3C 120 is a unique broad-line radio galaxy. Alongside the vast jets launched by the supermassive black hole in its nucleus, 3C 120 possesses a compact x-RAY emitting corona that irradiates the inner…

The Leland Stanford Junior University has been awarded a $3.11K research grant by a civilian federal agency to conduct a comprehensive observational study of 3C 120, a broad-line radio galaxy with unique astrophysical characteristics. The project involves four monthly observations using NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array) coordinated with ongoing Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) observations of the galaxy's jets, with two observation periods synchronized with XMM-Newton satellite data collection. This multi-instrument approach will enable researchers to map the accretion geometry and trace the relationship between the accretion disk, corona, and relativistic jets launched by the supermassive black hole at the galaxy's center, ultimately providing insights into jet formation mechanisms and the factors distinguishing radio-loud from radio-quiet active galactic nuclei.

The grant was awarded on March 1, 2025, with a completion date of January 26, 2026, and utilizes no set-aside provisions, reflecting Stanford's competitive standing in federal research funding. Research will be conducted at Stanford's campus in Stanford, California. This award represents the type of fundamental astrophysics research that aligns with federal civilian agency priorities in advancing scientific understanding of extreme cosmic phenomena and black hole physics through coordinated multi-wavelength observations.

3C 120 is a unique broad-line radio galaxy. Alongside the vast jets launched by the supermassive black hole in its nucleus, 3C 120 possesses a compact x-RAY emitting corona that irradiates the inner disk. This provides a unique view of the inner regions around the black hole in which the jet is launched and the corona is formed. We propose four, monthly, 160 KS observations of 3C 120 with nustar to be coordinated with ongoing monthly vlba observations of the jet. Two of these are to be simultaneous with 210 KS XMM-newton observations. These observations will map the accretion geometry and trace the connection between the accretion disk, corona and jet. This comprehensive program will give US important new insight into how jets are launched by black holes and what sets radio-loud AGN apart from their radio-quiet counterparts.