The detection of diffuse extended structure in 3C 273: implications for jet power

We present deep Very Large Array imaging of 3C 273 in order to determine the diffuse, large scale radio structure of this famous radio-loud quasar. Diffuse extended structure (radio lobes) is detected for the first time in these observations as a consequence of high dynamic range in the 327.5 and 1365 MHz images. This emission is used to estimate a time averaged jet power, 7.2 × 10⁴³ erg s⁻¹ < $\overline{Q}$ < 3.7 × 10⁴⁴ erg s⁻¹. Brightness temperature arguments indicate consistent values of the time variability Doppler factor and the compactness Doppler factor for the inner jet, δ ≳ 10. Thus, the large apparent broadband bolometric luminosity of the jet, ∼3 × 10⁴⁶ erg s⁻¹, corresponds to a modest intrinsic luminosity ≳10⁴² erg s⁻¹, or ∼1% of $\overline{Q}$. In summary, we find that 3C 273 is actually a "typical" radio-loud quasar contrary to suggestions in the literature. The modest $\overline{Q}$ is near the peak of the luminosity distribution for radio-loud quasars and it is consistent with the current rate of dissipation emitted from millimeter wavelengths to gamma rays. The extreme core-jet morphology is an illusion from a near pole-on line of sight to a highly relativistic jet that produces a Doppler enhanced glow that previously swamped the lobe emission. 3C 273 apparently has the intrinsic kpc scale morphology of a classical double radio source, but it is distorted by an extreme Doppler aberration.