Sang-Sung Lee

A GLOBAL 86 GHZ VLBI SURVEY OF COMPACT RADIO SOURCES

We present results from a large 86 GHz global very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) survey of compact radio sources. The main goal of the survey is to increase by factors of 3-5 the total number of objects accessible for future 3 mm VLBI imaging. The survey observations reach a baseline sensitivity of 0.1 Jy and an image sensitivity of better than 10 mJy beam–1. A total of 127 compact radio sources have been observed. The observations have yielded images for 109 sources, extending the database of the sources imaged at 86 GHz with VLBI observation by a factor of 5, and only six sources have not been detected. The remaining 12 objects have been detected but could not be imaged due to insufficient closure phase information. Radio galaxies are less compact than quasars and BL Lac objects on the sub-milliarcsecond scale. The flux densities and sizes of the core and jet components of all imaged sources have been estimated using Gaussian model fitting. From these measurements, brightness temperatures have been calculated, taking into account the resolution limits of the data. The cores of 70% of the imaged sources are resolved. The core brightness temperatures of the sources peak at ~1011 K and only 1% have brightness temperatures higher than 1012 K. The cores of intraday variable (IDV) sources are smaller in angular size than those of non-IDV sources, and so yield higher brightness temperatures.

EARLY SCIENCE WITH THE KOREAN VLBI NETWORK: EVALUATION OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE

We report the very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observing performance of the Korean VLBI Network (KVN). The KVN is the first millimeter-dedicated VLBI network in East Asia. The KVN consists of three 21 m radio telescopes with baseline lengths in a range of 305-476 km. The quasi-optical system equipped on the antennas allows simultaneous observations at 22, 43, 86, and 129 GHz. The first fringes of the KVN were obtained at 22 GHz on 2010 June 8. Test observations at 22 and 43 GHz on 2010 September 30 and 2011 April 4 confirmed that the full cycle of VLBI observations works according to specification: scheduling, antenna control system, data recording, correlation, post-correlation data processing, astrometry, geodesy, and imaging analysis. We found that decorrelation due to instability in the hardware at times up to 600 s is negligible. The atmosphere fluctuations at KVN baseline are partly coherent, which allows us to extend integration time under good winter weather conditions up to 600 s without significant loss of coherence. The post-fit residuals at KVN baselines do not exhibit systematic patterns, and the weighted rms of the residuals is 14.8 ps. The KVN is ready to image compact radio sources both in snapshot and full-track modes with residual noise in calibrated phases of less than 2 deg at 22 and 43 GHz and with dynamic ranges of ~300 for snapshot mode and ~1000 for full-track mode. With simultaneous multi-frequency observations, the KVN can be used to make parsec-scale spectral index maps of compact radio sources.

Verification of the Astrometric Performance of the Korean VLBI Network, Using Comparative SFPR Studies with the VLBA at 14/7 mm

The Korean VLBI Network (KVN) is a new mm-VLBI dedicated array with capability for simultaneous observations at multiple frequencies, up to 129 GHz. The innovative multi-channel receivers present significant benefits for astrometric measurements in the frequency domain. The aim of this work is to verify the astrometric performance of the KVN using a comparative study with the VLBA, a well established instrument. For that purpose, we carried out nearly contemporaneous observations with the KVN and the VLBA, at 14/7 mm, in April 2013. The KVN observations consisted of simultaneous dual frequency observations, while the VLBA used fast frequency switching observations. We used the Source Frequency Phase Referencing technique for the observational and analysis strategy. We find that having simultaneous observations results in a superior performance for compensation of all atmospheric terms in the observables, in addition to offering other significant benefits for astrometric analysis. We have compared the KVN astrometry measurements to those from the VLBA. We find that the structure blending effects introduce dominant systematic astrometric shifts and these need to be taken into account. We have tested multiple analytical routes to characterize the impact of the low resolution effects for extended sources in the astrometric measurements. The results from the analysis of KVN and full VLBA datasets agree within 2-

The F-GAMMA programme: multi-frequency study of active galactic nuclei in the Fermi era - Programme description and the first 2.5 years of monitoring

\sigma

THE FIRST VERY LONG BASELINE INTERFEROMETRY IMAGE OF A 44 GHz METHANOL MASER WITH THE KVN AND VERA ARRAY (KaVA)

of the thermal error estimate. We interpret the discrepancy as arising from the different resolutions. We find that the KVN provides astrometric results with excellent agreement, within 1-

EARLY SCIENCE WITH THE KOREAN VLBI NETWORK: THE QCAL-1 43 GHz CALIBRATOR SURVEY

\sigma

Acceleration of Compact Radio Jets on Sub-parsec Scales

, when compared to a VLBA configuration which has a similar resolution. Therefore this comparative study verifies the astrometric performance of KVN using SFPR at 14/7 mm, and validates the KVN as an astrometric instrument.

A NEW HARDWARE CORRELATOR IN KOREA: PERFORMANCE EVALUATION USING KVN OBSERVATIONS

Context. To fully exploit the scientific potential of the Fermi mission for the physics of active galactic nuclei (AGN), we initiated the F-GAMMA programme. Between 2007 and 2015 the F-GAMMA was the prime provider of complementary multi-frequency monitoring in the radio regime. Aims. We quantify the radio variability of γ-ray blazars. We investigate its dependence on source class and examine whether the radio variability is related to the γ-ray loudness. Finally, we assess the validity of a putative correlation between the two bands. Methods. The F-GAMMA performed monthly monitoring of a sample of about 60 sources at up to twelve radio frequencies between 2.64 and 228.39 GHz. We perform a time series analysis on the first 2.5-yr data set to obtain variability parameters. A maximum likelihood analysis is used to assess the significance of a correlation between radio and γ-ray fluxes. Results. We present light curves and spectra (coherent within ten days) obtained with the Effelsberg 100 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes. All sources are variable across all frequency bands with amplitudes increasing with frequency up to rest frame frequencies of around 60–80 GHz as expected by shock-in-jet models. Compared to flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) show systematically lower variability amplitudes, brightness temperatures, and Doppler factors at lower frequencies, while the difference vanishes towards higher ones. The time scales appear similar for the two classes. The distribution of spectral indices appears flatter or more inverted at higher frequencies for BL Lacs. Evolving synchrotron self-absorbed components can naturally account for the observed spectral variability. We find that the Fermi-detected sources show larger variability amplitudes, brightness temperatures, and Doppler factors than non-detected ones. Flux densities at 86.2 and 142.3 GHz correlate with 1 GeV fluxes at a significance level better than 3σ, implying that γ rays are produced very close to the mm-band emission region.

AMPLITUDE CORRECTION FACTORS OF KOREAN VLBI NETWORK OBSERVATIONS

We have carried out the first very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging of a 44 GHz classI methanol maser (70‐61A + ) associated with a millimeter core MM2 in a massive star-forming region IRAS 18151−1208 with KaVA (KVN and VERA Array), which is a newly combined array of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We have succeeded in imaging compact maser features with a synthesized beam sizeof2.7milliarcseconds ×1.5milliarcseconds(mas).Thesefeaturesaredetectedatalimitednumber ofbaselines within the length of shorter than ≈ 650 km corresponding to 100 Mλ in the uv-coverage. The central velocity and the velocity width of the 44 GHz methanol maser are consistent with those of the quiescent gas rather than the outflow traced by the SiO thermal line. The minimum component size among the maser features is ∼5mas×2mas, which corresponds to the linear size of ∼15 AU × 6 AU assuming a distance of 3 kpc. The brightness temperatures of these features range from ∼3.5 × 10 8 to 1.0 × 10 10 K, which are higher than the estimated lower limit from a previous Very Large Array observation with the highest spatial resolution of ∼50 mas. The 44 GHz classI methanol maser in IRAS 18151−1208 is found to be associated with the MM2 core, which is thought to be less evolved than another millimeter core MM1 associated with the 6.7 GHz classII methanol maser.

INTERFEROMETRIC MONITORING OF GAMMA–RAY BRIGHT ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI II: FREQUENCY PHASE TRANSFER

This paper presents the catalog of correlated flux densities in three ranges of baseline projection lengths of 637 sources from a 43 GHz (Q band) survey observed with the Korean VLBI Network. Of them, 14 objects used as calibrators were previously observed, but 623 sources have not been observed before in the Q band with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The goal of this work in the early science phase of the new VLBI array is twofold: to evaluate the performance of the new instrument that operates in a frequency range of 22-129 GHz and to build a list of objects that can be used as targets and as calibrators. We have observed the list of 799 target sources with declinations down to –40°. Among them, 724 were observed before with VLBI at 22 GHz and had correlated flux densities greater than 200 mJy. The overall detection rate is 78%. The detection limit, defined as the minimum flux density for a source to be detected with 90% probability in a single observation, was in the range of 115-180 mJy depending on declination. However, some sources as weak as 70 mJy have been detected. Of 623 detected sources, 33 objects are detected for the first time in VLBI mode. We determined their coordinates with a median formal uncertainty of 20 mas. The results of this work set the basis for future efforts to build the complete flux-limited sample of extragalactic sources at frequencies of 22 GHz and higher at 3/4 of the celestial sphere.