Radio-emitting component kinematics in SS433

SS433 is a galactic X-ray binary source, variable across most wavelengths of observation. On arcsecond-scales the radio emission is composed of a bright core and the famous bipolar 'corkscrew' radio jets. A series of MERLIN observations at 5 GHz were taken in 1991 December and 1992 January. The emission from the radio jet was categorized by replacing discrete features with Gaussian flux-density profiles. These fitted components were used to derive proper motions, ejection position-angles and ejection dates for evolving features in the jets. The observed component position-angles and ejection dates were compared to those predicted by the kinematic model of epoch 1989. The position-angle of the precession cone was refined to 98.degrees2 +/- 0.degrees2. A discrepancy was discovered in the observed precessional phase which was leading that of the kinematic model by 7-10 d. This observed discrepancy was in agreement with a transient deviation in precessional phase as measured by the redshifts of optical bullets at a similar time. Analysis of the proper motions of all the fitted components leads to a distance measurement of 4.61 +/- 0.35 pc. A pair of symmetrically ejected knots with a velocity much lower than 0.26c were also discovered. Their ejection time overlapped with a period of unusual Doppler shift residuals and fragmentation of optical bullets. These events may represent the first evidence for an interaction between radio components and optical bullets.