Tigran G. Arshakian

Small-scale dynamo action during the formation of the first stars and galaxies. I. The ideal MHD limit

We explore the amplification of magnetic seeds during the formation of the first stars and galaxies. During gravitational collapse, turbulence is created from accretion shocks, which may act to amplify weak magnetic fields in the protostellar cloud. Numerical simulations showed that such turbulence is sub-sonic in the first star-forming minihalos, and highly supersonic in the first galaxies with virial temperatures larger than 10(4) K. We investigate the magnetic field amplification during the collapse both for Kolmogorov and Burgers-type turbulence with a semi-analytic model that incorporates the effects of gravitational compression and small-scale dynamo amplification. We find that the magnetic field may be substantially amplified before the formation of a disk. On scales of 1/10 of the Jeans length, saturation occurs after similar to 10(8) yr. Although the saturation behaviour of the small-scale dynamo is still somewhat uncertain, we expect a saturation field strength of the order similar to 10 (7)n(0.5) G in the first star-forming halos, with n the number density in cgs units. In the first galaxies with higher turbulent velocities, the magnetic field strength may be increased by an order of magnitude, and saturation may occur after 10(6)-10(7) yr. In the Kolmogorov case, the magnetic field strength on the integral scale (i.e. the scale with most magnetic power) is higher due to the characteristic power-law indices, but the difference is less than a factor of 2 in the saturated phase. Our results thus indicate that the precise scaling of the turbulent velocity with length scale is of minor importance. They further imply that magnetic fields will be significantly enhanced before the formation of a protostellar disk, where they may change the fragmentation properties of the gas and the accretion rate.

Evolution of magnetic fields in galaxies and future observational tests with the Square Kilometre Array

Aims. In the context of models of galaxy formation and evolution, we investigate the cosmological evolution of large- and small-scale magnetic fields inside galaxies. Methods. We use the dynamo theory to derive the timescales of amplification and ordering of magnetic fields in disk and puffy galaxies. Turbulence in protogalactic halos generated by thermal virialization can drive an efficient turbulent dynamo. Results from simulations of hierarchical structure formation cosmology provide a tool to develop an evolutionary model of regular magnetic fields coupled with galaxy formation and evolution. Results. The turbulent (small-scale) dynamo was able to amplify a weak seed magnetic field in halos of protogalaxies to a few μG strength within a few 10 8 yr. This turbulent field served as a seed to the mean-field (large-scale) dynamo. Galaxies similar to the Milky Way formed their disks at z ≈ 10 and regular fields of μG strength and a few kpc coherence length were generated within 2 Gyr (at z ≈ 3), but field-ordering on the coherence scale of the galaxy size required an additional 6 Gyr (at z ≈ 0.5). Giant galaxies formed their disks at z ≈ 10, allowing more efficient dynamo generation of strong regular fields (with kpc coherence length) already at z ≈ 4. However, the age of the Universe is short for fully coherent fields in giant galaxies larger than 15 kpc to have been achieved. Dwarf galaxies should have hosted fully coherent fields at z ≈ 1. After a major merger, the strength of the turbulent field is enhanced by a factor of a few. Conclusions. This evolutionary scenario can be tested by measurements of polarized synchrotron emission and Faraday rotation with the planned Square Kilometre Array (SKA). We predict an anticorrelation between galaxy size and ratio between ordering scale and galaxy size. Weak regular fields (small Faraday rotation) in galaxies at z < 3 are signatures of major mergers. Undisturbed dwarf galaxies should host fully coherent fields, giving rise to strong Faraday rotation signals. Radio observations may serve as a clock for measuring the time since the last major merger.

An asymmetric relativistic model for classical double radio sources

There is substantial observational evidence against the symmetric relativistic model of FR II radio sources. An asymmetric relativistic model is proposed which takes account of both relativistic effects and intrinsic/environmental asymmetries to explain the structural asymmetries of their radio lobes. A key parameter of the model is the jet-side of the double sources, which is estimated for 80 per cent of the FR II sources in the 3CRR complete sample. Statistical analyses of the properties of these sources show that the asymmetric model is in agreement with a wide range of observational data, and that the relativistic and intrinsic asymmetry effects are of comparable importance. Intrinsic/environmental asymmetry effects are more important at high radio luminosities and small physical scales. The mean translational speed of the lobes is found to be consistent with the speeds found from spectral ageing arguments. According to a Gaussian model, the standard deviation of the distribution of vlobe is σvl=0.04c. The results are in agreement with an orientation-based unification scheme in which the critical angle separating the radio galaxies from quasars is about 45°.

Observational evidence for the link between the variable optical continuum and the subparsec-scale jet of the radio galaxy 3C 390.3

The mechanism and the region of generation of variable continuum emission are poorly understood for radio-loud active galactic nuclei because of the complexity of the nuclear region. High-resolution radio very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations have allowed us to zoom into a subparsec-scale region of the jet in the radio-loud galaxy 3C 390.3. We have combined the radio VLBI and the optical data covering the time period of 14 yr in order to look for a link between the optical flares and the parsec-scale jet. We have identified two stationary and nine moving radio features in the innermost subparsec-scale region of the jet. All nine ejections are associated with optical flares. We have found a significant correlation (at a confidence level of >99.99 per cent) between the ejected jet components and the optical continuum flares. The epochs at which the moving knots pass through the location of a stationary radio feature and at which the optical light curve reaches maximum are correlated. The radio events follow the maxima of optical flares with a mean time delay of 0.10 ± 0.04 yr. This correlation can be understood if the variable optical continuum emission is generated in the innermost part of the jet. A possible mechanism of the energy release is the ejection of knots of high-energy electrons that are accelerated in the jet flow and generate flares of synchrotron continuum emission in the wide range of frequencies from radio to X-ray bands. In this scenario, the beamed optical continuum emission from the jet and counterjet ionizes a gas in a subrelativistic outflow surrounding the jet. This results in the formation of two outflowing conical regions with broad emission lines (in addition to the conventional broad-line region around the central nucleus).

Relativistic Plasma as the Dominant Source of the Optical Continuum Emission in the Broad-Line Radio Galaxy 3C 120

We report a relation between radio emission in the inner jet of the Seyfert galaxy 3C 120 and optical continuum emission in this galaxy. Combining the optical variability data with multi-epoch high-resolution very long baseline interferometry observations reveals that an optical flare rises when a superluminal component emerges into the jet and its maxima is related to the passage of such component through the location a stationary feature at a distance of ~1.3 parsecs from the jet origin. This indicates that a significant fraction of the optical continuum produced in 3C 120 is non-thermal and it can ionize material in a sub-relativistic wind or outflow. We discuss implications of this finding for the ionization and structure of the broad emission line region, as well as for the use of broad emission lines for determining black hole masses in radio-loud AGN.

Radio-optical-gamma-ray properties of MOJAVE AGN detected by Fermi/LAT

Aims. We use a sample of 83 core-dominated active galactic nuclei (AGN) selected from the MOJAVE (Monitoring of Jets in AGN with VLBA Experiments) radio-flux-limited sample and detected with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) to study the relations between non-simultaneous radio, optical, and γ-ray measurements. Methods. We perform a multi-band statistical analysis to investigate the relations between the emissions in different bands and reproduce these relations by modeling of the spectral energy distributions of blazars. Results. There is a significant correlation between the γ-ray luminosity and the optical nuclear and radio (15 GHz) luminosities of blazars. We report a well defined positive correlation between the γ-ray luminosity and the radio-optical loudness for quasars and BL Lacertae type objects (BL Lacs). A strong positive correlation is found between the radio luminosity and the γ-ray-optical loudness for quasars, while a negative correlation between the optical luminosity and the γ-ray-radio loudness is present for BL Lacs. Modeling of these correlations with a simple leptonic jet model for blazars indicates that variations of the accretion disk luminosity (and hence the jet power) is able to reproduce the trends observed in most of the correlations. To reproduce all observed correlations, variations of several parameters, such as the accretion power, jet viewing angle, Lorentz factor, and magnetic field of the jet, are required.

Radio-optical scrutiny of compact AGN: correlations between properties of pc-scale jets and optical nuclear emission

Aims. We study the correlations between the VLBA (Very Long Baseline Array) radio emission at 15 GHz, extended emission at 151 MHz, and optical nuclear emission at 5100 A for a complete sample of 135 compact jets. Methods. We use the partial Kendalls tau correlation analysis to check the link between radio properties of parsec-scale jets and optical nuclear luminosities of host active galactic nuclei (AGN). Results. We find a significant positive correlation for 99 quasars between optical nuclear luminosities and total radio (VLBA) luminosities of unresolved cores at 15 GHz originated at milliarcseconds scales. For 18 BL Lacs, the optical continuum emission correlates with the radio emission of the jet at 15 GHz. We suggest that the radio and optical emission are beamed and originate in the innermost part of the sub-parsec-scale jet in quasars. Analysis of the relation between the apparent speed of the jet and the optical nuclear luminosity at 5100 A supports the relativistic beaming model for the optical emission generated in the jet, and allows the peak values of the intrinsic optical luminosity of the jet and its Lorentz factor to be estimated for the populations of quasars (2 x 10 20 W Hz -1 and γ = 52), BL Lacs (9 x 10 21 W Hz -1 and y = 20), and radio galaxies (1.5 x 10 21 W Hz -1 and γ = 9). The radio-loudness of quasars (the ratio of 15 GHz flux density and optical nuclear flux at 5100 A) is found to increase at high redshifts, which is interpreted as progressively higher Doppler factors in radio regime compared to those in optical. A strong positive correlation is found between the intrinsic kinetic power of the jet (measured from the flux density at 151 MHz) and the apparent luminosities of the total and the unresolved core emission of the jet at 15 GHz. This correlation is interpreted in terms of an intrinsically more luminous parsec-scale jet producing more luminous extended structure, which is detectable at low radio frequencies, 151 MHz. A possibility that the low frequency radio emission is relativistically beamed in superluminal sources and therefore correlates with radio luminosity of the jet at 15 GHz cannot be ruled out. Monitoring of superluminal AGN in a wide range of frequencies is required to check the contribution of each effect.

Cosmological evolution of compact AGN at 15 GHz

Aims. We study the uniformity of the distribution of compact flat-spectrum active galactic nuclei (AGN) on the sky and the evolution of their relativistic jets with cosmic epoch. Methods. A complete sample of compact extragalactic radio sources at 2 cm (15 GHz) was recently compiled to conduct the MOJAVE (Monitoring Of Jets in AGN with VLBA Experiments) program (Lister & Homan 2005, AJ, 130, 1389). The MOJAVE sample comprises 133 radio-loud flat-spectrum AGN with compact relativistic outflows detected at parsec scales. We use a two-point angular correlation function to test the isotropy of the distribution of radio sources on the sky. The generalized and banded versions of

Testing the cosmological evolution of magnetic fields in galaxies with the SKA

V/V_{\rm max}

The Source of Variable Optical Emission is Localized in the Jet of the Radio Galaxy 3C 390.3

statistic are used to investigate the cosmological evolution of compact AGN. Results. The survey sources are distributed uniformly on the sky. The source counts of compact AGN shows that the MOJAVE sample represents a flux-limited complete sample. Analysis of the population of flat-spectrum quasars of the sample reveals that the pc-scale jets of quasars have intrinsic luminosities in the range between ~