One aspect of the quantum nature of spacetime is its foaminess at very small scales. Many models for spacetime foam are defined by the accumulation power $alpha$, which parameterizes the rate at which Planck-scale spatial uncertainties (and thephase shifts they produce) may accumulate over large path-lengths. Here $alpha$ is defined by theexpression for the path-length fluctuations, $delta ell$, of a source at distance $ell$, wherein $delta ell simeq ell^{1 - alpha} ell_P^{alpha}$, with $ell_P$ being the Planck length. We reassess previous proposals to use astronomical observations ofdistant quasars and AGN to test models of spacetime foam. We show explicitly how wavefront distortions on small scales cause the image intensity to decay to the point where distant objects become undetectable when the path-length fluctuations become comparable to the wavelength of the radiation. We use X-ray observations from {em Chandra} to set the constraint $alpha gtrsim 0.58$, which rules out the random walk model (with $alpha = 1/2$). Much firmer constraints canbe set utilizing detections of quasars at GeV energies with {em Fermi}, and at TeV energies with ground-based Cherenkovtelescopes: $alpha gtrsim 0.67$ and $alpha gtrsim 0.72$, respectively. These limits on $alpha$ seem to rule out $alpha = 2/3$, the model of some physical interest.
We present high angular resolution ($sim$0.5$^prime$$^prime$) MIR spectra of the powerful radio galaxy, Cygnus A, obtained with the Subaru telescope. The overall shape of the spectra agree with previous high angular resolution MIR observations, as well as previous Spitzer spectra. Our spectra, both on and off nucleus, show a deep silicate absorption feature. The absorption feature can be modeled with a blackbody obscured by cold dust or a clumpy torus. The deep silicate feature is best fit by a simple model of a screened blackbody, suggesting foreground absorption plays a significant, if not dominant role, in shaping the spectrum of Cygnus A. This foreground absorption prevents a clear view of the central engine and surrounding torus, making it difficult to quantify the extent the torus attributes to the obscuration of the central engine, but does not eliminate the need for a torus in Cygnus A.
Since the discovery of kiloparsec-scale X-ray emission from quasar jets, the physical processes responsible for their high-energy emission have been poorly defined. A number of mechanisms are under active debate, including synchrotron radiation, inverse-Comptonized CMB (IC/CMB) emission, and other Comptonization processes. In a number of cases, the optical and X-ray emission of jet regions are inked by a single spectral component, and in those, high- resolution multi-band imaging and polarimetry can be combined to yield a powerful diagnostic of jet emission processes. Here we report on deep imaging photometry of the jet of PKS 1136$-$135 obtained with the {it Hubble Space Telescope.} We find that several knots are highly polarized in the optical, with fractional polarization $Pi>30%$. When combined with the broadband spectral shape observed in these regions, this is very difficult to explain via IC/CMB models, unless the scattering particles are at the lowest-energy tip of the electron energy distribution, with Lorentz factor $gamma sim 1$, and the jet is also very highly beamed ($delta geq 20$) and viewed within a few degrees of the line of sight. We discuss both the IC/CMB and synchrotron interpretation of the X-ray emission in the light of this new evidence, presenting new models of the spectral energy distribution and also the matter content of this jet. The high polarizations do not completely rule out the possibility of IC/CMB optical-to-X-ray emission in this jet, but they do strongly disfavor the model. We discuss the implications of this finding, and also the prospects for future work.
We present high spatial resolution MIR observations for several nearby radio loud active galactic nuclei (RLAGN), which were obtained using the Gemini North and South telescopes. Of the six observed objects, we detected five in the Si-2 (8.7 microns) and Si-6 (12.3 microns) filters, of which two objects show some evidence of low level extended emission surrounding the unresolved nucleus. In Pictor A, we also obtained an image in Qs (18.3 microns) that has a flux of only half that seen in the Spitzer image, suggesting structure on arcsecond scales. We also used the Si-6 (12.3 microns) flux measurement to investigate correlation between our MIR flux and xray luminosity and compare this to results for AGN in general. This work also forms a basis for future high resolution imaging and spectroscopy of these objects.
Aims. The small-scale nature of spacetime can be tested with observations of distant quasars. We comment on a recent paper by Tamburini et al. (A&A, 533, 71) which claims that Hubble Space Telescope observations of the most distant quasars place severe constraints on models of foamy spacetime. Methods. If space is foamy on the Planck scale, photons emitted from distant objects will accumulate uncertainties in distance and propagation directions thus affecting the expected angular size of a compact object as a function of redshift. We discuss the geometry of foamy spacetime, and the appropriate distance measure for calculating the expected angular broadening. We also address the mechanics of carrying out such a test. We draw upon our previously published work on this subject (Christiansen et al. 2011), which carried out similar tests as Tamburini et al. and also went considerably beyond their work in several respects. Results. When calculating the path taken by photons as they travel from a distant source to Earth, one must use the comoving distance rather than the luminosity distance. This then also becomes the appropriate distance to use when calculating the angular broadening expected in a distant source. The use of the wrong distance measure causes Tamburini et al. to overstate the constraints that can be placed on models of spacetime foam. In addition, we consider the impact of different ways of parametrizing and measuring the effects of spacetime foam. Given the variation of the shape of the point-spread function (PSF) on the chip, as well as observation-specific factors, it is important to select carefully -- and document -- the comparison stars used as well as the methods used to compute the Strehl ratio.
During the last decade, M87s jet has been the site of an extraordinary variability event, with one knot (HST-1) increasing by over a factor 100 in brightness. Variability was also seen on timescales of months in the nuclear flux. Here we discuss the optical-UV polarization and spectral variability of these components, which show vastly different behavior. HST-1 shows a highly significant correlation between flux and polarization, with P increasing from $sim 20%$ at minimum to >40% at maximum, while the orientation of its electric vector stayed constant. HST-1s optical-UV spectrum is very hard ($alpha_{UV-O}sim0.5$, $F_ upropto u^{-alpha}$), and displays hard lags during epochs 2004.9-2005.5, including the peak of the flare, with soft lags at later epochs. We interpret the behavior of HST-1 as enhanced particle acceleration in a shock, with cooling from both particle aging and the relaxation of the compression. We set 2$sigma$ upper limits of $0.5 delta$ parsecs and 1.02$c$ on the size and advance speed of the flaring region. The slight deviation of the electric vector orientation from the jet PA, makes it likely that on smaller scales the flaring region has either a double or twisted structure. By contrast, the nucleus displays much more rapid variability, with a highly variable electric vector orientation and looping in the $(I,P)$ plane. The nucleus has a much steeper spectrum ($alpha_{UV-O} sim 1.5$) but does not show UV-optical spectral variability. Its behavior can be interpreted as either a helical distortion to a steady jet or a shock propagating through a helical jet.
We present deep {it HST, Chandra, VLA} and {it ATCA} images of the jets of PKS 0208--512 and PKS 1202--262, which were found in a {it Chandra} survey of a flux-limited sample of flat-spectrum radio quasars with jets (see Marshall et al., 2005). We discuss in detail their X-ray morphologies and spectra. We find optical emission from one knot in the jet of PKS 1202--262 and two regions in the jet of PKS 0208--512. The X-ray emission of both jets is most consistent with external Comptonization of cosmic microwave background photons by particles within the jet, while the optical emission is most consistent with the synchrotron process. We model the emission from the jet in this context and discuss implications for jet emission models, including magnetic field and beaming parameters.
