Automated Detection of Coronal Mass Ejections in Stereo Heliospheric Imager Data

Abstract

We present deep Very Large Array imaging of 3C 273 in order to determine the diffuse, large scale radio structure of this famous radio-loud quasar. Diffuse extended structure (radio lobes) is detected for the first time in these observations as a consequence of high dynamic range in the 327.5 and 1365 MHz images. This emission is used to estimate a time averaged jet power, 7.2 × 1043 erg s−1 < $\overline{Q}$ < 3.7 × 1044 erg s−1. Brightness temperature arguments indicate consistent values of the time variability Doppler factor and the compactness Doppler factor for the inner jet, δ gsim 10. Thus, the large apparent broadband bolometric luminosity of the jet, ~3 × 1046 erg s−1, corresponds to a modest intrinsic luminosity gsim1042 erg s−1, or ~1% of $\overline{Q}$. In summary, we find that 3C 273 is actually a "typical" radio-loud quasar contrary to suggestions in the literature. The modest $\overline{Q}$ is near the peak of the luminosity distribution for radio-loud quasars and it is consistent with the current rate of dissipation emitted from millimeter wavelengths to gamma rays. The extreme core-jet morphology is an illusion from a near pole-on line of sight to a highly relativistic jet that produces a Doppler enhanced glow that previously swamped the lobe emission. 3C 273 apparently has the intrinsic kpc scale morphology of a classical double radio source, but it is distorted by an extreme Doppler aberration.