Jul 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002hst..prop.9705p&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #9705
Computer Science
Hst Proposal Id #9705
Scientific paper
As the nearest galaxy with an optical jet, M87 affords an unparallelled opportunity to study extragalactic jet phenomena at the highest resolution. Monitoring of the jet of M87 by Chandra and HST has detected massive variability in one knot of M87's jet. During March-July 2002, knot HST-1 brightened by a factor of 2 in both X-rays and optical. Following those observations, M87 became unobservable, as in August-October the Sun approaches to within 5 degrees. Chandra monitoring resumes in November; however, there are no HST observations of M87 scheduled until May 2003. We therefore request five HST observations during the period November 2002-April 2003, scheduled to correspond with the Chandra observations. Based on its track record of X-ray variability in the last year, and optical variability and superluminal motion {speeds of 6c} since 1994, we expect continued variability, with comparable timescales. The proposed observations will monitor the optical morphology, spectrum and magnetic field configuration of the jet, and allow us to model the mechanisms responsible for this variability, the first seen in a spatially resolved jet. The results of this investigation are of key importance not only for understanding the nature of the X-ray emission of the M87 and its relationship to the lower energy, radio-optical continuum, but also for understanding flares in blazar jets, which are highly variable but where we have never before been able to resolve the flaring region in the optical or X-rays. Given the SED observed in M87, the flare emission is probably synchrotron radiation from a fresh particle injection threshold. Not only will these observations allow us to check this hypothesis, they will allow us to constrain the particle acceleration and loss timescales as well as the jet dynamics {which produce and affect the magnetic field configuration} associated with this flaring component.
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