[vsnet-chat 3327] microquasar

[no name <crawl@zoom.co.uk>]

It appears that the term 'microquasar' has evolved from being a
contradiction in terms into being an oxymoron [an *apparent*
contradiction in terms].

It does seem a bit strange that a radio source *star* can have a
classification that describes it as a "very small
apparently-but-not-actually stellar radio source" : ie you'd think it is
either stellar or it ain't!

So, I've had a quick look through the web abstract archives, and noted
the following:

"microquasar" seems to have been initially used as a term for some
Seyfert galaxies which were found to have quasar like radio properties,
but of far less energy...

...but for about ten years it seems that it has been adopted for
Galactic binaries that have radio jets analogous to those found in
quasars...

So, I suppose they should really be either called microsars or
micro*quasiquasars* (as in an object that looks like a very small
quasar, but isn't.  I suppose we could shorten it to "quaquars" ;-)  ).

To some extent quasar classification breaks down to line of sight
alignment effects, such that the difference betwixt quasars, QSOs and
BLLACs etc can sometimes just be a matter of viewing angle, although
sometimes also of other differences.

So if somebody finds a small class of Galactic binary sources that
behave more like radio loud BLLACs than quasars, I suppose they'll call
them "quasi-BLLACs" !  As in stellar objects that look like the radio
galaxies that are of the class typified by the galaxy that everybody
thought was a variable star...

...just remember astrophysics is primarily run by physicists and
mathematicians studying specialised small areas of the subject, and most
of 'em probably think of a CV as a curriculum vitae...  ...and even for
the astronomers, both past and present, there's often stuff being found
and in need of being named, even if the true identification of said
stuff lies in the future.

Cheers

John

JG, UK

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