CHANDRA Observations of X-ray Jet Structure on kpc to Mpc Scales

Abstract

With its exquisite spatial resolution of better than 0.5 arcsecond, the Chandra observatory is uniquely capable of resolving and studying the spatial structure of extragalactic X-ray jets on scales of a few to a few hundred kilo-parsec. Our analyses of four recent Chandra images of quasar jets interpret the X-ray emission as inverse Compton scattering of high energy electrons on the cosmic microwave background. We infer that these jets are in bulk relativistic motion, carrying kinetic powers upwards of 10^46 ergs/s to distances of hundreds of kpc, with very high efficiency.

arXiv comment4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the Bologna jet workshop, "The Physics of Relativistic Jets in the CHANDRA and XMM Era."

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• A Chandra Survey of Quasar Jets: First Results
• Physical conditions in potential sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays: Updated Hillas plot and radiation-loss constraints
• Observations of Magnetic Fields and Relativistic Beaming in Four Quasar Jets
• Chandra's Discovery of Activity in the Quiescent Nuclear Black Hole of NGC 821
• The Development and Scientific Impact of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory