Probing the history of SS433's jet kinematics via Decade-resolution radio observations of W50

TL;DR

This study uses decade-spanning radio observations to analyze the motion of filaments in the W50 nebula, providing insights into the history and dynamics of SS433's jets and their interaction with the surrounding environment.

Contribution

It offers the first detailed proper motion analysis of W50's filaments over a 12-year period, revealing no significant movement and implications for jet deceleration or historical activity.

Findings

No significant filament motion detected over 12 years

Suggests either high jet deceleration or ancient formation of W50 lobes

Implications for SS433's jet activity history

Abstract

We present the results of a kinematical study of the W50 nebula using high resolution radio observations from the Very Large Array (VLA) spanning a 12-year period, sampled in 1984, 1993 and 1996. We conduct a careful analysis of the proper motions of the radio filaments across the W50 nebula at each epoch, and detect no significant motion for them during this period. The apparent lack of movement in the radio filaments mandates either (i) a high degree of deceleration of SS433's jet ejecta in the W50 nebula, or (ii) that the lobes of W50 formed a long time ago in SS433's history, during a jet outburst with appreciably different characteristics to the well-known precessing jet state observed in SS433 at the present day. We discuss the possible scenarios which could explain this result, with relevance to the nature of SS433's current jet activity.