Bright AGN VLBI imaging study at 2 and 8GHz

Our VLBI images at 2.3GHz and 8.6GHz as well as Gaussian models are presented and analyzed. At least one-fourth of the cores are completely unresolved on the longest baselines of the global VLBI observations. The VLBI core components are partially opaque with the median value of spectral index of alpha_core_~0.3, while the jet features are usually optically thin alpha_jet_~-0.7.

The spectral index typically decreases along the jet ridge line owing to the spectral aging, with a median value of -0.05mas^-1^. Brightness temperatures are found to be affected by Doppler boosting and reach up to ~10^13^K with a median of ~2.5x10^11^K at both frequencies. The brightness temperature gradients along the jets typically follow a power law T_b_~r^-2.2^ at both frequencies.

We find that 147 sources (40%) positionally associated with gamma-ray detections from the Fermi LAT Second Source Catalog have higher core flux densities and brightness temperatures, and are characterized by the less steep radio spectrum of the optically thin jet emission.