Context (archaeology)

Biology

Galaxy

Very-long-baseline interferometry

Astrophysics

Quasar

Jet (fluid)

Very Long Baseline Array

Paleontology

Physics

Active galactic nucleus

Astronomy

Astrophysical jet

Mechanics

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Context. Despite numerous and detailed studies of the jets of active galactic nuclei (AGN) on pc-scales, many questions are still debated. The physical nature of the jet components is one of the most prominent unsolved problems, as is the launching mechanism of jets in AGN. The quasar 1308+326 (z = 0.997) allows us to study the overall properties of its jet in detail and to derive a more physical understanding of the nature and origin of jets in general. The long-term data provided by the Monitoring Of Jets in Active galactic nuclei with Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) experiments (MOJAVE)⋆⋆ survey permit us to trace out the structural changes in 1308+326 that we present here. The long-lived jet features in this source can be followed for about two decades.

A swirling jet in the quasar 1308+326