Deep Multiwaveband Observations of the Jets of 0208-512 and 1202-262

TL;DR

This paper presents multiwavelength observations of jets in two quasars, analyzing their X-ray, optical, and radio emissions to understand the emission mechanisms and jet physics.

Contribution

It provides detailed multiwavelength imaging and modeling of quasar jets, highlighting the role of external Comptonization and synchrotron processes in their emission.

Findings

X-ray emission consistent with external Comptonization of CMB photons

Optical emission consistent with synchrotron radiation

Jet models constrain magnetic fields and beaming parameters

Abstract

We present deep {\it HST, Chandra, VLA} and {\it ATCA} images of the jets of PKS 0208--512 and PKS 1202--262, which were found in a {\it Chandra} survey of a flux-limited sample of flat-spectrum radio quasars with jets (see Marshall et al., 2005). We discuss in detail their X-ray morphologies and spectra. We find optical emission from one knot in the jet of PKS 1202--262 and two regions in the jet of PKS 0208--512. The X-ray emission of both jets is most consistent with external Comptonization of cosmic microwave background photons by particles within the jet, while the optical emission is most consistent with the synchrotron process. We model the emission from the jet in this context and discuss implications for jet emission models, including magnetic field and beaming parameters.