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Quasar astrophysics with the Space Interferometry Mission

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 October 2007

S. C. Unwin ,
A. E. Wehrle ,
D. L. Meier ,
D. L. Jones  and
B. G. Piner
S. C. Unwin
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109; email: stephen.unwin@jpl.nasa.gov
A. E. Wehrle
Affiliation:
Space Science Institute, 4750 Walnut Street, Suite 205, Boulder, CO 80301
D. L. Meier
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109; email: stephen.unwin@jpl.nasa.gov
D. L. Jones
Affiliation:
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109; email: stephen.unwin@jpl.nasa.gov
B. G. Piner
Affiliation:
Whittier College, Dept. Physics & Astronomy 13406 E. Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90608
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Abstract

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Optical astrometry of quasars and active galaxies can provide key information on the spatial distribution and variability of emission in compact nuclei. The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM PlanetQuest) will have the sensitivity to measure a significant number of quasar positions at the microarcsecond level. SIM will be very sensitive to astrometric shifts for objects as faint as V=19. A variety of AGN phenomena are expected to be visible to SIM on these scales, including time and spectral dependence in position offsets between accretion disk and jet emission. These represent unique data on the spatial distribution and time dependence of quasar emission. It will also probe the use of quasar nuclei as fundamental astrometric references. Comparisons between the time-dependent optical photocenter position and VLBI radio images will provide further insight into the jet emission mechanism. Observations will be tailored to each specific target and science question. SIM will be able to distinguish spatially between jet and accretion disk emission; and it can observe the cores of galaxies potentially harboring binary supermassive black holes resulting from mergers.

Keywords

astrometryinstrumentation: interferometersquasars: generalradiation mechanisms: general
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 3 , Symposium S248: A Giant Step: from Milli- to Micro-arcsecond Astrometry , October 2007 , pp. 288 - 289
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2008

References

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