Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Discovery of a double radio source associated with Cygnus X-3

Nature volume 337, pages 234–236 (1989)Cite this article

Abstract

The combination of high X-ray luminosity1 (∼1038 erg s−1), short orbital period2 (4.8 hours), large non-thermal radio outbursts3–5 and reports of very-high-energy (up to 1015 eV) γ-ray emission6,7 (see also ref. 8) and muon-rich showers9–11 makes Cyg X-3 a unique object among X-ray binaries. Very-high-resolution spatial mapping shows that the radio source starts expanding at the beginning of outbursts and becomes elongated4,5,12, indicating that Cyg X-3 contains a relativistic jet, similar to SS433 (ref. 13). We report here the discovery of a weak (∼4.5 mJy), arcsecond-scale double radio source located symmetrically with respect to the compact variable radio core of Cyg X-3. The double radio source has a separation of about 6 arcsec and is roughly aligned with the elongation direction of the sub-arcsec core from Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry observations12,14,15. Like the latter it has a rather broad opening angle. This suggests a generic connection between the inner and outer radio structures, and implies that the (poor) collimation evident in the large-scale double source originates near the binary system.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dickey, J. M. Astrophys. J. 273, L71–L73 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Brinkman, A. et al. IAU Circ. no. 2446 (1972).

  3. Gregory, P. C. et al. Nature 239, 440–443 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Geldzahler, B. J. et al. Astrophys. J. 273, L65–L69 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Spencer, R. E., Swinney, R. W., Johnston, K. J. & Hjellming, R. M. Astrophys. J. 309, 694–699 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Samorski, M. & Stamm, W. Astrophys. J. 268, L17–L21 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lloyd-Evans, J. et al. Nature 305, 784–787 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Hermsen, W. et al. Astr. Astrophys. 175, 141–150 (1987).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Marshek, M. L. et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 2079–2082 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Battistini, G. et al. Phys. Lett. B155, 465–467 (1985).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bartelt, J. et al. Phys. Rev. D 32, 1630–1641 (1985).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Molnar, L. A., Reid, M. J. & Grindlay, J. E. Astrophys. J. 331, 494–508 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Hjellming, R. M. & Johnston, K. J. Astrophys. J. 246, L141–L145 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Hjellming, R. M. in Galactic and Extragalactic Radio Astronomy (eds Verschuur, G. L. & Kellermann, K. I.) 381–438 (Springer Astronomy & Astrophysics Library, New York, 1988).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  15. Spencer, R. E. & Johnston, K. J. in RS Ophiuci (1985) and the recurrent Nova Phenomenon (ed. Bode, M. F.) 215–219 (VNU Science, Utrecht, 1987).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Bos, A., Raimond, E. & van Someren Gréve, H. W. Astr. Astrophys. 98, 251–259 (1981).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Noordam, J. E. & de Bruyn, A. G. Nature 299, 597–600 (1982).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Geldzahler, B. J., Fomalont, E. B., Hilldrup, K. & Corey, B. E. Astr. J. 86, 1036–1041 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. Pacholczyk, A. G. Radio Astrophysics (Freeman, San Francisco, 1970).

    Google Scholar 

  20. Geldzahler, B. J. & Fomalont, E. B. Astrophys. J. 311, 805–813 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Molnar, L. A., Reid, M. J. & Grindlay, J. E. Nature 310, 662–665 (1984).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Johnston, K. J. et al. Astrophys. J. 309, 707–713 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Forman, W. et al. Astrophys. J. Suppl. 38, 357–412 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hjellming, R. M. & Johnston, K. J. in The Physics of Accretion onto Compact Objects (eds Mason, K. O., Watson, M. G. & White, N. E.) Springer Lecture Notes in Physics 266, 287–301 (1986).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  25. Grindlay, J. E. & Seaquist, E. R. Astrophys. J. 310, 172–175 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Priedhorsky, W. et al. Astrophys. J. 306, L91–L95 (1986).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Garcia, M.R. et al. Astrophys. J. 328, 552–558 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. Penninx, W. et al. Nature 336, 146–148 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  29. Watson, M. G., Willingale, R., Grindlay, J. E. & Seward, F. D. Astrophys. J. 273, 688–696 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Manchester, R. N. & Taylor, J. H. Pulsars (Freeman, San Francisco, 1977).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Strom, R. G. Astrophys. J. 319, L103–L107 (1987).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kulkarni, S. R. Nature 331, 50–53 (1988).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Netherlands Foundation for Radio Astronomy, PO Box 2, 7990, AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands

    R. G. Strom

  2. Astronomical Institute "Anton Pannekoek", University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 15, 1018 WB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    J. van Paradijs

  3. Center for High-Energy Astrophysics, Nikhef-H, Kruislaan 409, 1098 SL, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    J. van Paradijs

  4. EXOSAT Observatory, Space Science Department of the European Space Agency, ESTEC, PO Box 299, 2200 AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    M. van der Klis

Authors
  1. R. G. Strom
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. van Paradijs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. van der Klis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Strom, R., van Paradijs, J. & van der Klis, M. Discovery of a double radio source associated with Cygnus X-3. Nature 337, 234–236 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/337234a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/337234a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing