Revealing the Energetics and Structure of AGN Jets

Abstract

Until very recently, few constraints existed on the physics of jets, even though they represent the first known evidence of mass outflow in AGN. This has begun to change with HST and Chandra observations, which allow us to observe short-lived, dynamic features, and compare their spectra and morphology to those of longer-lived particles seen in the radio. We examine HST and Chandra observations of M87 and 3C273 which reveal that these two prototype objects seem radically different.