DOI

https://doi.org/10.48717/m254-3971

Project

ER057

Title

Orientation changes in the radio jets from GRS~1915+105

Abstract

In July 2018, after 26 years of intense X-ray and radio activity, GRS 1915+105 transitioned into a prolonged X-ray-obscured state, which still continues. Recent e-MERLIN observations revealed the largest extended jets since GRS 1915+105 entered the obscured state: a bright, evolving jet expanding to over 2 arcsec from the core, confirming the new jet paradigm proposed by Fender & Motta (2025). We also probed the mas-scale jets using VLBI at X-band (VLBA, Code BM500) and C-band (EVN, Code EM144), showing an extended jet at 15 degrees, a position angle never before observed in GRS 1915+105. This indicates that GRS 1915+105 can launch jets at different speeds and in different directions, making it the only source to show simultaneous evidence for both changing and fixed-direction jets. Here, we propose to observe GRS 1915+105 with EVN+e-MERLIN in C-band with three 8-hr observations over the course of 6 months to track the jet evolution on shorter timescales and as close to their launch region as possible, where accretion effects are strongest and the interaction with the surrounding medium has likely not impacted the jet propagation direction.