The Highly Self-Absorbed Blazar, PKS\,1351$-$018

Abstract

PKS\,1351$-$018 at a redshift of $z=3.71$ is one of the most luminous, steady synchrotron sources with a luminosity $>10^{47}$\,erg~s${}^{-1}$. The synchrotron luminosity does not seem to vary by more than $\sim 25\%$ over 35 years. In order to appreciate this remarkable behavior, if it were at $z=0.5$, it would have a flux density at 15 GHz in a range of $110-137$\,Jy over 11 yrs. In spite of this steady behavior, two strong $\gamma$-ray flares $\lesssim 10^{49}$\,erg~s${}^{-1}$ were detected in 2011 and 2016. There is blazar-like behavior coexisting with the steady behavior. This study is aimed at elucidating the dual nature of this source. We find that the radio source is extremely compact with a bright core and a steep spectrum secondary component, 12\,mas away, that appears to be constant in position and flux density in six epochs from 1995 to 2018. We estimate that a jet with a time averaged power of $(5.2\pm 3.2)\times 10^{45}$\,erg~s${}^{-1}$ terminates in this lobe that is advancing $\gtrsim 0.9c$ at a deprojected distance of $1-3$\,kpc from the central engine. This is the rare case of a young ($\sim 6000$\,yr), very powerful radio source that is viewed a few degrees from the jet axis. We find evidence of a high velocity (4000\,km~s${}^{-1}$), high ionization wind emanating form a luminous quasar. The young radio jet appears to experience modest bending as it navigates through the intense quasar environment.

To appear in ApJ

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Cited by in corpus (3)

• Astrometric Apparent Motion of High-redshift Radio Sources
• Superluminal Motion and Jet Parameters in the Gamma-ray-Emitting Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy TXS 1206+549
• Radio Jet Properties of the Flaring Gamma-Ray Blazar PKS 0346-27