arXiv subjects

Ailing Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Ailing Wang.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2023

Mildly Relativistic Motion in the Radio Quiet Quasar PG 1351+640

Measuring the proper motion of the emission component in radio-quiet quasars (RQQs) could help to distinguish between the origins of the radio emission and to understand whether the jet production mechanism is the same in radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and RQQs. PG 1351+640 is one of the few RQQs suitable for proper motion studies: it has two compact components on milli-arcsecond scales, a flat-spectrum core and a steep-spectrum jet; both components are >2 mJy at 5 GHz and are well suited for Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations. We compare recent VLBA observations with that made seventeen years ago and find no significant change in the core-jet separation between 2005 and 2015 (a proper motion of 0.003 mas yr-1). However, the core-jet separation increased significantly between 2015 and 2022, inferring a jet proper motion velocity of 0.063 mas yr-1, which corresponds to an apparent transverse velocity of 0.37c. The result suggests that the jet of the RQQ PG 1351+640 is mildly relativistic and oriented at a relatively small viewing angle.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

High-resolution Imaging of Two Radio Quasars at the End of the Reionization Epoch

There are approximately 250 quasars discovered at redshift $z\geq6$, of which only a handful were detected in radio bands, and even fewer were imaged with the highest resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique. Here we report the results of our dual-frequency observations with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) of two such recently discovered quasars, VIKING J231818.35$-$311346.3 at $z=6.44$ and FIRST J233153.20$+$112952.11 at $z=6.57$. Both extremely distant sources were imaged with VLBI for the first time. The radio properties of the former are consistent with those of quasars with young radio jets. The latter has an UV/optical spectrum characteristic of BL Lac objects, of which no others have been found beyond redshift 4 so far. Our VLBA observations revealed a flat-spectrum compact radio source.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2023

High-Frequency and High-Resolution VLBI Observations of GHz Peaked Spectrum Objects

Observational studies of GHz peaked spectrum (GPS) sources contribute to the understanding of the radiative properties and interstellar environment of host galaxies. We present the results from the multi-frequency high-resolution VLBI observations of a sample of nine GPS sources at 8, 15, and 43 GHz. All sources show a core-jet structure. Four sources show relativistic jets with Doppler boosting factors ranging from 2.0 to 5.0 and a jet viewing angle between 10° and 30°. The core brightness temperatures of the other five sources are below the equipartition brightness temperature limit with their jet viewing angles in the range of 13.6° degrees to 71.9°, which are systematically larger than those of relativistic jets in this sample. The sources show diverse variability properties, with variability levels ranging from 0.11 to 0.56. The measured turnover frequency in the radio spectrum ranges from 6.2 and 31.8 GHz. We estimate the equipartition magnetic field strength to be between 9 and 48 mG. These results strongly support the notion that these GPS sources are young radio sources in the very early stage of their evolution.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Interactions between the jet and disk wind in a nearby radio intermediate quasar III Zw 2

Disk winds and jets are ubiquitous in active galactic nuclei (AGN), and how these two components interact remains an open question. We study the radio properties of a radio-intermediate quasar III Zw 2. We detect two jet knots J1 and J2 on parsec scales, which move at a mildly apparent superluminal speed of $1.35\,c$. Two $γ$-ray flares were detected in III Zw 2 in 2009--2010, corresponding to the primary radio flare in late 2009 and the secondary radio flare in early 2010. The primary 2009 flare was found to be associated with the ejection of J2. The secondary 2010 flare occurred at a distance of $\sim$0.3 parsec from the central engine, probably resulting from the collision of the jet with the accretion disk wind. The variability characteristics of III Zw 2 (periodic radio flares, unstable periodicity, multiple quasi-periodic signals and possible harmonic relations between them) can be explained by the global instabilities of the accretion disk. These instabilities originating from the outer part of the warped disk propagate inwards and can lead to modulation of the accretion rate and consequent jet ejection. At the same time, the wobbling of the outer disk may also lead to oscillations of the boundary between the disk wind and the jet tunnel, resulting in changes in the jet-wind collision site. III Zw 2 is one of the few cases observed with jet-wind interactions, and the study in this paper is of general interest for gaining insight into the dynamic processes in the nuclear regions of AGN.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

Is the X-ray bright z = 5.5 quasar SRGE J170245.3+130104 a blazar?

Jets may have contributed to promoting the growth of seed black holes in the early Universe, and thus observations of radio-loud high-redshift quasars are crucial to understanding the growth and evolution of the early supermassive black holes. Here we report the radio properties of an X-ray bright $z=5.5$ quasar, SRGE J170245.3+130104 (J1702+1301). Our high-resolution radio images reveal the radio counterpart at the optical position of J1702+1301, while another radio component is also detected at $\sim$23.5\arcsec\ to the southwest. Our analysis suggests that this southwest component is associated with a foreground galaxy at $z\approx 0.677$, which is mixed with J1702+1301 in low-frequency low-resolution radio images. After removing the contamination from this foreground source, we recalculated the radio loudness of J1702+1301 to be $R>$1100, consistent with those of blazars. J1702+1301 exhibits a flat radio spectrum ($α= -0.17 \pm 0.05$, $S \propto ν^α$) between 0.15 and 5 GHz; above 5 GHz, it shows a rising spectrum shape, and the spectral index $α^{8.2}_{4.7}$ appears to be correlated with the variation of the flux density: in burst states, $α^{8.2}_{4.7}$ becomes larger. J1702+1301 displays distinct radio variability on timescales from weeks to years in the source's rest frame. These radio properties, including high radio loudness, rising spectrum, and rapid variability, tend to support it as a blazar.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2022

VLBI Observations of a sample of Palomar-Green quasars I: parsec-scale morphology

We observed 20 Palomar-Green (PG) quasars at low redshift ($z<0.5$) with total flux density > 1 mJy, including 4 radio-loud quasars (RLQs) and 16 radio-quiet quasars (RQQs), using the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 5 GHz. Ten RQQs are clearly detected in the VLBA images, and a compact radio core is identified in eight of them, indicating the prevalence of active galactic nucleus (AGN)-related radio emission in this flux-density-limited RQQ sample. The RQQs and RLQs in our sample have a division at $\sim$30~mJy. The radio emission from RQQs appears to be the result of a combination of star formation and AGN-associated activities. All RQQs in our sample have a 5 GHz flux density ratio of Very Large Array (VLA) A-array to D-array $f_{\rm c} = S_{\rm A}^{\rm VLA}/S_{\rm D}^{\rm VLA}$ above 0.2. The RQQs with $f_a$ (VLBA and VLA flux density ratio $S^{\rm VLBA}/S_{\rm A}^{\rm VLA}) > 0.2$ versus $f_a < 0.2$ show significant differences in morphology, compactness and total flux density. $f_{\rm a}$ of RQQs is systematically lower than that of RLQs, probably due to the extended jets or relic jets of RQQs on 10s to 100s parsecs which are resolved out in VLBA images. Future larger samples, especially with the addition of milli-arcsec resolution radio images of RQQs with total flux densities below 1 mJy, can test the conclusions of this paper and contributes to the understanding of the radio emission mechanism of RQQs, and the dichotomy and physical connection between RQQs and RLQs.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

Improve Sensing and Communication Performance of UAV via Integrated Sensing and Communication

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) needs to sense the environment to ensure safe flight, and the sensing accuracy and communication delay performance are two important indicators of safe flight. The strategy of using integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) technology to improve the sensing and communication performance is proposed in this paper. On the one hand, the extended kalman filter (EKF) algorithm is adopted to achieve the fusion of communication location information and sensing information to improve the accuracy of target sensing. On the other hand, a Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) method based on ISAC is proposed to reduce communication delay. Compared with the traditional IFF method, the integrated technology used for IFF can realize the radar sensing and communication interrogating functions in parallel, greatly shortening the sensing time. Simulation results show that using ISAC technology, the sensing performance of UAV has been greatly improved, the communication delay can be reduced by up to 50%, the accuracy of target sensing can be improved by 24.2% when communication location information and radar sensing information have the same sensing accuracy.

cs.NI↗

arXiv2022

A compact symmetric radio source born at one-tenth the current age of the Universe

Studies of high redshift radio galaxies can shed light on the activity of active galactic nuclei (AGN) in massive elliptical galaxies, and on the assembly and evolution of galaxy clusters in the Universe. J1606+3124 has been tentatively identified as a radio galaxy at a redshift of 4.56, at an era of one-tenth of the current age of the Universe. Very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) images show a compact triple structure with a size of 68 parsecs. The radio properties of J1606+3124, including the edge-brightening morphology, peaked GHz radio spectrum, slow variability, and low jet speed, consistently indicate that it is a compact symmetric object (CSO). The radio source size and expansion rate of the hotspots suggest that J1606+3124 is a young (kinematic age of ~3600 years) radio source. Infrared observations reveal a gas- and dust-rich host galaxy environment, which may hinder the growth of the jet; however, the ultra-high jet power of J1606+3124 gives it an excellent chance to grow into a large-scale double-lobe radio galaxy. If its redshift and galaxy classification can be confirmed by further optical spectroscopic observations, J1606+3124 will be the highest redshift CSO galaxy known to date.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2022

High-resolution VLBI observations of and modelling the radio emission from the TDE AT2019dsg

A tidal disruption event (TDE) involves the shredding of a star in the proximity of a supermassive black hole (SMBH). The nearby ($\approx$230 Mpc) relatively radio-quiet, thermal emission dominated source AT2019dsg is the first TDE with a potential neutrino association. The origin of non-thermal emission remains inconclusive; possibilities include a relativistic jet or a sub-relativistic outflow. Distinguishing between them can address neutrino production mechanisms. High-resolution very long baseline interferometry 5-GHz observations provide a proper motion of 0.94 $\pm$ 0.65 mas yr$^{-1}$ ($3.2 \pm 2.2~c$; $1-σ$). Modelling the radio emission favors an origin from the interaction between a decelerating outflow (velocity $\approx$ 0.1 $c$) and a dense circum-nuclear medium. The transition of the synchrotron self-absorption frequency through the observation band marks a peak flux density of 1.19 $\pm$ 0.18 mJy at 152.8 $\pm$ 16.2 days. An equipartition analysis indicates an emission region distance of $\geqslant$ 4.7 $\times$ 10$^{16}$ cm, magnetic field strength $\geqslant$ 0.17 G, and number density $\geqslant$ 5.7 $\times$ 10$^{3}$ cm$^{-3}$. The disruption involves a $\approx$ 2 $M_\odot$ star with a penetration factor $\approx 1$ and a total energy output of $\leqslant$ 1.5 $\times$ 10$^{52}$ erg. The outflow is radiatively driven by accretion of stellar debris onto the SMBH. Neutrino production is likely related to the acceleration of protons to PeV energies and the availability of a suitable cross-section at the outflow base. The present study thus helps exclude jet-related origins for non-thermal emission and neutrino production, and constrains non-jetted scenarios.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

VLBI properties of compact interplanetary scintillators detected by the Murchison Widefield Array

Interplanetary scintillation (IPS) provides an approach for identifying the presence of sub-arcsec structures in radio sources, and very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) technique can help verify whether the IPS sources have fine structures on milli-arcsec (mas) scales. We searched the available VLBI archive for the 244 IPS sources detected by the Murchison Widefield Array at 162~MHz and found 63 cross-matches. We analysed the VLBI data of the 63 sources and characterised the compactness index in terms of the ratio $R$ of the VLBI-measured flux density at 4.3~GHz to the flux density estimated using the Very Large Array Sky Survey (VLASS) at 3~GHz and NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS) at 1.4~GHz ($S_{\rm VLBI}/S_{\rm SA}$). Eleven sources are identified as blazars according to their flat spectra and strong variability. They show high compactness indices with $R>0.4$, compact core-jet structure, and a broad distribution of normalised scintillation index (NSI). Other sources show diverse morphologies (compact core, core and one-sided jet, core and two-sided jets), but there is a correlation between $R$ and NSI with a correlation coefficient $r=0.47$. A similar $R$--NSI correlation is found in sources showing single steep power-law or convex spectra. After excluding blazars (which are already known to be compact sources) from the VLBI-detected IPS sources, a strong correlation is found between the compactness and scintillation index of the remaining samples, indicating that stronger scintillating sources are more compact. This pilot study shows that IPS offers a convenient method to identify compact radio sources without the need to invoke high-resolution imaging observations, which often require significant observational time.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2021

J2102+6015: a young radio source at z = 4.575

Jets of high-redshift active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can be used to directly probe the activity of the black holes in the early Universe. Radio sources with jets misaligned with respect to the line of sight are expected to dominate the high-redshift AGN population. In this paper, we present the high-resolution imaging results of a z=4.57 AGN J2102+6015 by analyzing its multi-epoch dual-frequency very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) data. The 8.4-GHz VLBI images reveal two major features along the east-west direction separated by $\sim$ 10 milli-arcsec (mas). From the spectral index map, both features show flat/inverted spectra. The separation between the two features remains almost unchanged over an observation period of $\sim$ 13 years, placing an upper limit of the separation speed as about 0.04 mas year$^{-1}$. Previous studies have classified the source as a GHz-peaked spectrum quasar. Our results indicate that J2102+6015 is most likely a young, compact symmetric object rather than a blazar-type core-jet source.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

Artificial intelligence for celestial object census: the latest technology meets the oldest science

Large surveys using modern telescopes are producing images that are increasing exponentially in size and quality. Identifying objects in the generated images by visual recognition is time-consuming and labor-intensive, while classifying the extracted radio sources is even more challenging. To address these challenges, we develop a deep learning-based radio source detector, named \textsc{HeTu}, which is capable of rapidly identifying and classifying radio sources in an automated manner for both compact and extended radio sources. \textsc{HeTu} is based on a combination of a residual network (ResNet) and feature pyramid network (FPN). We classify radio sources into four classes based on their morphology. The training images are manually labeled and data augmentation methods are applied to solve the data imbalance between the different classes. \textsc{HeTu} automatically locates the radio sources in the images and assigns them to one of the four classes. The experiment on the testing dataset shows an average operation time of 5.4 millisecond per image and a precision of 99.4\% for compact point-like sources and 98.1\% for double-lobe sources. We applied \textsc{HeTu} to the images obtained from the GaLactic and the Galactic Extragalactic All-Object Murchison Wide-field Array (GLEAM) survey project. More than 96.9\% of the \textsc{HeTu}-detected compact sources are matched compared to the source finding software used in the GLEAM. We also detected and classified 2,298 extended sources (including Fanaroff-Riley type I and II sources, and core-jet sources) above $5σ$. The cross-matching rates of extended sources are higher than 97\%, showing excellent performance of \textsc{HeTu} in identifying extended radio sources. \textsc{HeTu} provides an efficient tool for radio source finding and classification and can be applied to other scientific fields.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2021

Parsec-scale Properties of eight Fanaroff-Riley Type 0 Radio Galaxies

We report the high-resolution radio observations of eight Fanaroff-Riley type 0 radio galaxies (FR 0s), selected from the published FR 0 sample. These observations were carried out with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and European VLBI Network (EVN) at frequencies of 5 and 8 GHz with a highest resolution of 0.6 mas. All eight sources show compact structures on projected physical sizes of 0.3-10 parsec. Six sources show a two-sided structure and two sources show a one-sided jet structure. J1025+1022 shows an X-shaped jet structure, which could result from a reorientation of the jet axis due to a restart of the central engine or a projection of a highly curved inner jet, but more studies are needed to examine these scenarios. Proper motions for 22 jet components of the eight sources are determined to be between -0.08 c and 0.51 c. Although most of the sources exhibit flat spectra, other observed characteristics, such as, low-amplitude flux density variations, low jet proper motion speeds, and symmetric two-sided jet structures, tend to support that the pc-scale FR 0 jets are mildly relativistic with lower bulk Lorentz factors and larger viewing angles.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2021

The obstructed jet in Mrk 231

Mrk~231 is the closest radio-quiet quasar known and one of the most luminous infrared galaxies in the local Universe. It is characterised by the co-existence of a radio jet and powerful multi-phase multi-scale outflows, making it an ideal laboratory to study active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback. We analyse the multi-epoch very long baseline interferometry data of Mrk~231 and estimate the jet head advance speed to be $\lesssim0.013\ c$, suggesting a sub-relativistic jet flow. The jet position angle changes from $-113^\circ$ in the inner parsec to $-172^\circ$ at a projected distance of 25 parsec. The jet structure change might result from either a jet bending following the rotation of the circum-nuclear disc or the projection of a helical jet on the plane of the sky. In the large opening angle ($\sim60^\circ$) cone, the curved jet interacts with the interstellar medium and creates wide-aperture-angle shocks which subsequently dissipate a large portion of the jet power through radiation and contribute to powering the large-scale outflows. The low power and bent structure of the Mrk~231 jet, as well as extensive radiation dissipation, are consistent with the obstruction of the short-length jet by the host galaxy's environment.

astro-ph.GA↗