The Outburst of HST-1 in the M87 Jet
Abstract
The X-ray intensity of knot HST-1, 0.85" from the nucleus of the radio galaxy M87, has increased by more than a factor of 50 during the last 5 yr. The optical increase is similar, and our more limited radio data indicate a commensurate activity. We give the primary results of our Chandra X-Ray Observatory monitoring program and consider some of the implications of this extreme variability in a relativistic jet. We find that the data support a ``modest beaming synchrotron'' model as indicated in our earlier papers. Based on this model, the decay of the X-ray light curve appears to be dominated by the light-travel time across the emitting region of HST-1, rather than synchrotron loss timescales.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 2006
- DOI:
- 10.1086/500081
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0511755
- Bibcode:
- 2006ApJ...640..211H
- Keywords:
-
- Galaxies: Active;
- Galaxies: Individual: Messier Number: M87;
- Galaxies: Jets;
- X-Rays: General;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- ApJ accepted, 7 pages, 4 figures