Physical information derived from the internal structure in jets

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the internal structures of quasar jets, interpreting oscillations as waves from instabilities, and demonstrates how to infer their nature and origin through multi-epoch, multi-frequency ridge line analysis.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to derive physical information about jet structures by fitting ridge lines across epochs and frequencies, linking observed oscillations to instability growth.

Findings

Oscillatory structures are interpreted as waves from instabilities.

Fitting ridge lines reveals the nature and origin of jet structures.

Artificial wave simulations show the predictive power of the method.

Abstract

We present the first results on the analysis of the structures observed in the jet of the quasar 0836+710. We obtain the ridge lines of the jet at different epochs and several frequencies. We interpret the oscillatory structures obtained as waves that can be attached to the growth of instabilities. We explain how to derive information on the nature and origin of these structures by fitting together the ridge lines at different epochs and frequencies. Finally we show the predictive power of this approach: by generating an artificial wave and applying the corresponding relativistic and projection effects we show that apparent changes in the jet direction in the inner regions of jets can be attached to the transversal motion of structures.