockwise EVPA swings of roughly 3.7° per day, while the slower component, with a proper motion of 1.4 ± 0.3 μas/day (10.2 ± 2.2 c), rotates clockwise at approximately 2.5° per day. Previous studies inferred helical magnetic fields in AGN jets from time-resolved or integrated polarization variability but lacked the angular resolution to directly image this effect. Our results provide spatially resolved evidence that a helical magnetic field threads the jet’s collimation and acceleration zone, ruling out models based on the superposition of unresolved components. Our analysis suggests that propagating shocks interact with a Kelvin–Helmholtz plasma instability, illuminating different phases of the helical magnetic field and producing the observed polarization spatial and temporal variability. Moreover, our model naturally accounts for the more rapid polarization rotation observed in the faster moving component. Our model predicts even more rapid swings in polarization, which could be tested with future observations featuring a more densely sampled time coverage.

OJ 287↗