Twin Quasar: Difference between revisions

The Twin Quasar Q0957+561
The Twin Quasar Q0957+561
Observation data (Epoch J2000)
Constellation	Ursa Major
Right ascension	10h 01m 20.99s
Declination	+55° 53′ 56.5″
Redshift	1.413
Distance	7,800,000,000 ly (2,400,000,000 pc)
Type	Rad
Apparent dimensions (V)	0.42´× 0.22´
Apparent magnitude (V)	16.7
Other designations
	Double Quasar, QSO 0957+561, 8C 0958+561, PGC 2518326
	See also: Quasar, List of quasars

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The Twin Quasar (Double Quasar) or Old Faithful is also known as Q0957+561, or QSO 0957+561. It was the first identified gravitationally lensed object.

Quasar

Q0957+561 A (QSO 0957+561 A) and Q-0957+561 B (QSO 0957+561 B) is a double-imaged quasar, meaning that an intervening mass concentration between Earth and the quasar bends light so that two images of the quasar appear in the sky. This is known as gravitational lensing, and is a consequence of Einsteinian warped space-time. The quasar lies at redshift z = 1.41(8.7 billion ly), while the lensing galaxy lies at redshift z = 0.355 (3.7 billion ly). The lensing galaxy lies almost in line with the B image, lying 1" off. The quasar lies 10" north of NGC 3079, in the constellation Ursa Major.

The Twin Quasar's two images are separated by 6". Both images have an apparent magnitude of 17, with the A component having 16.7 and the B component having 16.5 . There is a 417 ± 3 day time lag between the two images.^[1]

Lens

The lensing galaxy, YGKOW G1^[2] (sometimes called G1 or Q0957+561 G1), is a giant elliptical (type cD) lying within a cluster of galaxies that also contribute to the lensing. A microlensing event in 1996 observed by R. E. Schild in the A lobe has led to a controversial, and unconfirmable theory that there is a planet approximately three Earth masses in size in the lensing galaxy. The speculation cannot be confirmed because the chance alignment that led to its discovery will never happen again. If it could be confirmed, however, it would make it the most distant known planet.

Claim of support for alternate cosmological theory

A group of researchers has used data from this quasar to advance claims about a proposed stellar model, which they refer to as a magnetospheric eternally collapsing object.^[3]^[4]

References

Citations

^ Kundic, T., Turner, E.L., Colley, W.N., Gott, III, R., and Rhoads, J.E., ``A robust determination of the time delay in 0957+561A,B and a measurement of the global value of Hubble's constant, Astrophys. J., 482, 75-82, (1997).
^ Nomenclature of Celestial Objects (Result I)
^ Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes - New Scientist, July 27, 2006.
^ Research Sheds New Light On Quasars - SpaceDaily July 26, 2006.

External links

Q0957+561: Die historisch erste Linse mit Quasar - The University of Cologne.
Q0957+561 - CCD Image Based on 45-min total exposure - March/2007.

[1] Kundic, T., Turner, E.L., Colley, W.N., Gott, III, R., and Rhoads, J.E., ``A robust determination of the time delay in 0957+561A,B and a measurement of the global value of Hubble's constant, Astrophys. J., 482, 75-82, (1997).

[2] Nomenclature of Celestial Objects (Result I)

[3] Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes - New Scientist, July 27, 2006.

[4] Research Sheds New Light On Quasars - SpaceDaily July 26, 2006.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 The lensing galaxy, '''[[YGKOW G1]]'''<ref>[http://vizier.cfa.harvard.edu/viz-bin/Dic?YGKOW Nomenclature of Celestial Objects (Result I)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (sometimes called ''G1'' or ''Q0957+561 G1''), is a giant [[Elliptical galaxy|elliptical]] (type cD) lying within a cluster of galaxies that also contribute to the lensing. A microlensing event in [[1996]] observed by [[R. E. Schild]] in the A lobe has led to a controversial, and unconfirmable theory that there is a planet approximately three Earth masses in size in the lensing galaxy.  The speculation cannot be confirmed because the chance alignment that led to its discovery will never happen again. If it could be confirmed, however, it would make it the most distant known planet.
+==Claim of support for alternate cosmological theory==
-==Magnetospheric eternally collapsing object?==
+A group of researchers has used data from this quasar to advance claims about a proposed stellar model, which they refer to as a [[magnetospheric eternally collapsing object]].<ref>[http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn9620&feedId=online-news_rss20 Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes] - New Scientist, July 27, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Research_Sheds_New_Light_On_Quasars_999.html Research Sheds New Light On Quasars] - SpaceDaily July 26, 2006.</ref>
-[[R. E. Schild]], [[D. Leiter]], and [[S. Robertson]] have announced findings which suggest that the object at the heart of the radio loud quasar Q0957+561 is not a [[supermassive black hole]], as is currently believed to be the case for all quasars. Schild and his team at the [[Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics]] found that the jets originated 8000 AU from the poles of the centre, in a region 1000AU across. In addition they found that the accretion disc in this quasar appeared to be truncated at 2000AU from the centre, and the inner edge surrounding the apparently empty inner region of the disc contained a very thin annular region that was found to be intensely radiating. There also appeared to be a broad conic wind outflow from the [[accretion disc]] which created a luminous Broad Line Emission Region [[Elvis structure]] (cf. [[Martin Elvis]]). On the basis of these observations they came to the conclusion that ''"This quasar appears to be dynamically dominated by an intrinsic magnetic field which is internally anchored to its central, rotating supermassive compact object".
-In "radio loud" quasars, which make up about 10% of the total quasar populations,
-some of that gas is forcefully ejected outward in two opposing jets at
-nearly the speed of light. On the other hand the remaining 90% of the
-quasars do not exhibit any jet structure and for that reason are "radio
-quiet". In order to better understand the difference between the two
-types of quasars, theorists struggle to understand the physics of the
-accretion disk and jets, while observers struggle to peer into the
-quasar's heart. However the manner in which the "central engine" is
-able to turn on radio emitting jet structures in radio loud quasars,
-while also being able to turn off the radio emitting jet structure
-in radio quiet quasars, is difficult problem for both theorists and
-observers because the central regions of quasars are so compact and the
-quasars so far away from Earth.
-Using newly developed optical telescope techniques involving gravitational
-micro-lensing and reverberation analysis, Rudy Schild and his colleagues
-have also studied the internal structure of the radio quiet quasar Q2237
-(known as the Einstein Cross), as well as the radio loud quasar Q0957 (known
-as the Twin) both of which are located more than 9 billion light-years from
-Earth. These two quasars, which are in distinctly different spectral states,
-have been observed to have central compact objects containing masses on the
-order of 3-4 billion Suns. For this reason most astrophysicists would consider
-the central objects in these two quasars to be "black holes," but Schild, Leiter,
-and Robertson's research has suggested otherwise. "We don't call the central
-objects in these quasars black holes because our observations indicate that
-these two quasars have central compact objects which contain internally anchored
-magnetic fields that are able to penetrate through the surface of their
-collapsed central objects and interact with the quasars accretion disk
-and its environment," they commented.
-The researchers chose Q0957 and Q2237 because of their association with
-natural cosmic lenses. The gravity of nearby galaxies bends space,
-forming multiple images of the distant quasars and magnifying their
-light. Stars and planets within nearby galaxies can also affect the
-quasars light, causing small fluctuations in brightness (in a process
-called "micro-lensing") when they drift into the line of sight between
-Earth and the quasars.
-Using this micro-lensing-reverberation technique on the radio loud
-quasar Q0957 Schild monitored the quasar's brightness for a period of
-years, and led an international consortium of observers operating 14
-telescopes to keep the object under steady around-the-clock watch at
-critical times. "With micro-lensing, we were able to discern more
-detail about the so-called 'black hole' in this quasar which is two-
-thirds of the way to the edge of the visible universe than we can from
-the black hole at the center of the Milky Way," said Schild. Through
-careful analysis, the team teased out details about the inner structure
-of this quasar For example, their calculations pinpointed the location
-where the jets form. "How when and where do these jets form? Even after
-years of radio observations, we had no answer. Now the evidence is
-in, and we know," said Schild.
-Schild, Leiter, and Robertson found that the jets in the radio loud quasar
-Q0957 appear to emerge from two regions 1,000 [[astronomical units]] in
-size (about 25 times larger than the Pluto-Sun distance) located 8,000
-astronomical units directly above the poles of the central compact
-object. (An astronomical unit is defined as the average distance from
-the Earth to the Sun, or 93 million miles). However, that location
-would be expected only if the jets were powered by reconnecting
-magnetic field lines that were anchored to the rotating super massive
-compact object within the quasar. By interacting with a surrounding
-accretion disk, such spinning magnetic field lines spool up, winding
-tighter and tighter until they explosively unite, reconnect and
-break, releasing huge amounts of energy that power the jets. "This
-quasar appears to be dynamically dominated by an intrinsic magnetic
-field which is internally anchored to its central, rotating super
-massive compact object," they stated.
-Since standard black hole models were found to be unable to explain the
-observed internal structure seen in the quasar Q0957, Schild and his
-colleagues, [[Darryl Leiter]] (Marwood Astrophysics Research Center and
-currently a visitor at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville
-Virginia) and [[Stanley Robertson]] (Southwestern Oklahoma State University), were led to
-propose a theory that this quasar might be a new type of object,
-a [[Magnetospheric Eternally Collapsing Object]], or MECO.
 ==See also==
-* [[Extrasolar planet]]
 * [[Hypothetical planet]]
-* [[R. E. Schild]]
-* [[Darryl Leiter]]
-* [[Stanley Robertson]]
-* [[Magnetospheric eternally collapsing object]], MECO
 * [[Multiple images (gravitational lensing)]]
-*[[Einstein Cross]]
 ==References==
-* [http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0505518 Observations Supporting the Existence of an Intrinsic Magnetic Moment Inside the Central Compact Object Within the Quasar Q0957+561] ''[[Rudolph E. Schild]], [[Darryl J. Leiter]], [[Stanley L. Robertson]]'' (arXiv) Wed, 25 May 2005 17:37:09 GMT
 * [http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?protocol=html&Ident=Q0957%2B561+&NbIdent=1&Radius=2&Radius.unit=arcmin&submit=submit+id Simbad]
 * http://www.exoplaneten.de/Q0957+561/english.html
@@ Line 126: / Line 43: @@
 * [http://hera.ph1.uni-koeln.de/~heintzma/U1/Q0957+561.htm Q0957+561: Die historisch erste Linse mit Quasar] - [[University of Cologne|The University of Cologne]].
 * [http://www.perseus.gr/Astro-DSO-QSO-0957+561.htm Q0957+561] - CCD Image Based on 45-min total exposure - March/2007.
-* [http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Research_Sheds_New_Light_On_Quasars_999.html Research Sheds New Light On Quasars] - SpaceDaily July 26, 2006.
-* [http://www.newscientistspace.com/article.ns?id=dn9620&feedId=online-news_rss20 Mysterious quasar casts doubt on black holes] - New Scientist, July 27, 2006.
 [[Category:Ursa Major constellation]]