J/ApJ/874/43 MOJAVE. XVII. Parsec-scale jet kinematics of AGNs (Lister+, 2019)
MOJAVE.
XVII. Jet kinematics and parent population properties of relativistically beamed
radio-loud blazars.
Lister M.L., Homan D.C., Hovatta T., Kellermann K.I., Kiehlmann S.,
Kovalev Y.Y., Max-Moerbeck W., Pushkarev A.B., Readhead A.C.S., Ros E.,
Savolainen T.
<Astrophys. J., 874, 43 (2019)>
=2019ApJ...874...43L 2019ApJ...874...43L
ADC_Keywords: Active gal. nuclei; BL Lac objects; Galaxies, radio; QSOs;
Radio continuum; Redshifts
Keywords: BL Lacertae objects: general ; galaxies: active ; galaxies: jets ;
galaxies: Seyfert ; quasars: general ; radio continuum: galaxies
Abstract:
We present results from a parsec-scale jet kinematics study of 409
bright radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) based on 15GHz Very
Long Baseline Array (VLBA) data obtained between 1994 August 31 and
2016 December 26 as part of the 2cm VLBA survey and Monitoring Of Jets
in Active galactic nuclei with VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) programs. We
tracked 1744 individual bright features in 382 jets over at least
5 epochs. A majority (59%) of the best-sampled jet features showed
evidence of accelerated motion at the >3σ level. Although most
features within a jet typically have speeds within ∼40% of a
characteristic median value, we identified 55 features in 42 jets that
had unusually slow pattern speeds, nearly all of which lie within 4pc
(100pc deprojected) of the core feature. Our results, combined with
other speeds from the literature, indicate a strong correlation
between apparent jet speed and synchrotron peak frequency, with the
highest jet speeds being found only in low-peaked AGNs. Using Monte
Carlo simulations, we find best-fit parent population parameters for a
complete sample of 174 quasars above 1.5Jy at 15GHz. Acceptable fits
are found with a jet population that has a simple unbeamed power-law
luminosity function incorporating pure luminosity evolution and a
power-law Lorentz factor distribution ranging from 1.25 to 50 with
slope -1.4±0.2. The parent jets of the brightest radio quasars have
a space density of 261±19Gpc-3 and unbeamed 15GHz luminosities
above ∼1024.5W/Hz, consistent with FRII class radio galaxies.
Description:
The observational data set consists of 15GHz VLBA observations of 409
AGNs obtained between 1994 August 31 and 2016 December 26 as part of
the 2cm VLBA survey and Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei
with VLBA Experiments (MOJAVE) program, with supplementary data from
the NRAO archive.
File Summary:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ReadMe 80 . This file
table1.dat 100 204 AGN properties
table2.dat 115 230 *MOJAVE 1.5Jy quarter century AGN sample properties
table3.dat 62 39294 Fitted jet features
table4.dat 166 1743 Vector motion fit properties of jet features
table5.dat 171 881 Acceleration fit properties of jet features
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note on table2.dat: In Lister+ (2011, J/ApJ/742/27 and 2013, J/AJ/146/120),
we compiled the MOJAVE 1.5Jy sample, which consists of all AGNs north
of J2000 decl. -30° known to have exceeded 1.5Jy in 15GHz VLBA
correlated flux density between 1994.0 and 2010.0.
We have now extended the selection period to encompass 25yr
(1994.0-2019.0), and use the extensive 15GHz OVRO, RATAN 600m, and
14.5GHz University of Michigan Radio Observatory (UMRAO) monitoring
databases to identify additional AGNs meeting our selection criteria.
See Section 2.1 for further details.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also:
VII/249 : 6dF-DR2 Galaxy Survey (Jones+, 2005)
VII/260 : The SDSS-DR7 quasar catalog (Schneider+, 2010)
VII/279 : SDSS quasar catalog: twelfth data release (Paris+, 2017)
J/ApJ/430/467 : Superluminal motions for extragal. sources (Vermeulen+, 1994)
J/AJ/130/1389 : Linear polarization of AGN jets at 15GHz (Lister+, 2005)
J/ApJ/626/95 : Gamma-ray blazar candidates (Sowards-Emmerd+, 2005)
J/A+A/445/441 : SED of BL Lacertae objects (Nieppola+, 2006)
J/A+A/488/867 : Synchrotron peak frequency of 135 AGN (Nieppola+, 2008)
J/ApJ/706/1253 : MOJAVE VII. Blazar jet acceleration (Homan+, 2009)
J/AJ/137/3718 : 15GHz monitoring of AGN jets with VLBA (Lister+, 2009)
J/AJ/138/1874 : MOJAVE. VI. Kinematic analysis of blazar jets (Lister+, 2009)
J/ApJ/743/171 : The 2LAC catalog (Ackermann+, 2011)
J/ApJ/742/27 : 15GHz and jet properties of MOJAVE blazars (Lister+, 2011)
J/ApJ/740/98 : Synchroton peak for blazars and radio galaxies (Meyer+, 2011)
J/ApJS/194/29 : Observations of blazars at 15GHz (Richards+, 2011)
J/ApJ/756/116 : FR II radio galaxies from MaxBCG (Antognini+, 2012)
J/ApJ/748/49 : Optical spectroscopy of 1LAC broad-line blazars (Shaw+, 2012)
J/AJ/146/120 : MOJAVE. X. Parsec-scale kinematics of AGNs (Lister+, 2013)
J/ApJ/764/135 : Spectroscopic redshifts of BL Lac objects (Shaw+, 2013)
J/MNRAS/445/955 : Radio-AGN feedback for 0.5<z<1 (Best+, 2014)
J/AJ/147/143 : MOJAVE. XI. Spectral distributions (Hovatta+, 2014)
J/ApJ/810/14 : Third catalog of LAT-detected AGNs (3LAC) (Ackermann+, 2015)
J/ApJ/798/134 : MOJAVE. XII. Acceleration of blazar jets (Homan+, 2015)
J/MNRAS/450/3568 : Non-Fermi blazar sample (Xiong+, 2015)
J/AJ/152/12 : MOJAVE. XIII. New 15GHz obs. on 1994-2013 (Lister+, 2016)
J/ApJS/232/18 : The third Fermi-LAT >10GeV catalog (3FHL) (Ajello+, 2017)
J/A+A/598/A17 : The 2WHSP catalog (Chang+, 2017)
J/ApJ/846/98 : Jet kinematics of blazars at 43GHz with VLBA (Jorstad+, 2017)
J/ApJ/842/87 : Radio luminosity function of FSRQs (Mao+, 2017)
J/MNRAS/468/4992 : MOJAVE XIV. AGN jets (Pushkarev+, 2017)
J/ApJ/866/137 : Bright blazars variability brightness temp. (Liodakis+, 2018)
J/ApJS/234/12 : MOJAVE XV. 15GHz obs. of AGN jets 1996-2016 (Lister+, 2018)
J/ApJ/853/68 : Multi-epoch VLBA imaging of 20 Tev blazars (Piner+, 2018)
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/MOJAVE/ : MOJAVE program homepage
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table1.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 A8 --- ID The B1950 epoch coordinate identifier
10- 12 A3 --- f_ID Flag on ID (G1)
14- 33 A20 --- OName Alias
35 A1 --- Cl Optical classification (1)
37- 42 F6.4 --- z [0.016/3.3]? Spectroscopic redshift
44- 47 F4.1 [Hz] lognu [11.9/17.1]? Log observer frame
synchrotron peak frequency
49- 50 A2 --- r_lognu Reference code for lognu (G2)
52- 57 F6.1 uarcsec/yr muMax [1.2/2251]? Maximum jet speed
59- 63 F5.1 uarcsec/yr e_muMax [1.8/187]? Uncertainty in muMax
65 A1 --- f_muMax [c] Flag on muMax (2)
67- 73 F7.4 --- betaMax [0.03/35]? Maximum jet speed in unit of c
75- 80 F6.4 --- e_betaMax [0.006/8]? Uncertainty in betaMax
82-100 A19 --- Ref Bibcode for z and/or Opt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1): Optical classification as follows:
B = BL Lac (79 occurrences);
Q = quasar (101 occurrences);
G = radio galaxy (16 occurrences);
N = narrow-line Seyfert 1 (4 occurrences);
U = unknown spectral class (4 occurrences).
Note (2): Flag as follows:
c = Speed measurement from Piner, Pant & Edwards 2010ApJ...723.1150P 2010ApJ...723.1150P
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table2.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 A8 --- ID The B1950 epoch coordinate identifier
10- 12 A3 --- f_ID Flag on ID (G1)
14- 29 A16 --- OName Alias (1)
31 A1 --- Cl Optical classification (2)
33- 40 F8.6 --- z [0.004/3.4]? Spectroscopic redshift
42- 46 F5.2 Jy Smax [1.5/42.3] Maximum 15GHz VLBA flux
density between 1994.0 and 2019.0
48- 51 F4.1 [Hz] lognu [11.8/15]? log observer frame synchrotron
peak frequency
53- 54 A2 --- r_lognu Reference code for lognu (G2)
56- 62 F7.2 uarcsec/yr muMax [2/2861]? Maximum jet speed
64- 69 F6.2 uarcsec/yr e_muMax [0.9/191]? Uncertainty in muMax
71 A1 --- f_muMax [c] Flag on muMax (3)
73- 79 F7.4 --- betaMax [0.019/41.5]? Maximum jet speed
in unit of c
81- 86 F6.4 --- e_betaMax [0.0018/6.2]? Uncertainty in betaMax
88-115 A28 --- Ref Bibcode for z and/or Opt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1): OC -010 is a misprint for OH -010 ( in Simbad);
ID corrected at CDS.
Note (2): Optical classification as follows:
B = BL Lac (38 occurrences);
Q = quasar (175 occurrences);
G = radio galaxy (10 occurrences);
N = narrow-line Seyfert 1 (1 occurrence);
U = unknown spectral class (6 occurrences).
Note (3): Flag as follows:
c = Speed measurement from Jorstad+, 2017, J/ApJ/846/98
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table3.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 A8 --- ID The B1950 epoch coordinate identifier
10- 11 I2 --- F [0/67] Feature identification number (1)
13- 13 A1 --- f_F [a] Flag on F (G3)
15- 18 I4 yr Obs.Y [1994/2016] Year of the observation
20- 22 A3 "month" Obs.M Month of the observation
24- 25 I2 d Obs.D [1/31] Day of the observation
27- 33 F7.1 mJy I [0.5/28698]? Flux density at 15GHz
35- 39 F5.2 mas r [0.01/67]? Position offset (2)
41- 45 F5.1 deg PA ? Position angle (2)
47- 51 F5.2 mas MajAxis [0.01/16.6]? FWHM major axis (3)
53- 56 F4.2 --- Ratio [0/1]? Axial ratio (3)
58- 60 I3 deg MajPA [0/360]? Major axis position angle (3)
62 A1 --- T? Robust feature flag; (Y)es or (N)o
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1): Zero indicates a core feature.
Note (2): With respect to the core feature (or map center for the core feature
entries).
Note (3): Of fitted Gaussian.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table4.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 A8 --- ID The B1950 epoch coordinate identifier
10- 11 I2 --- F [1/67] Feature identification number
13 A1 --- f_F [a] Flag on F (G3)
15- 17 I3 --- Num [5/151] Number of fitted epoches
19- 22 I4 mJy Savg [1/6994] Mean flux density at 15GHz
24- 28 F5.2 mas Ravg [0.09/66.1] Mean distance
from core feature
30- 35 F6.2 pc dproj [0.03/330.1]? Mean projected distance
from core feature
37- 41 F5.1 deg theta [0.0/359.3] Mean position angle
with respect to the core feature
43- 48 F6.2 deg phi Position angle of velocity vector
50- 55 F6.2 deg e_phi [0.3/125] Uncertainty in phi
57- 58 A2 --- f_phi Flag on phi (1)
60- 65 F6.2 deg Diff [0/180] Offset between and phi
67- 72 F6.2 deg e_Diff [0.36/125] Uncertainty in Diff
74- 75 A2 --- f_Diff Flag on Diff (2)
77- 83 F7.2 uarcsec/yr pm [0.5/2861] Proper motion
85- 90 F6.2 uarcsec/yr e_pm [0.35/331] Uncertainty in pm
92 A1 --- f_pm Flag on pm (3)
94-101 F8.5 --- beta [0.00062/41.5]? Apparent speed
in unit of c
103-110 F8.5 --- e_beta [0.0006/25]? Uncertainty in beta
112-119 F8.3 yr tej [1945.2/2016.3]? Estimated epoch of
origin
121-126 F6.3 yr e_tej [0.014/13]? Uncertainty in tej
128-134 F7.2 yr tmid [1996.1/2016.7] Date of reference
(middle) epoch used for fit
136-143 F8.1 uarcsec alpham [-30321/25434] Fitted RA position (4)
145-149 F5.1 uarcsec e_alpham [1.1/369] Uncertainty in alpham
151-159 F9.2 uarcsec deltam [-66070/24158] Fitted DE position (4)
161-166 F6.2 uarcsec e_deltam [0.94/316] Uncertainty in deltam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1): Flag as follows:
c = Feature has significant inward motion according to the
vector motion fit.
c? = feature whose motion is not consistent with outward, radial motion but
for which the possibility of inward motion and its degree of
non-radialness are uncertain.
Note (2): Flag as follows:
b = Feature has significant non-radial motion according to the
vector motion fit.
b? = Feature whose motion is not consistent with outward, radial motion but
for which the possibility of inward motion and its degree of
non-radialness are uncertain.
Note (3): Flag as follows:
d = Feature has slow pattern speed.
Note (4): With respect to the core at the middle epoch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Byte-by-byte Description of file: table5.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 8 A8 --- ID The B1950 epoch coordinate identifier
10- 11 I2 --- F [1/67] Feature identification number
13 A1 --- f_F [a] Flag on F (1)
15- 20 F6.2 deg phi [-0.25/359] Proper motion position
angle
22- 27 F6.2 deg e_phi [0.28/123] Uncertainty in phi
29- 30 A2 --- f_phi Flag on phi (2)
32- 37 F6.2 deg Diff [0/180] Offset between and phi
39- 44 F6.2 deg e_Diff [0.3/123] Uncertainty in Diff
46- 47 A2 --- f_Diff Flag on Diff (3)
49- 55 F7.2 uarcsec/yr pm [1.2/2879] Proper motion
57- 62 F6.2 uarcsec/yr e_pm [0.35/234] Uncertainty in pm
64- 71 F8.5 --- beta [0.00063/37.8]? Apparent speed
in units of c
73- 79 F7.5 --- e_beta [0.0006/4]? Uncertainty in beta
81- 87 F7.2 uarcsec/yr2 dotmu [0.4/2681] Acceleration
89- 95 F7.2 uarcsec/yr2 e_dotmu [0.12/1755] Uncertainty in dotmu
97-101 F5.1 deg psi Acceleration vector position angle
103-107 F5.1 deg e_psi [2/131] Uncertainty in psi
109-116 F8.2 uarcsec/yr2 dotmuPerp [-1246/2046] Acceleration
perpendicular to velocity direction
118-124 F7.2 uarcsec/yr2 e_dotmuPerp [0.12/1063] Uncertainty in dotmuPerp
126-133 F8.2 uarcsec/yr2 dotmuPl [-1343/2374] Acceleration parallel to
velocity direction
135-141 F7.2 uarcsec/yr2 e_dotmuPl [0.13/1693] Uncertainty in dotmuPl
143-150 F8.1 uarcsec alpham [-20426/16876] Fitted RA position
152-156 F5.1 uarcsec e_alpham [3.3/431] Uncertainty in alpham
158-165 F8.1 uarcsec deltam [-66234/24153] Fitted DE position
167-171 F5.1 uarcsec e_deltam [3/308] Uncertainty in deltam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1): Flag as follows:
a = Feature shows significant accelerated motion.
Note (2): Flag as follows:
c = Feature shows significant inward motion according to
the acceleration fit.
c? = Feature whose motion is not consistent with outward, radial motion but
for which the possibility of inward motion and its degree of
non-radialness are uncertain.
Note (3): Flag as follows:
b = Feature shows significant non-radial motion according to
the acceleration fit.
b? = Feature whose motion is not consistent with outward, radial motion but
for which the possibility of inward motion and its degree of
non-radialness are uncertain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Global notes:
Note (G1): Flag as follows:
a = Known association with Fermi-LAT gamma-ray source.
b = Known TeV gamma-ray emitter (http://tevcat.uchicago.edu).
Note (G2): Reference as follows:
1 = ASDC SED builder
2 = Meyer et al. 2011, J/ApJ/740/98
3 = Nieppola et al. 2008, J/A+A/488/867
4 = Ackermann et la. 2011, J/ApJ/743/171
5 = Nieppola et al. 2006, J/A+A/445/441
6 = Abdo et al. 2009ApJ...707...55A 2009ApJ...707...55A
7 = Abdo et al. 2009ApJ...707L.142A 2009ApJ...707L.142A
8 = Hervet et al. 2015A&A...578A..69H 2015A&A...578A..69H
9 = Hervet, Boisson & Sol 2015A&A...578A..69H 2015A&A...578A..69H
10 = Ackermann et al. 2015, J/ApJ/810/14
11 = Xiong et al. 2015, J/MNRAS/450/3568
12 = Chang et al. 2017, J/A+A/598/A17
13 = Ajello et al. 2017, J/ApJS/232/18
Note (G3): Flag as follows:
a = Individual feature epoch not sued in kinematic fits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acknowledgements:
Prof. Matthew Lister [Purdue University]
History:
From electronic version of the journal
References:
Lister et al. Paper I. 2005AJ....130.1389L 2005AJ....130.1389L Cat. J/AJ/130/1389
Homan et al. Paper II. 2006AJ....131.1262H 2006AJ....131.1262H Cat. J/AJ/131/1262
Cooper et al. Paper III. 2007ApJS..171..376C 2007ApJS..171..376C Cat. J/ApJS/171/376
Cara & Lister Paper IV. 2008ApJ...674..111C 2008ApJ...674..111C
Lister et al. Paper V. 2009AJ....137.3718L 2009AJ....137.3718L Cat. J/AJ/137/3718
Lister et al. Paper VI. 2009AJ....138.1874L 2009AJ....138.1874L Cat. J/AJ/138/1874
Homan et al. Paper VII. 2009ApJ...706.1253H 2009ApJ...706.1253H Cat. J/ApJ/706/1253
Hovatta et al. Paper VIII. 2012AJ....144..105H 2012AJ....144..105H Cat. J/AJ/144/105
Pushkarev et al. Paper IX. 2012A&A...545A.113P 2012A&A...545A.113P Cat. J/A+A/545/A113
Lister et al. Paper X. 2013AJ....146..120L 2013AJ....146..120L Cat. J/AJ/146/120
Hovatta et al. Paper XI. 2014AJ....147..143H 2014AJ....147..143H Cat. J/AJ/147/143
Homan et al. Paper XII. 2015ApJ...798..134H 2015ApJ...798..134H cat. J/ApJ/798/134
Lister et al. Paper XIII. 2016AJ....152...12L 2016AJ....152...12L Cat. J/AJ/152/12
Pushkarev et al. Paper XIV. 2017MNRAS.468.4992P 2017MNRAS.468.4992P Cat. J/MNRAS/468/4992
Lister et al. Paper XV. 2018ApJS..234...12L 2018ApJS..234...12L Cat. J/ApJS/234/12
Hodge et al. Paper XVI. 2018ApJ...862..151H 2018ApJ...862..151H Cat. J/ApJ/862/151
Lister et al. Paper XVII. 2019ApJ...874...43L 2019ApJ...874...43L This catalog
(End) Prepared by [AAS], Emmanuelle Perret [CDS] 27-Aug-2020