Compact Symmetric Objects. III. Evolution of the High-luminosity Branch and a Possible Connection with Tidal Disruption Events

A. C. S Readhead; V. Ravi; R. D. Blandford; A. G. Sullivan; J. Somalwar; M. C. Begelman; M. Birkinshaw; I. Liodakis; M. L. Lister; T. J. Pearson; G. B. Taylor; P. N. Wilkinson; N. Globus; S. Kiehlmann; C. R. Lawrence; D. Murphy; S. O’Neill; V. Pavlidou; E. Sheldahl; A. Siemiginowska; K. Tassis

doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ad0c55

The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2024)

Compact Symmetric Objects. III. Evolution of the High-luminosity Branch and a Possible Connection with Tidal Disruption Events

A. C. S Readhead,
V. Ravi,
R. D. Blandford,
A. G. Sullivan,
J. Somalwar,
M. C. Begelman,
M. Birkinshaw,
I. Liodakis,
M. L. Lister,
T. J. Pearson,
G. B. Taylor,
P. N. Wilkinson,
N. Globus,
S. Kiehlmann,
C. R. Lawrence,
D. Murphy,
S. O’Neill,
V. Pavlidou,
E. Sheldahl,
A. Siemiginowska,
K. Tassis

Affiliations

A. C. S Readhead: ORCiD; Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected]
V. Ravi: ORCiD; Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected]
R. D. Blandford: ORCiD; Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USA
A. G. Sullivan: ORCiD; Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University , Stanford, CA 94305, USA
J. Somalwar: ORCiD; Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected]
M. C. Begelman: ORCiD; JILA, University of Colorado and National Institute of Standards and Technology , 440 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0440, USA; Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder , 391 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309-0391, USA
M. Birkinshaw: ORCiD; School of Physics, H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol , Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK
I. Liodakis: Finnish Center for Astronomy with ESO, University of Turku , Vesilinnantie 5, FI-20014, Finland
M. L. Lister: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University , 525 Northwestern Avenue, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
T. J. Pearson: ORCiD; Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected]
G. B. Taylor: ORCiD; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
P. N. Wilkinson: Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
N. Globus: Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California , Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
S. Kiehlmann: ORCiD; Institute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece
C. R. Lawrence: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
D. Murphy: Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
S. O’Neill: Owens Valley Radio Observatory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, CA 91125, USA ; [email protected]
V. Pavlidou: Institute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , 70013 Heraklion, Greece
E. Sheldahl: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
A. Siemiginowska: ORCiD; Center for Astrophysics—Harvard and Smithsonian , 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
K. Tassis: ORCiD; Institute of Astrophysics, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas , GR-70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics and Institute of Theoretical and Computational Physics, University of Crete , 70013 Heraklion, Greece

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad0c55
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 961, no. 2
p. 242

Abstract

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We use a sample of 54 compact symmetric objects (CSOs) to confirm that there are two unrelated CSO classes: an edge-dimmed, low-luminosity class (CSO 1), and an edge-brightened, high-luminosity class (CSO 2). Using blind tests, we show that CSO 2s consist of three subclasses: CSO 2.0, having prominent hot spots at the leading edges of narrow jets and/or narrow lobes; CSO 2.2, without prominent hot spots and with broad jets and/or lobes; and CSO 2.1, which exhibit mixed properties. Most CSO 2s do not evolve into larger jetted active galactic nuclei (AGN), but spend their whole life cycle as CSOs of size ≲500 pc and age ≲5000 yr. The minimum energies needed to produce the radio luminosity and structure in CSO 2s range from ∼10 ^−4 M _⊙ c ^2 to ∼7 M _⊙ c ^2 . We show that the transient nature of most CSO 2s, and their birth rate, can be explained through ignition in the tidal disruption events of stars. We also consider possibilities of tapping the spin energy of the supermassive black hole, and tapping the energy of the accretion disk. Our results demonstrate that CSOs constitute a large family of AGN in which we have thus far studied only the brightest. More comprehensive CSO studies, with higher sensitivity, resolution, and dynamic range, will revolutionize our understanding of AGN and the central engines that power them.

Published in The Astrophysical Journal

ISSN: 1538-4357 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science: Astronomy: Astrophysics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X

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