Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87

Sheperd S. Doeleman; Vincent L. Fish; David E. Schenck; Christopher Beaudoin; Ray Blundell; Geoffrey C. Bower; Avery E. Broderick; Richard Chamberlin; Robert Freund; Per Friberg; Mark A. Gurwell; Paul T.P. Ho; Mareki Honma; Makoto Inoue; Thomas P. Krichbaum; James Lamb; Abraham Loeb; Colin Lonsdale; Daniel P. Marrone; James M. Moran; Tomoaki Oyama; Richard Plambeck; Rurik A. Primiani; Alan E.E. Rogers; Daniel L. Smythe; Jason SooHoo; Peter Strittmatter; Remo P.J. Tilanus; Michael Titus; Jonathan Weintroub; Melvyn Wright; Ken H. Young; Lucy M. Ziurys

doi:10.1126/science.1224768

Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87

Sheperd S. Doeleman
, Vincent L. Fish
, David E. Schenck
, Christopher Beaudoin
, Ray Blundell
, Geoffrey C. Bower
, Avery E. Broderick
, Richard Chamberlin
, Robert Freund
, Per Friberg
, Mark A. Gurwell
, Paul T.P. Ho
, Mareki Honma
, Makoto Inoue
, Thomas P. Krichbaum
, James Lamb
, Abraham Loeb
, Colin Lonsdale
, Daniel P. Marrone
, James M. Moran

Tomoaki Oyama, Richard Plambeck, Rurik A. Primiani, Alan E.E. Rogers, Daniel L. Smythe, Jason SooHoo, Peter Strittmatter, Remo P.J. Tilanus, Michael Titus, Jonathan Weintroub, Melvyn Wright, Ken H. Young, Lucy M. Ziurys

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

364 Scopus citations

Abstract

Approximately 10% of active galactic nuclei exhibit relativistic jets, which are powered by the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes. Although the measured width profiles of such jets on large scales agree with theories of magnetic collimation, the predicted structure on accretion disk scales at the jet launch point has not been detected. We report radio interferometry observations, at a wavelength of 1.3 millimeters, of the elliptical galaxy M87 that spatially resolve the base of the jet in this source. The derived size of 5.5 ± 0.4 Schwarzschild radii is significantly smaller than the innermost edge of a retrograde accretion disk, suggesting that the M87 jet is powered by an accretion disk in a prograde orbit around a spinning black hole.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	355-358
Number of pages	4
Journal	Science
Volume	338
Issue number	6105
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224768
State	Published - Oct 19 2012

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

Access to Document

10.1126/science.1224768

Cite this

Doeleman, S. S., Fish, V. L., Schenck, D. E., Beaudoin, C., Blundell, R., Bower, G. C., Broderick, A. E., Chamberlin, R., Freund, R., Friberg, P., Gurwell, M. A., Ho, P. T. P., Honma, M., Inoue, M., Krichbaum, T. P., Lamb, J., Loeb, A., Lonsdale, C., Marrone, D. P., ... Ziurys, L. M. (2012). Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87. Science, 338(6105), 355-358. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224768

Doeleman, SS, Fish, VL, Schenck, DE, Beaudoin, C, Blundell, R, Bower, GC, Broderick, AE, Chamberlin, R, Freund, R, Friberg, P, Gurwell, MA, Ho, PTP, Honma, M, Inoue, M, Krichbaum, TP, Lamb, J, Loeb, A, Lonsdale, C, Marrone, DP, Moran, JM, Oyama, T, Plambeck, R, Primiani, RA, Rogers, AEE, Smythe, DL, SooHoo, J, Strittmatter, P , Tilanus, RPJ, Titus, M, Weintroub, J, Wright, M, Young, KH & Ziurys, LM 2012, 'Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87', Science, vol. 338, no. 6105, pp. 355-358. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1224768

@article{e37cdc22bcec4351b3223f132370ff63,

title = "Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87",

abstract = "Approximately 10\% of active galactic nuclei exhibit relativistic jets, which are powered by the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes. Although the measured width profiles of such jets on large scales agree with theories of magnetic collimation, the predicted structure on accretion disk scales at the jet launch point has not been detected. We report radio interferometry observations, at a wavelength of 1.3 millimeters, of the elliptical galaxy M87 that spatially resolve the base of the jet in this source. The derived size of 5.5 ± 0.4 Schwarzschild radii is significantly smaller than the innermost edge of a retrograde accretion disk, suggesting that the M87 jet is powered by an accretion disk in a prograde orbit around a spinning black hole.",

author = "Doeleman, \{Sheperd S.\} and Fish, \{Vincent L.\} and Schenck, \{David E.\} and Christopher Beaudoin and Ray Blundell and Bower, \{Geoffrey C.\} and Broderick, \{Avery E.\} and Richard Chamberlin and Robert Freund and Per Friberg and Gurwell, \{Mark A.\} and Ho, \{Paul T.P.\} and Mareki Honma and Makoto Inoue and Krichbaum, \{Thomas P.\} and James Lamb and Abraham Loeb and Colin Lonsdale and Marrone, \{Daniel P.\} and Moran, \{James M.\} and Tomoaki Oyama and Richard Plambeck and Primiani, \{Rurik A.\} and Rogers, \{Alan E.E.\} and Smythe, \{Daniel L.\} and Jason SooHoo and Peter Strittmatter and Tilanus, \{Remo P.J.\} and Michael Titus and Jonathan Weintroub and Melvyn Wright and Young, \{Ken H.\} and Ziurys, \{Lucy M.\}",

year = "2012",

month = oct,

day = "19",

doi = "10.1126/science.1224768",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "338",

pages = "355--358",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6105",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87

AU - Doeleman, Sheperd S.

AU - Fish, Vincent L.

AU - Schenck, David E.

AU - Beaudoin, Christopher

AU - Blundell, Ray

AU - Bower, Geoffrey C.

AU - Broderick, Avery E.

AU - Chamberlin, Richard

AU - Freund, Robert

AU - Friberg, Per

AU - Gurwell, Mark A.

AU - Ho, Paul T.P.

AU - Honma, Mareki

AU - Inoue, Makoto

AU - Krichbaum, Thomas P.

AU - Lamb, James

AU - Loeb, Abraham

AU - Lonsdale, Colin

AU - Marrone, Daniel P.

AU - Moran, James M.

AU - Oyama, Tomoaki

AU - Plambeck, Richard

AU - Primiani, Rurik A.

AU - Rogers, Alan E.E.

AU - Smythe, Daniel L.

AU - SooHoo, Jason

AU - Strittmatter, Peter

AU - Tilanus, Remo P.J.

AU - Titus, Michael

AU - Weintroub, Jonathan

AU - Wright, Melvyn

AU - Young, Ken H.

AU - Ziurys, Lucy M.

PY - 2012/10/19

Y1 - 2012/10/19

N2 - Approximately 10% of active galactic nuclei exhibit relativistic jets, which are powered by the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes. Although the measured width profiles of such jets on large scales agree with theories of magnetic collimation, the predicted structure on accretion disk scales at the jet launch point has not been detected. We report radio interferometry observations, at a wavelength of 1.3 millimeters, of the elliptical galaxy M87 that spatially resolve the base of the jet in this source. The derived size of 5.5 ± 0.4 Schwarzschild radii is significantly smaller than the innermost edge of a retrograde accretion disk, suggesting that the M87 jet is powered by an accretion disk in a prograde orbit around a spinning black hole.

AB - Approximately 10% of active galactic nuclei exhibit relativistic jets, which are powered by the accretion of matter onto supermassive black holes. Although the measured width profiles of such jets on large scales agree with theories of magnetic collimation, the predicted structure on accretion disk scales at the jet launch point has not been detected. We report radio interferometry observations, at a wavelength of 1.3 millimeters, of the elliptical galaxy M87 that spatially resolve the base of the jet in this source. The derived size of 5.5 ± 0.4 Schwarzschild radii is significantly smaller than the innermost edge of a retrograde accretion disk, suggesting that the M87 jet is powered by an accretion disk in a prograde orbit around a spinning black hole.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84867683536

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84867683536#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1126/science.1224768

DO - 10.1126/science.1224768

M3 - Article

C2 - 23019611

AN - SCOPUS:84867683536

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 338

SP - 355

EP - 358

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6105

ER -

Jet-launching structure resolved near the supermassive black hole in M87

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this