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Doppler factor, Lorentz factor and viewing angle of superluminal quasars

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Abstract

We carried out the investigation of the properties of features seen within superluminal sources often referred to as components. Our result indicates a fairly strong correlation of r∼0.76 between component radial distance L and component size ℜ. Assumption of simple ballistic motion and free adiabatic expansion, enabled us to use the observed jet component parameters to constrain the Doppler factor, Lorentz factor and the lower limit to the viewing angle with respect to a distant observer. The estimated average Doppler factor, Lorentz factor and viewing angle respectively are 10.3±5.0, 18.3±6.2 and 3.7±2.3 for Γ=4/3; while the values obtained for Γ=5/3 are 12.2±5.9,17.2±5.1 and 2.9±1.6, where Γ is the adiabatic index. The large scatter in our results may be due to the uncertainties introduced by the assumptions made.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Tertiary Education Trust Fund for financial contributions

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Industrial Physics, Anambra State University, Uli, Nigeria

    C. C. Onuchukwu & A. A. Ubachukwu

  2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    C. C. Onuchukwu

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  1. C. C. Onuchukwu
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  2. A. A. Ubachukwu
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Correspondence to C. C. Onuchukwu.

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Onuchukwu, C.C., Ubachukwu, A.A. Doppler factor, Lorentz factor and viewing angle of superluminal quasars. Astrophys Space Sci 348, 193–198 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-013-1549-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-013-1549-4

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