The radio structure of 3C 279

The radio emission from 3C 279 is found to be comprised of three basic components, as first revealed by Lyne (1972): a diffuse, steep spectrum region, a flat spectrum compact core coincident with the optical object, and a thin jet comprised of six knots which extend 4.7 arcsec outward from the compact core component. The magnetic field in the jet is aligned parallel to the extension of the jet, and there is no measurable Faraday rotation or depolarization of the emission from the jet. The alignment of the jet coincides with the direction of the milliarcsec jet, and a light transverse oscillation of the jet is noted. It is suggested that the jet represents the past outburst of the core by way of a collimator processing good long term stability. The steep spectrum region component is neither morphologically similar to the knots nor aligned with them.