Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness

D.M. Worrall; M. Birkinshaw; R.P. Kraft; G.R. Sivakoff; A. Jordan; M.J. Hardcastle; Nicola Brassington; J.H. Croston; D.A. Evans; W.R. Forman; W.E. Harris; C. Jones; A.M. Juett; S.S. Murray; P.E.J. Nulsen; S. Raychaudhury; C.L. Sarazin; K.A. Woodley

doi:10.1086/528681

Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness

D.M. Worrall, M. Birkinshaw, R.P. Kraft, G.R. Sivakoff, A. Jordan, M.J. Hardcastle, Nicola Brassington, J.H. Croston, D.A. Evans, W.R. Forman, W.E. Harris, C. Jones, A.M. Juett, S.S. Murray, P.E.J. Nulsen, S. Raychaudhury, C.L. Sarazin, K.A. Woodley

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Abstract

We report an X-ray spectral study of the transverse structure of the Centaurus A jet using new data from the Chandra Cen A Very Large Project. We find that the spectrum steepens with increasing distance from the jet axis, and that this steepening can be attributed to a change in the average spectrum of the knotty emission. Such a trend is unexpected if the knots are predominantly a surface feature residing in a shear layer between faster and slower flows. We suggest that the spectral steepening of the knot emission as a function of distance from the jet axis is due to knot migration, implying a component of transverse motion of knots within the flow.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L135-L138
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal
Volume	673
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/528681
Publication status	Published - 2008

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Worrall, D. M., Birkinshaw, M., Kraft, R. P., Sivakoff, G. R., Jordan, A., Hardcastle, M. J., Brassington, N., Croston, J. H., Evans, D. A., Forman, W. R., Harris, W. E., Jones, C., Juett, A. M., Murray, S. S., Nulsen, P. E. J., Raychaudhury, S., Sarazin, C. L., & Woodley, K. A. (2008). Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness. The Astrophysical Journal, 673, L135-L138. https://doi.org/10.1086/528681

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title = "Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness",

abstract = "We report an X-ray spectral study of the transverse structure of the Centaurus A jet using new data from the Chandra Cen A Very Large Project. We find that the spectrum steepens with increasing distance from the jet axis, and that this steepening can be attributed to a change in the average spectrum of the knotty emission. Such a trend is unexpected if the knots are predominantly a surface feature residing in a shear layer between faster and slower flows. We suggest that the spectral steepening of the knot emission as a function of distance from the jet axis is due to knot migration, implying a component of transverse motion of knots within the flow.",

author = "D.M. Worrall and M. Birkinshaw and R.P. Kraft and G.R. Sivakoff and A. Jordan and M.J. Hardcastle and Nicola Brassington and J.H. Croston and D.A. Evans and W.R. Forman and W.E. Harris and C. Jones and A.M. Juett and S.S. Murray and P.E.J. Nulsen and S. Raychaudhury and C.L. Sarazin and K.A. Woodley",

note = "Original article can be found at: http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/apjl Copyright American Astronomical Society DOI: 10.1086/528681 [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]",

year = "2008",

doi = "10.1086/528681",

language = "English",

volume = "673",

pages = "L135--L138",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness

AU - Worrall, D.M.

AU - Birkinshaw, M.

AU - Kraft, R.P.

AU - Sivakoff, G.R.

AU - Jordan, A.

AU - Hardcastle, M.J.

AU - Brassington, Nicola

AU - Croston, J.H.

AU - Evans, D.A.

AU - Forman, W.R.

AU - Harris, W.E.

AU - Jones, C.

AU - Juett, A.M.

AU - Murray, S.S.

AU - Nulsen, P.E.J.

AU - Raychaudhury, S.

AU - Sarazin, C.L.

AU - Woodley, K.A.

N1 - Original article can be found at: http://www.iop.org/EJ/journal/apjl Copyright American Astronomical Society DOI: 10.1086/528681 [Full text of this article is not available in the UHRA]

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - We report an X-ray spectral study of the transverse structure of the Centaurus A jet using new data from the Chandra Cen A Very Large Project. We find that the spectrum steepens with increasing distance from the jet axis, and that this steepening can be attributed to a change in the average spectrum of the knotty emission. Such a trend is unexpected if the knots are predominantly a surface feature residing in a shear layer between faster and slower flows. We suggest that the spectral steepening of the knot emission as a function of distance from the jet axis is due to knot migration, implying a component of transverse motion of knots within the flow.

AB - We report an X-ray spectral study of the transverse structure of the Centaurus A jet using new data from the Chandra Cen A Very Large Project. We find that the spectrum steepens with increasing distance from the jet axis, and that this steepening can be attributed to a change in the average spectrum of the knotty emission. Such a trend is unexpected if the knots are predominantly a surface feature residing in a shear layer between faster and slower flows. We suggest that the spectral steepening of the knot emission as a function of distance from the jet axis is due to knot migration, implying a component of transverse motion of knots within the flow.

U2 - 10.1086/528681

DO - 10.1086/528681

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 673

SP - L135-L138

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

ER -

Where Centaurus A gets its X-ray knottiness

Abstract

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