Dr. Geldzahler at Applied Research Corporation and his collaborator Dr. Fomalont at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory will carry out a concentrated study of the enigmatic galactic source Sco X-1. They will use radio telescopes in the U.S. and Europe to address questions of the relative motions of components of the source, the distance of the source, the implications for a dual-beam model of energy transport, flux density variations of the extended components, the emission mechanism of the source, and confinement of the lobes. The X-ray binary star system Sco X-1 is the only known Galactic object to exhibit a radio morphology similar to the classical extragalactic double radio sources. It is also the only known double-lobed radio source with a neutron star as its energy source. It has been suggested that the process of forming the lobes in Sco X-1 is similar to that in the luminous extragalactic objects. Investigation of Sco X-1 can impact a number of fields of astrophysics and plasma physics. Understanding dual-beam extragalactic sources is important to cosmology, to active galactic nuclei, and to jets. Space and laboratory plasma physicists are interested in the mechanics of jet acceleration, stability of the beams during energy and momentum transport, and the interaction of the beams with targets. Dr. Geldzahler and his collaborators have designed observations to more clearly reveal the character of Sco X-1 and thus better understand the linkage between this source and extragalactic core-jet-lobe sources and to better understand the plasma physics of this phenomenon.
