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Session 31 - Radiogalaxies - High Energy.
Oral session, Monday, January 13
Pier 4,

[31.02] X-ray Variability in M87

D. E. Harris (SAO), J. A. Biretta (STScI), W. Junor (UNM)

We present the evidence for X-ray variability from the core and from knot A in the M87 jet based on data from two observations with the Einstein Observatory High Resolution Imager (HRI) and three observations with the ROSAT HRI. The core intensity showed a 16% increase in 17 months ('79-'80); a 12% increase in the 3 years '92 to '95; and a 17% drop in the last half of 1995. The intensity of knot A appears to have decreased by 16% between 92Jun and 95Dec. Although the core variability is consistent with general expectations for AGN nuclei, the changes in knot A provide constraints on the x-ray emission process and geometry. Thus we predict that the x-ray morphology of knot A will differ significantly from the radio and optical structure.


The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: harris@cfa.harvard.edu

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