DOI

https://doi.org/10.48717/ygp9-7r43

Project

EK044

Title

M87 high-resolution jet imaging

Abstract

M87 is the first object whose high radio power, low distance, and high mass have enabled the black hole shadow to be imaged, providing confirmation of predictions of general relativity. However those observations did not delineate the inner most jet structure, leaving questions of jet physics open. Complementary VLBI observations at lower frequencies are critically important in this respect, since they allow us to connect the horizon-scale structures to the jet-launching regions. Recent analysis of a bi-decadal VLBA observations of M87 at 43 GHz showed significant temporal variations of the inner jet orientation. Moreover, from our VLBA observations in 2018, we discovered that M87 jet continued this trend, and showed historic westernmost orientation. This indicates, that future VLBI observations will be critical for study of the M87 jet, since we will detect even more extreme orientation of the jet and/or change in its orientation backwards. In any case, new data will allow us to probe a true cross-section of M87 innermost jet and to study temporal behaviour of its collimation profile. In this aspect, we apply for 1x16h observations of M87 at 22 GHz during the standard EVN session.