We present the first high resolution X-ray image of the jet in M 87 using the Chandra X-ray Observatory .
There is clear structure in the jet and almost all of the optically bright knots are detected individually .
The unresolved core is the brightest X-ray feature but is only 2-3 times brighter than knot A ( 12.3″ from the core ) and the inner knot HST-1 ( 1.0″ from the core ) .
The X-ray and optical positions of the knots are consistent at the 0.1″ level but the X-ray emission from the brightest knot ( A ) is marginally upstream of the optical emission peak .
Detailed Gaussian fits to the X-ray jet one-dimensional profile show distinct X-ray emission that is not associated with specific optical features .
The X-ray/optical flux ratio decreases systematically from the core and X-ray emission is not clearly detected beyond 20″ from the core .
The X-ray spectra of the core and the two brightest knots , HST-1 and A1 , are consistent with a simple power law ( S _ { \nu } \propto \nu ^ { - \alpha } ) with \alpha = 1.46 \pm 0.05 , practically ruling out inverse Compton models as the dominant X-ray emission mechanism .
The core flux is significantly larger than expected from an advective accretion flow and the spectrum is much steeper , indicating that the core emission may be due to synchrotron emission from a small scale jet .
The spectral energy distributions ( SEDs ) of the knots are well fit by synchrotron models .
The spectral indices in the X-ray band , however are comparable to that expected in the Kardashev-Pacholczyk synchrotron model but are much flatter than expected in the pitch angle isotropization model of Jaffe and Perola .
The break frequencies derived from both models drop by factors of 10 - 100 with distance from the core .