Chandra reveals a double-sided X-ray jet in the quasar 3C9 at z=2.012
arXiv:astro-ph/0204488 · doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2003.06111.x
Abstract
A Chandra observation of the radio-loud quasar 3C9 at redshift z=2.012 has revealed extended X-ray emission coincident with the radio jet. Of particular interest is the appearance of both jet and counterjet, which argues against the X-ray emission being highly beamed. We present the properties of the jets and discuss possible scenarios for the X-ray emission, contrasting them with the single sided jet found in PKS 0637-752, which has a similar X-ray luminosity. The jet X-ray emission in 3C9 is likely to be due to either nonthermal emission from a sheath with bulk Lorentz factor less than 1.5, or thermal emission from shocked cold gas surrounding the quasar. The thermal possibility implies a high mass for the cold gas unless it is highly clumped.
4 pages, 2 figures, submitted to MNRAS