Compact Nonthermal Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei

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AST 0098579MarscherThe spectacular jets observed to emanate from the nuclei of quasars and other active galaxies represent the most energetic long-lived phenomenon in the universe. Decades after the discovery of jets, astrophysicists are still struggling to explain how ultra-hot, magnetized,plasma is ejected into narrow beams from a system involving a black hole weighing millions or billions of suns swallowing gas from its environment. This project will explore the properties of these jets - the flow speeds (which are very close to the speed of light), the magnetic field, the energization of electrons, and wiggling of the nozzle - and how these depend on time, frequency, and energy output. These will provide clues needed to figure out the physical mechanisms that control the jets. They will be accomplished through repeated observations at radio, infrared, andoptical wavelengths with world-class telescopes to obtain images and multiple snapshots of spectra of the radiation emitted by the jets. Funding for this project was provided by the NSF program for Extragalactic Astronomy & Cosmology (AST/EXC).***