Continuing a Chandra Survey of Quasar Radio Jets

Abstract

We are conducting an X-ray survey of flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) with extended radio structures. We summarize our results from the first stage of our survey, then we present findings from its continuation. We have discovered jet X-ray emission from 12 of our first 20 Chandra targets, establishing that strong 0.5-7.0 keV emission is a common feature of FSRQ jets. The X-ray morphology is varied, but in general closely matches the radio structure until the first sharp radio bend. In the sources with optical data as well as X-ray detections we rule out simple synchrotron models for X-ray emission, suggesting these systems may instead be dominated by inverse Compton (IC) scattering. Fitting models of IC scattering of cosmic microwave background photons suggests that these jets are aligned within a few degrees of our line of sight, with bulk Lorentz factors of a few to ten and magnetic fields a bit stronger than $10^{-5}$ G. In the weeks prior to this meeting, we have discovered two new X-ray jets at $z > 1$. One (PKS B1055+201) has a dramatic, $20''$-long jet. The other (PKS B1421-490) appears unremarkable at radio frequencies, but at higher frequencies the jet is uniquely powerful: its optically-dominated, with jet/core flux ratios of 3.7 at 1 keV and 380 at 480 nm.