Radiointerferometric Observational Capabilities of Relativistic Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei for the “Millimetron” Project

Abstract

In this paper, observational capabilities of the Millimetron space-ground very long baseline interferometer mode for active galactic nuclei have been analyzed to obtain two dimensional images of these object with high angular resolution. The observatory with its 10-m mirror will conduct observations in the very long baseline radio interferometry mode together with ground telescopes in the frequency range of 43–345 GHz (the wavelength range of 7–0.7 mm). Due to the orbit in the vicinity of the L2 Lagrange point of the Sun–Earth system, the maximum angular resolution will be up to 0.8 (43 GHz), 0.4 (100 GHz), 0.14 (230 GHz), and 0.1 (345 GHz) μas. Obtaining images with high angular resolution both makes it possible to study the vicinity of nearby supermassive black holes and opens up new possibilities in studying the structure and dynamics of relativistic jets of active galactic nuclei and studying the core shift effect. Based on the previously calculated nominal orbit for the Millimetron observatory, the observational capabilities of 379 sources previously observed within the Radioastron mission scientific program have been analyzed. The fundamental capabilities of obtaining radio images of 13 sources with a specific possible time and duration of such observations have been demonstrated. The obtained results have broad practical significance in terms of further planning and development of the scientific program for the space-ground interferometer mode of the Millimetron observatory.