VLBI OBSERVATIONS OF 10 COMPACT SYMMETRIC OBJECT CANDIDATES: EXPANSION VELOCITIES OF HOT SPOTS

Observations of 10 Compact Symmetric Object (CSO) candidates have been made with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 8.4 GHz in 2005 and with a combined Chinese and European Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) array at 8.4 GHz in 2009. The 2009 observations incorporate for the first time the two new Chinese telescopes at Miyun and Kunming for international astrophysical observations. The observational data, in combination with archival VLBA data from previous epochs, have been used to derive the proper motions of the VLBI components. Because of the long time baseline of similar to 16 years of the VLBI data sets, the expansion velocities of the hot spots can be measured at an accuracy as high as similar to 1.3 mu as yr(-1). Six of the ten sources are identified as CSOs with a typical double or triple morphology on the basis of both spectral index maps and their mirror symmetry of proper motions of the terminal hot spots. The compact double source J1324+4048 is also identified as a CSO candidate. Among the three remaining sources, J1756+5748 and J2312+3847 are identified as core-jet sources with proper motions of their jet components relating to systemic source expansion. The third source J0017+5312 is likely also a core-jet source, but a robust detection of a core is needed for an unambiguous identification. The kinematic ages of the CSOs derived from proper motions range from 300 to 2500 years. The kinematic age distribution of the CSOs confirm an overabundance of compact young CSOs with ages less than 500 years. CSOs with known kinematic ages may be used to study the dynamical evolution of extragalactic radio sources at early stages.