Sub-milliarcsecond Imaging of Quasars and Active Galactic Nuclei. IV. Fine Scale Structure

Abstract

We have used VLBA fringe visibility data obtained at 15 GHz to examine the compact structure in 250 extragalactic radio sources. For 171 sources in our sample, more than half of the total flux density seen by the VLBA remains unresolved on the longest baselines. There are 163 sources in our list with a median correlated flux density at 15 GHz in excess of 0.5 Jy on the longest baselines. For about 60% of the sources, we have at least one observation in which the core component appears unresolved (generally smaller than 0.05 mas) in one direction, usually transverse to the direction into which the jet extends. BL Lacs are on average more compact than quasars, while active galaxies are on average less compact. Also, in an active galaxy the sub-milliarcsecond core component tends to be less dominant. IDV sources typically have a more compact, more core-dominated structure on sub-milliarcsecond scales than non-IDV sources, and sources with a greater amplitude of intra-day variations tend to have a greater unresolved VLBA flux density. The objects known to be GeV gamma-ray loud appear to have a more compact VLBA structure than the other sources in our sample. This suggests that the mechanisms for the production of gamma-ray emission and for the generation of compact radio synchrotron emitting features are related. The brightness temperature estimates and lower limits for the cores in our sample typically range between 10^11 and 10^13 K, but they extend up to 5x10^13 K, apparently in excess of the equipartition brightness temperature, or the inverse Compton limit for stationary synchrotron sources. The largest component speeds are observed in radio sources with high observed brightness temperatures, as would be expected from relativistic beaming (abridged).