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Probing the B-fields of AGN jets on kiloparsec scales - NGC 6251

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 April 2020

Sebastian Knuettel Open the ORCID record for Sebastian Knuettel [Opens in a new window]  and
Denise Gabuzda
Sebastian Knuettel
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland email: [email protected]
Denise Gabuzda
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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By constructing images of the Faraday rotation measure (RM) of large scale astrophysical jets, the line-of-sight magnetic field component and electron density in the region of Farady rotation can be investigated. A significant gradient in the RM transverse to the jet direction may indicate a corresponding gradient in the line-of-sight magnetic field, implying a toroidal or helical magnetic field, which would, in turn, imply the presence of an associated electrical current in the jet. The detection of such large scale gradients can reliably demonstrate that helical or toroidal fields can persist to large distances from the central AGN. We present a kiloparsec-scale Faraday rotation map of NGC 6251 that shows statistically significant transverse RM gradients across its kiloparsec scale jet structure that imply an outward current.

Keywords

galaxies: activemagnetic fieldspolarizationgalaxies: individual (NGC 6251)
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 14 , Symposium S342: Perseus in Sicily: From Black Hole to Cluster Outskirts , May 2018 , pp. 244 - 245
Copyright
© International Astronomical Union 2020

References

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