The Pearson-Readhead survey of compact extragalactic radio sources from space. II. Analysis of source properties

We have performed a multidimensional correlation analysis on the observed p roperties of a statistically complete core-selected sample of compact radio -loud active galactic nuclei based on data from the VLBI Space Observing Pr ogramme (Paper I) and previously published studies. Our sample is drawn fro m the well-studied Pearson-Readhead (PR) survey and is ideally suited for i nvestigating the general effects of relativistic beaming in compact radio s ources. In addition to confirming many previously known correlations, we ha ve discovered several new trends that lend additional support to the beamin g model. These trends suggest that the most highly beamed sources in core-s elected samples tend to have (1) high optical polarizations; (2) large pars ec- kiloparsec-scale jet misalignments; (3) prominent VLBI core components; (4) one-sided, core, or halo radio morphology on kiloparsec scales; (5) na rrow emission line equivalent widths; and (6) a strong tendency for intrada y variability at radio wavelengths. We have used higher resolution space an d ground-based VLBI maps to confirm the bimodality of the jet misalignment distribution for the PR survey and find that the sources with aligned parse c- and kiloparsec-scale jets generally have arcsecond-scale radio emission on both sides of the core. The aligned sources also have broader emission l ine widths. We find evidence that the BL Lacertae objects in the PR survey are all highly beamed and have very similar properties to the high opticall y polarized quasars, with the exception of smaller redshifts. A cluster ana lysis on our data shows that after partialing out the effects of redshift, the luminosities of our sample objects in various wave bands are generally well correlated with each other but not with other source properties.