Enhanced imaging of M87*: Simulations with the EHT and extended-KVN

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that adding the extended Korean VLBI Network to the Event Horizon Telescope significantly improves the recovery of jet structures, spectral index distribution, and robustness of black hole imaging, especially under data loss conditions.

Contribution

The study evaluates the impact of eKVN integration into the EHT, showing improved imaging of M87*'s jet and spectral properties through simulations and synthetic data analysis.

Findings

eKVN improves jet structure recovery and reduces residual noise.

eKVN compensates for missing EHT telescopes during data loss.

Enhanced spectral index imaging with EHT+eKVN array.

Abstract

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) has successfully revealed the shadow of the supermassive black hole, M87*, with an unprecedented angular resolution of approximately 20 uas at 230 GHz. However, because of limited short baseline lengths, the EHT has been constrained in its ability to recover larger scale jet structures. The extended Korean VLBI Network (eKVN) is committed to joining the EHT from 2024 that can improve short baseline coverage. This study evaluates the impact of the participation of eKVN in the EHT on the recovery of the M87* jet. Synthetic data, derived from a simulated M87* model, were observed using both the EHT and the combined EHT+eKVN arrays, followed by image reconstructions from both configurations. The results indicate that the inclusion of eKVN significantly improves the recovery of jet structures by reducing residual noise. Furthermore, jackknife tests, in which one or two EHT telescopes were omitted - simulating potential data loss due to poor weather - demonstrate that eKVN effectively compensates for these missing telescopes, particularly in short baseline coverage. Multi-frequency synthesis imaging at 86-230 GHz shows that the EHT+eKVN array enhances the recovered spectral index distribution compared to the EHT alone and improves image reconstruction at each frequency over single-frequency imaging. As the EHT continues to expand its array configuration and observing capabilities to probe black hole physics more in depth, the integration of eKVN into the EHT will significantly enhance the stability of observational results and improve image fidelity. This advancement will be particularly valuable for future regular monitoring observations, where consistent data quality is essential.