Radio lobe dynamics and the environment of microquasars

Abstract

We argue that, when compared to AGNs in dynamical terms, microquasars are found in low density, low pressure environments. Using a simple analytic model, we discuss radio lobe dynamics and emission. Dynamical considerations for GRS 1915+105 and GRO J1655-40 show that they are located in regions much less dense than the canonical nISM ∼ 1 cm-3 unless the jets are unusually narrow or much more powerful than currently believed.