| 16th of May 2019 |
|---|
|
| The twisted jets of Circinus X-1 |
| (by Coriat et al.) |
|
Coriat et al. present the results of multi-frequency ATCA observations
of the neutron star X-ray binary Circinus X-1. The resulting images
represent the most detailed investigation to date of the interaction
of the relativistic jet from the X-ray binary with the young supernova
remnant in which it is embedded. Comparison of projected jet axes at
different frequenciess indicates significant rotation of the jet axis
with increasing angular scale. This either suggests interactions of
the jet material with surrounding media, creating bends in the jet
flow path, or jet precession.
The image above shows Cir X-1 ATCA radio images with overlaid contours of the combined 33 and 35 GHz data sets. The left panel shows the final map obtained after a self-calibration procedure. The image on the right has had a fitted point source subtracted in the image plane at the location of the white cross, revealing symmetrical jet-like structures. The synthesised beam size is shown at the bottom right-hand corner. Full details are given in the paper published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. |