Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 November 2004
Several radio-loud objects exhibit a complex structure when observed at radio wavelengths: a stationary core, which is thought to harbour the central engine that powers the AGN phenomena, and a relativistic jet, formed by several superluminal components. In some cases, jet components are ejected with different apparent proper motions and directions on the plane of the sky. Moreover, these sources can also show signatures of long-term periodic variability in their historical optical light curve. In this work, we selected the objects 3C 120 and 3C 345, which exhibit both characteristics mentioned above, and interpret them in the framework of jet inlet precession. A brief discussion about what kind of mechanism could be responsible for jet precession is also presented.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html