# Sub-Relativistic Radio Jets and Parsec-Scale Absorption in Two Seyfert Galaxies

## 1 Introduction

Seyfert galaxies have weak and small radio sources, with typical sizes $`500`$ pc and typical centimeter-wavelength powers of $`10^{23}`$ W Hz<sup>-1</sup> (e.g., Ulvestad & Wilson (1989)). These sources are apparently produced by weak jets whose axes are determined by the galaxies’ central obscuring disks, and interacting with thermal gas within ionization cones (e.g., Falcke, Wilson, & Simpson (1998), and references therein). The presence of gas disks or tori is supported by the obscuration of broad lines in a number of Seyfert 2 galaxies (Antonucci & Miller (1985); Miller & Goodrich (1990); Tran (1995)), by VLBI imaging of H<sub>2</sub>O masers in NGC 4258 (Herrnstein et al. (1997)), and by parsec-scale HI absorption in other active galaxies (Peck & Taylor (1998); Taylor et al. (1999)).

It is of considerable interest to measure the speeds of Seyfert radio jets close to their central engines, to attempt to differentiate between “intrinsic” and “environmental” effects. Previous measurements of jet speeds in Seyfert cores are rare. In NGC 4151, upper limits of $`0.14c`$ and $`0.25c`$ have been measured on scales of 7 and 36 pc (Ulvestad et al. (1998)). Component positions in NGC 1068, measured with the Very Large Array in 1983 (Ulvestad, Neff, & Wilson (1987)) and with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) in 1996 (Roy et al. (1998)), imply an upper limit of $`0.5c`$ for components $`20`$ pc apart. Recently, in III Zw 2, Falcke et al. (1999) inferred an apparent speed $`0.2c`$ on a sub-parsec scale, based on a single VLBI image following a flux outburst.

The galaxies Mrk 231 and Mrk 348 contain two of the strongest radio sources found in Seyferts, and are prime candidates for the measurement of motions in their cores. Within larger-scale VLBI structures, each galaxy contains a parsec-scale double radio source (Halkides, Ulvestad, & Roy (1997); Ulvestad, Wrobel, & Carilli 1999). Those central sources have now been imaged at two epochs using the VLBA;<sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1The VLBA is part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. this Letter reports measurements of the component separation speeds on scales of $`1.1`$ pc.

## 2 VLBA Observations & Data Analysis

The VLBA (Napier et al. (1994)) was used to observe Mrk 231 and Mrk 348 at two epochs separated by $`1.7`$ yr, between 1996 and 1998. For each galaxy, observing frequencies ranged from 1.4 to 22 GHz; the images at 15.365 GHz, obtained in left-circular polarization, have the best combination of resolution and sensitivity for the compact components, and are the subject of this Letter. All data were initially calibrated in AIPS (van Moorsel, Kemball, & Greisen (1996)), then iteratively imaged and self-calibrated in DIFMAP (Shepherd (1997)). On-source integration times ranged from 1.2 to 2.6 hr, resulting in r.m.s. noises of 0.4–1.1 mJy beam<sup>-1</sup> for the final uniformly weighted images.

Two-component Gaussian models were fitted in both the (u,v) plane and the image plane; we use the image-plane fits here. Flux-density errors (all errors are $`1\sigma `$) were derived by combining a 5% scale uncertainty in quadrature with the fitting error (including noise). Estimated size errors are 20% in each axis, with point sources taken to have upper limits of half the beam size. Errors in relative component positions are consistent with the measured noises, except for the first-epoch image of Mrk 231, where the quoted error is the total range found by using different fitting procedures.

## 3 Two-Epoch Radio Images

### 3.1 Mrk 348

Mrk 348 has a redshift $`z=0.014`$ (de Vaucouleurs et al. (1991)), yielding a scale of 0.31 pc mas<sup>-1</sup> for $`H_0=65`$ km s<sup>-1</sup> Mpc<sup>-1</sup> (used throughout). This galaxy is a type 2 Seyfert with a hidden broad-line region (Miller & Goodrich (1990)), implying that its inner disk is nearly edge-on. It also contains a 200-mas triple radio source (Neff & de Bruyn (1983)) coinciding with optical \[O III\] emission imaged by Capetti et al. (1996). Our VLBA images (Figure 1) show a small-scale double source that is aligned with the larger scale radio and optical emission. Phase referencing at the second epoch gives a J2000 position for the stronger component of $`\alpha =00^h48^m47^s`$.1422, $`\delta =31^{}57^{}25^{\prime \prime }`$.044, with an error of $`12`$ mas. The relative component separation (see Table 1) increased from 1.46 mas to 1.58 mas in 1.65 yr. Since the stronger component was resolved at the second epoch, its centroid could have shifted in absolute position; we estimate a $`3\sigma `$ upper limit to this shift that is equal to the component size of 0.16 mas. Adding this error in quadrature to the nominal position errors, we find a proper motion of $`0.073\pm 0.035`$ mas yr<sup>-1</sup>, for an apparent speed (in units of $`c`$) of $`\beta _{\mathrm{app}}=0.074\pm 0.035`$. The implied epoch of zero separation is $`1977_{20}^{+7}`$, so the secondary might have had its genesis during a strong flux outburst in early 1982 (Neff & de Bruyn (1983)).

The total flux density of $`122\pm 6`$ mJy at 1997.10 was slightly smaller than the flux density of $`169\pm 9`$ mJy measured at 1995.26 (Barvainis & Lonsdale (1998)). Mrk 348 since has undergone a major radio flare, with the southern component increasing by a factor of 5.5 between 1997.10 and 1998.75, strongly suggesting that it is the galaxy nucleus. This is similar to the more extreme flares in III Zw 2, which are discussed by Falcke et al. (1999).

### 3.2 Mrk 231

The redshift of Mrk 231 is $`z=0.042`$ (de Vaucouleurs et al. (1991)), and the corresponding scale is 0.93 pc mas<sup>-1</sup>. Mrk 231 is a Seyfert 1/starburst galaxy with a heavily obscured nucleus and a total infrared luminosity of $`3\times 10^{12}L_{}`$ (Soifer et al. (1989)). It contains a 40-pc north-south radio source (Neff & Ulvestad (1988); Ulvestad et al. (1999)) embedded within a starburst several hundred parsecs in extent (Bryant & Scoville (1996); Carilli, Wrobel, & Ulvestad (1998)). Our VLBA images (Figure 2) show a double source with a position angle differing by about 65° from the larger scale source. The second-epoch phase-referenced J2000 position ($`\alpha =12^h56^m14^s`$.2336, $`\delta =56^{}52^{}25^{\prime \prime }`$.245) is consistent within the 12-mas error with that previously listed by Patnaik et al. (1992). The increase in component separation (Table 1) results in a measured proper motion of $`0.046\pm 0.017`$ mas yr<sup>-1</sup>, or $`\beta _{\mathrm{app}}=0.14\pm 0.052`$, with a zero-separation epoch of $`1973_{15}^{+7}`$. Variability by a factor of 2.5 between epochs indicates that the weaker, northeastern component is the actual nucleus of the galaxy.

## 4 Nature of the One-Sided Sources

Parsec-scale radio sources have now been imaged in several Seyfert galaxies (e.g., Gallimore, Baum, & O’Dea (1997); Ulvestad et al. (1998)). In NGC 1068, the parsec-scale source is believed to represent thermal emission from the accretion torus (Gallimore et al. 1997). However, the brightness temperatures in Mrk 348 and Mrk 231 are too high for thermal emission, and instead suggest association of the radio components with outflowing jets. Strong variability in one component in each galaxy indicates that it is close to the active nucleus, and that the double sources represent one-sided jets rather than straddling the galaxy nuclei.

### 4.1 Relativistic Boosting?

One-sided radio structures often are caused by relativistic jets having speed $`\beta c`$ and pointing at a small angle $`\theta `$ with respect to the observer’s line of sight (for equations, see Pearson & Zensus (1987)). We assume an intrinsic spectral index of $`\alpha =0.7`$ ($`S_\nu \nu ^{+\alpha }`$) for the off-nuclear components. In Mrk 348, therefore, the observed jet/counterjet ratio of $`R>17`$, together with $`\beta _{\mathrm{app}}0.08`$, can be due to relativistic boosting only if $`\beta 0.37`$ and $`\theta 10^{}`$. However, the inner disk is edge-on (Miller & Goodrich (1990)), and the half-angle of the ionization cone is $``$45° (Simpson et al. (1996)); if the radio jet is inside that cone, $`\theta 45^{}`$, inconsistent with motion near the line of sight. In Mrk 231, $`R>45`$ and $`\beta _{\mathrm{app}}0.14`$, requiring $`\beta 0.48`$ and $`\theta 10^{}`$ for Doppler boosting to account for the one-sided source. If the radio axis is perpendicular to the 100-pc-scale disk (Bryant & Scoville (1996); Carilli et al. 1998), then $`\theta 45^{}`$, also inconsistent with motion at a very small viewing angle.

The above arguments depend on two assumptions: (1) the jets flow along the axes of the inner disks, as they apparently do in NGC 1068 (Gallimore et al. 1997) and NGC 4258 (Herrnstein et al. (1997)); and (2) the measured speeds represent the actual jet speeds, rather than quasi-stationary structures (such as shocks) through which faster jets flow. The interpretation of fast jets moving through slower shocks has been made for Centaurus A, with $`\beta _{\mathrm{app}}0.1`$, based on the internal evolution of radio components (Tingay et al. (1998)). However, in Mrk 231 and Mrk 348, the structures of the off-nuclear components are consistent between the two epochs, so there is no similar evidence for higher flow speeds.

### 4.2 Free-Free Absorption

A straightforward explanation for the one-sided sources is that the “missing” components are in the receding jet and are free-free absorbed by ionized gas. The optical depth at frequency $`\nu `$ is

$$\tau _{\mathrm{ff}}(\nu )8.235\times 10^2T^{1.35}(\nu /\mathrm{GHz})^{2.1}E$$
(1)   
(Mezger & Henderson (1967)), where $`T`$ is the temperature in Kelvin and $`E`$ is the emission measure in cm<sup>-6</sup> pc. Optical depths of $`\tau _{\mathrm{ff}}(15\mathrm{GHz})4`$ are needed in order to account for the observed jet/counterjet ratios. Assuming a line-of-sight distance of $`0.1`$ pc through the ionized gas, and a gas temperature of 8000 K, the average ionized densities would be $`n_e2\times 10^5`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> at 0.5–1 pc from the galaxy nuclei. The resulting column densities of $`10^{23}`$ cm<sup>-2</sup> are remarkably consistent with the measured X-ray absorption columns in Mrk 348 (Smith & Done (1996)) and in Mrk 231 (Nakagawa et al. (1998)). The density also is consistent with that found for possible absorption in a warm, weakly ionized medium in the H<sub>2</sub>O-maser galaxy NGC 2639 (Wilson et al. (1998)). On the other hand, if the absorption comes from a much hotter gas having $`T10^{6.6}`$ K, the average density required would be $`n_e10^7`$ cm<sup>-3</sup>. These values are close to those inferred from the image of the torus radio emission in NGC 1068 (Gallimore et al. 1997); such disk emission in Mrk 231 and Mrk 348 is possible, since it would not be detectable by our observations, due to inadequate resolution and brightness-temperature sensitivity.

The free-free-absorption interpretation requires ionized gas densities of $`10^5`$$`10^7`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> in the inner parsec of Mrk 231 and Mrk 348. These are higher than the values of $`n_e10^4`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> inferred from the absorption $`2`$ pc from the nucleus of 3C 84 (Levinson, Laor, & Vermeulen (1995)), and $`n_e10^3`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> inferred for absorption 15–20 pc from the nucleus of Mrk 231 (Ulvestad et al. (1999)). Thus, our results are consistent with the presence of disks or tori having ionized densities that fall gradually from $`10^5`$$`10^7`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> in the inner parsec of the galaxies to $`10^3`$ cm<sup>-3</sup> at $`20`$ pc from the nuclei. Even though no H<sub>2</sub>O maser emission has been detected in Mrk 231 or Mrk 348 (Braatz, Wilson, & Henkel (1996)), possibly because of our viewing angle, the one-sided sub-relativistic jets are consistent with the presence of megamaser disks. If $`\tau _{\mathrm{ff}}(15\mathrm{GHz})4`$, the absorbing gas may become optically thin near 30 GHz, and counterjets might be detectable in very sensitive VLBI observations at 43 GHz.

### 4.3 Comparison to Other Parsec-Scale Sources

The apparently low jet speeds in Mrk 231 and Mrk 348 are similar to those seen on parsec scales in some weak Fanaroff-Riley I (Fanaroff and Riley (1974)) radio galaxies such as Centaurus A (Tingay et al. (1998)) and 3C 84 (Dhawan, Kellermann, & Romney (1998)). However, most such objects are relativistic on parsec scales (Giovannini et al. (1998)), as are most strong radio galaxies and quasars (Pearson (1996)). The apparently sub-relativistic Seyfert jet speeds on the same scale may be due to interactions with the small-scale gas, or to physics directly related to the energy source, such as low black-hole spin rates (e.g., Rees et al. (1982); Wilson & Colbert (1995)).

Both Mrk 348 and Mrk 231, as well as NGC 2639 (Wilson et al. (1998)) and III Zw 2 (Falcke et al. (1999)), have radio spectra that peak at 10 GHz or higher. Thus, the Seyfert radio sources have general characteristics similar to compact symmetric objects (CSOs), which display gigahertz-peaked spectra, symmetric radio sources on scales of $`100`$ pc, and one-sided jets on scales of 10 pc (Taylor, Readhead, & Pearson (1996)). Small-scale Seyfert jet speeds also are similar to those measured in CSOs at 50–100 pc from their nuclei (Owsianik & Conway (1998); Owsianik, Conway, & Polatidis (1998)). The CSO jets are one-sided at 15 GHz (Taylor et al. 1996), and even at 43 GHz (Taylor, private communication), on scales of 10 pc; at least one CSO also shows patchy HI absorption on similar scales (Peck, Taylor, & Conway (1999)). We speculate that free-free absorption with column densities near $`10^{24}`$ cm<sup>-2</sup> might cause one-sided structures in some CSOs, if their disks are larger and denser than in Seyferts. High-energy X-ray spectral studies could be used to search for absorption due to this gas.

###### Acknowledgements.

We thank Greg Taylor, Alison Peck, and Jack Gallimore for useful discussions and suggestions, and Daria Halkides for assistance with the data reduction for the first epoch of Mrk 348. H. Falcke acknowledges support from DFG grants Fa 358/1-1 and 1-2. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.