Details on the event

01/09/2018

Joint Astrophysical Colloquium

Part I: New results on Cygnus A. Part II: the Next Generation Very Large Array

Chris Carilli (NRAO)

Thursday 11/07/2019 @ 11:30, Sala IV piano Battiferro

I will present two topics. First entails recent results on the powerful radio galaxy, Cygnus A. Cygnus A, being an order of magnitude closer than any other radio source of similar luminosity, has long been the 'Rosetta Stone' for studying the physics of powerful radio AGN, and their relativistic jets. Very recent VLA observations of Cygnus A reveal new, surprising structures that have direct relevance to our understanding of the physical processes in AGN with quasar-like luminosity. First is discovery of what may be the 'obscuring torus' on scales of 100pc -- a fundamental element in the AGN 'unification through obscuration' paradigm. The second is the discovery of what appears to be a secondary AGN in the core of the galaxy, making Cygnus A a binary SMBH. I will then present a brief summary of the Next Generation Very Large Array project. The ngVLA represents an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity and resolution over existing facilities operating between 1 GHz and 115 GHz, and will open new windows on the Cosmos, ranging from terrestrial planet formation to the formation of the first galaxies and black holes in the Universe.