[Paper Review] The surroundings of the superluminal source GRS 1915+105

L. F. Rodríguez, I. Felix Mirabel|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 16, 1998

Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations3 citations

TL;DR

This study investigates the radio environment around the superluminal microquasar GRS 1915+105, focusing on two symmetric infrared/radio sources aligned with its relativistic jets and a nearby supernova remnant. Using radio observations, the authors find no evidence linking GRS 1915+105 to the supernova remnant, suggesting the progenitor of the microquasar was not the supernova that created the remnant.

ABSTRACT

We have carried out radio studies of the surroundings of the superluminal microquasar GRS~1915+105. Our main goal was to understand the possible relation of GRS~1915+105 with two infrared/radio sources that appear symmetrically located with respect to GRS~1915+105 and aligned with the position angle of the relativistic ejecta. We have also studied a nearby supernova remnant to test if the event that created the remnant could have been the progenitor of this hard X-ray binary.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate the spatial relationship between GRS 1915+105 and two symmetric infrared/radio sources aligned with its relativistic jets.
• To test whether the nearby supernova remnant could be the progenitor of the hard X-ray binary system GRS 1915+105.
• To understand the environmental context of a superluminal microquasar through multi-wavelength radio studies.
• To assess the likelihood of a common origin between the microquasar and the supernova remnant based on spatial and kinematic alignment.

Proposed method

• Conducted high-resolution radio observations of the GRS 1915+105 field to map surrounding radio and infrared sources.
• Analyzed the positional alignment of two symmetric radio/infrared sources relative to the jet axis of GRS 1915+105.
• Measured the spatial separation and kinematic consistency between the microquasar and the supernova remnant.
• Compared the spatial distribution and velocity structure of the supernova remnant with expected ejecta from a compact object formation event.
• Used radio morphology and flux density measurements to assess the physical association between GRS 1915+105 and the surrounding sources.
• Evaluated the likelihood of a causal connection between the supernova remnant and the formation of the microquasar system.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Are the two symmetric infrared/radio sources near GRS 1915+105 physically associated with the microquasar?
• RQ2 Is the nearby supernova remnant the progenitor of the compact object in GRS 1915+105?
• RQ3 Does the alignment of the symmetric sources with the relativistic jets suggest a common origin or ejection mechanism?
• RQ4 What is the spatial and kinematic consistency between the microquasar and the supernova remnant?
• RQ5 Could the formation of GRS 1915+105 have been triggered by the supernova explosion that created the remnant?

Key findings

• The two infrared/radio sources are symmetrically located with respect to GRS 1915+105 and aligned with the position angle of its relativistic jets.
• No significant spatial or kinematic association was found between GRS 1915+105 and the nearby supernova remnant.
• The observed alignment of the symmetric sources with the jet axis is consistent with a physical connection, but no direct evidence of interaction was detected.
• The lack of correlation between the microquasar and the supernova remnant suggests that the progenitor of GRS 1915+105 was not the star that produced the remnant.
• The radio morphology and flux distribution of the surrounding sources do not support a common origin with the microquasar.
• The results imply that the formation mechanism of GRS 1915+105 is likely independent of the supernova event that created the remnant.