Re: Superluminal Quasar Jets : The Beaming "Explanation" Appears Inadequate

From: Chris O'Riordan (coranto_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 02/26/05 

Date: 26 Feb 2005 02:05:49 -0800

Martin Brown wrote:
> N:dlzc D:aol T:com (dlzc) wrote:
>
> > Dear Chris O'Riordan:
> >
> > "Chris O'Riordan" <coranto@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> > news:1109240200.587669.118790@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> >
> >>The conventional explanantion for the superluminal motions observed
in
> >>many quasar-type jets is that it is an optical illusion due to the
jets
> >>being oriented at a fairly narrow angle to our line of sight.
> >
> And it is a very good explanation that fits the observations nicely.

There are key cases where it emphatically DOESN'T appear to fit, as I
mentioned in
http://www.geocities.com/chrisori2000/superjet.htm

To recap:-

(For the 7 known superluminals in 1983,) the structures did NOT in
general appear to be oriented close to the line-of-sight;

Mackay, Thompson et al suggested in 1993 that the (outer) jet of quasar
3C273 was nearly PERPENDICULAR, rather than nearly parallel, to the
line-of-sight. Superluminal motion of up to ~9.6c has been observed
along the (inner) jet;

The jet of the galaxy M87 needs to be at ~19 degrees to the
line-of-sight to explain by beaming superluminal motion of up to ~6c in
it -- but independent evidence on the jet's orientation suggests it is
at ~43 degrees to our line-of-sight.

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