A Precessing Jet in the CH Cyg Symbiotic System

TL;DR

This study presents multi-wavelength observations of a precessing jet in the symbiotic binary CH Cyg, revealing complex jet structures, interactions with the environment, and evidence of episodic precession and mass ejections.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed multi-component analysis of the jet structure and dynamics in CH Cyg, highlighting the precessing nature and interaction with the circumbinary medium.

Findings

Jet apex expanded from 300 AU to 1400 AU with shock velocity < 100 km/s

Discovered a powerful NE-SW jet with multi-component structure

Evidence of episodic precession or continuous precession with pulses

Abstract

Jets have been detected in only a few symbiotic binaries to date, and CH Cyg is one of them. In 2001, a non-relativistic jet was detected in CH Cyg for the first time in X-rays. We carried out coordinated Chandra, HST, and VLA observations in 2008 to study the propagation of this jet and its interaction with the circumbinary medium. We detected the jet with Chandra and HST and determined that the apex has expanded to the South from about 300 AU to about 1400 AU, with the shock front propagating with velocity < 100 km/s. The shock front has significantly slowed down since 2001. Unexpectedly, we also discovered a powerful jet in the NE-SW direction, in the X-ray, optical and radio. This jet has a multi-component structure, including an inner jet and a counter-jet at about 170 AU, and a SW component ending in several clumps extending out to approximately 750 AU. The structure of the jet and the curvature of the outer portion of the SW jet suggest an episodically powered precessing jet, or a continuous precessing jet with occasional mass ejections or pulses. We carried out detailed spatial mapping of the X-ray emission and correlation with the optical and radio emission. X-ray spectra were extracted of the central source, inner NE counter jet, and the brightest clump at a distance of approximately 500 AU from the central source. We discuss the initial results of our analyses, including the multi-component spectral fitting of the jet-components and of the central source.