Proper motions and velocity asymmetries in the RW Aur jet

Abstract

We present adaptive optics spectro-imaging observations of the RW Aur jet in optical forbidden lines, at an angular resolution of 0.4 arcsec. Comparison with HST data taken 2 years later shows that proper motions in the blueshifted and redshifted lobes are in the same ratio as their radial velocities, a direct proof that the velocity asymmetry in this jet is real and not an emissivity effect. The inferred jet inclination to the line of sight is i = 46 +/- 3 degrees. The inner knot spacing appears best explained by time variability with at least two modes: one irregular and asymmetric (possibly random) on timescales of <3-10 yr, and another more regular with ~ 20 yr period. We also report indirect evidence for correlated velocity and excitation gradients in the redshifted lobe, possibly related to the blue/red velocity and brightness asymmetry in this system.

4 pags, 3 figures

References in corpus (4)

• HST/STIS spectroscopy of the optical outflow from DG Tau: structure and kinematics on sub-arcsecond scales
• HST/STIS Observations of the Bipolar Jet from RW Aurigae: Tracing Outflow Asymmetries Close to the Source
• Non-axisymmetric accretion on the classical TTS RW Aur A
• Structure and Stability of Keplerian MHD Jets

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