The Detection of Diffuse Extended Structure in 3C~273: Implications for Jet Power

TL;DR

This study uses deep VLA imaging to detect diffuse large-scale radio structures in 3C 273, estimating jet power and revealing it as a typical radio-loud quasar with Doppler effects influencing observed morphology.

Contribution

First detection of diffuse radio lobes in 3C 273 enabling jet power estimation and clarification of its true morphology and luminosity.

Findings

Diffuse radio lobes detected for the first time in 3C 273.

Estimated jet power between 7.2×10^{43} and 3.7×10^{44} ergs/sec.

3C 273 is a typical radio-loud quasar with Doppler effects shaping its observed structure.

Abstract

We present deep Very Large Array imaging of 3C~273 in order to determine the diffuse, large scale radio structure of this famous radio-loud quasar. Diffuse extended structure (radio lobes) is detected for the first time in these observations as a consequence of high dynamic range in the 327.5 and 1365 MHz images. This emission is used to estimate a time averaged jet power, $7.2 \times 10^{43} \rm{~ergs~s^{-1}} < \overline{Q} < 3.7 \times 10^{44} \rm{~ergs~s^{-1}}$. Brightness temperature arguments indicate consistent values of the time variability Doppler factor and the compactness Doppler factor for the inner jet, $\delta \gtrsim 10$. Thus, the large apparent broadband bolometric luminosity of the jet, $\sim 3 \times 10^{46}\rm{~ergs~s^{-1}}$, corresponds to a modest intrinsic luminosity $\gtrsim 10^{42}\rm{~ergs~s^{-1}}$, or $\sim 1\%$ of $\overline{Q}$. In summary, we find that 3C~273 is actually a "typical" radio loud quasar contrary to suggestions in the literature. The modest $\overline{Q}$ is near the peak of the luminosity distribution for radio loud quasars and it is consistent with the current rate of dissipation emitted from millimeter wavelengths to gamma rays. The extreme core-jet morphology is an illusion from a near pole-on line of sight to a highly relativistic jet that produces a Doppler enhanced glow that previously swamped the lobe emission. 3C~273 apparently has the intrinsic kpc scale morphology of a classical double radio source, but it is distorted by an extreme Doppler aberration.