KaVA (KVN and VERA Array) is a new combined VLBI array with KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). First, we briefly review the imaging capabilities of KaVA array which actually achieves more than three times bette
r dynamic range than that achieved by VERA alone. The KaVA images clearly show detailed structures of extended radio jets in AGNs. Next, we represent the key science program to be led by KaVA AGN sub working group. We will conduct the monitoring observations of Sgr A* and M87 because of the largeness of their central super-massive black hole angular sizes. The main science goals of the program are (i) testing magnetically-driven-jet paradigm by mapping velocity fields of the M87 jet, and (ii) obtaining tight constraints on physical properties of radio emitting region in Sgr A*.
The Korean very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) network (KVN) and VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA) Array (KaVA) is the first international VLBI array dedicated to high-frequency (23 and 43 GHz bands) observations in East Asia. Here, we
report the first imaging observations of three bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) known for their complex morphologies: 4C 39.25, 3C 273, and M 87. This is one of the initial result of KaVA early science. Our KaVA images reveal extended outflows with complex substructure such as knots and limb brightening, in agreement with previous Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations. Angular resolutions are better than 1.4 and 0.8 milliarcsecond at 23 GHz and 43 GHz, respectively. KaVA achieves a high dynamic range of ~1000, more than three times the value achieved by VERA. We conclude that KaVA is a powerful array with a great potential for the study of AGN outflows, at least comparable to the best existing radio interferometric arrays.
We introduce the GENJI program (Gamma-ray Emitting Notable AGN Monitoring by Japanese VLBI), which is a monitoring program of gamma-ray bright AGNs with the VERA array (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). The GENJI programme aims a dense monitorin
g at 22 GHz towards the $gamma$-ray emitting active galactic nuclei (AGNs) to investigate the radio time variation of the core and possible ejection of new radio component, motion of jets, and their relation with the emission at other wavelengths especially in $gamma$-rays. Currently we are monitoring 8 $gamma$-ray-emitting notable AGNs (DA 55, 3C 84, M 87, PKS 1510-089, DA 406, NRAO 530, BL Lac, 3C 454.3) about once every two weeks. This programme is promising to trace the trend of radio time variation on shorter timescale than conventional VLBI monitoring programme and to provide complimentary data with them (e.g., MOJAVE, Boston University Blazar Project). In particular, we successfully coordinated quick follow-up observations after the GeV $gamma$-ray flare in NRAO 530 and 3C 454.3 reported by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Here we present the initial results of morphology and light curves for the first 7-month operation.
We report the first detection of a radio-continuum and molecular jet associated with a dominant blue-shifted maser source, G353.273+0.641. A radio jet is extended 3000 au along NW-SE direction. H$_{2}$O masers are found to be clustered in the root of
a bipolar radio jet. A molecular jet is detected by thermal SiO ($upsilon$ = 0, $J$ = 2-1) emission. The SiO spectrum is extremely wide (-120 -- +87 km s$^{-1}$) and significantly blue-shift dominated, similar to the maser emission. The observed geometry and remarkable spectral similarity between H$_{2}$O maser and SiO strongly suggests the existence of a maser-scale ($sim$ 340 au) molecular jet that is enclosed by the extended radio jet. We propose a disc-masking scenario as the origin of the strong blue-shift dominance, where an optically thick disc obscures a red-shifted lobe of a compact jet.
We measured the trigonometric annual parallax of H$_2$O maser source associated with the massive star-forming regions IRAS 06061+2151 with VERA. The annual parallax of $0.496pm0.031$ mas corresponding to a distance of $2.02^{+0.13}_{-0.12}$ kpc was o
btained by 10 epochs of observations from 2007 October to 2009 September. This distance was obtained with a higher accuracy than the photometric distance previously measured, and places IRAS 06061+2151 in the Perseus spiral arm. We found that IRAS 06061+2151 also has a peculiar motion of larger than 15 km s$^{-1}$ counter to the Galactic rotation. That is similar to five sources in the Perseus spiral arm, whose parallaxes and proper motions have already been measured with higher accuracy. Moreover, these sources move at on average 27 km s$^{-1}$ toward the Galactic center and counter to the Galactic rotation.
