The Nearest Engines?



next up previous
Next: Transport Velocities Up: Observations of Energy Transport Previous: Jet Launching

3. The Nearest Engines?

The one galactic ``relativistic jet'' known in 1984 was SS433,  with outflow at 0.26. Cygnus X-3  has since hinted of expansion at about /3 (Spencer et al. 1986; Schalinski et al. 1995), though its kinematics and distance are ambiguous. As noted by Scheuer (these Proceedings), stronger candidates for the ``mini-quasar'' appellation have surfaced in the X-ray transients GRS1915+105  (Mirabel & Rodríguez 1994) and GROJ1655-40  (Tingay et al. 1995; Hjellming & Rupen 1995), both with relativistic pattern speeds approaching those of quasars. The galactic -ray sources 1E1740.7-2942  (Mirabel et al. 1992) and GRS1758-258  (Rodríguez, Mirabel, & Martí 1992) also show signs of jet-like radio structure, though nothing is known of their proper motions. The validity of calling all such sources ``mini-quasars'' is unclear, but studying their (rapid) evolution may well illuminate the AGN-jet problem.



Alan Bridle
Wed Apr 10 10:19:46 EDT 1996