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arXiv · 1605.07100

A Highly Magnetized Twin-Jet Base Pinpoints a Supermassive Black Hole

A. -K. Baczko·R. Schulz·M. Kadler·E. Ros·M. Perucho·T. P. Krichbaum·M. Böck·M. Bremer·C. Grossberger·M. Lindqvist·A. P. Lobanov·K. Mannheim·I. Martí-Vidal·C. Müller·J. Wilms·J. A. Zensus
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Abstract

Supermassive black holes (SMBH) are essential for the production of jets in radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGN). Theoretical models based on Blandford & Znajek extract the rotational energy from a Kerr black hole, which could be the case for NGC1052, to launch these jets. This requires magnetic fields of the order of $10^3\,$G to $10^4\,$G. We imaged the vicinity of the SMBH of the AGN NGC1052 with the Global Millimetre VLBI Array and found a bright and compact central feature, smaller than 1.9 light days (100 Schwarzschild radii) in radius. Interpreting this as a blend of the unresolved jet bases, we derive the magnetic field at 1 Schwarzschild radius to lie between 200 G and ~80000 G consistent with Blandford & Znajek models.

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A. -K. Baczko, R. Schulz, M. Kadler, E. Ros, M. Perucho, T. P. Krichbaum, M. Böck, M. Bremer, C. Grossberger, M. Lindqvist, A. P. Lobanov, K. Mannheim, I. Martí-Vidal, C. Müller, J. Wilms, J. A. Zensus. 2016-05-23. A Highly Magnetized Twin-Jet Base Pinpoints a Supermassive Black Hole. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201527951

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