Very long baseline array multi-frequency polarimetric imaging of radio-loud broad absorption line quasars

Abstract

We conducted the first multi-frequency polarimetric imaging of four broad absorption line (BAL) quasars using the Very Long Baseline Array at milliarcsecond resolutions to investigate the inclination of the nonthermal jet and test the hypothesis that radio sources in BAL quasars are still young. Among these four sources, J0928+446, J1018+0530, and J1405+4056 show one-sided structures in parsec scales and polarized emission detected in the core. These characteristics are consistent with those of blazars. We set constraints on viewing angles to <66° for these jets in the framework of a Doppler beaming effect. J1159+0112 exhibits an unpolarized gigahertz-peaked spectrum component and several discrete blobs with steep spectra on both sides of the central component across ∼1 kpc. These properties are consistent with those of young radio sources. We discuss the structures of jets and active galactic nucleus wind. © 2013. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.