In an effort to locate the sites of emission at different frequencies and physical processes causing variability in blazar jets, we have obtained high time-resolution observations of BL Lacertae over ...a wide wavelength range: with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) at 6000-10000 with 2 minute cadence; with the Neil Gehrels Swift satellite at optical, UV, and X-ray bands; with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array at hard X-ray bands; with the Fermi Large Area Telescope at γ-ray energies; and with the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope for measurement of the optical flux density and polarization. All light curves are correlated, with similar structure on timescales from hours to days. The shortest timescale of variability at optical frequencies observed with TESS is ∼0.5 hr. The most common timescale is 13 1 hr, comparable with the minimum timescale of X-ray variability, 14.5 hr. The multiwavelength variability properties cannot be explained by a change solely in the Doppler factor of the emitting plasma. The polarization behavior implies that there are both ordered and turbulent components to the magnetic field in the jet. Correlation analysis indicates that the X-ray variations lag behind the γ-ray and optical light curves by up to ∼0.4 day. The timescales of variability, cross-frequency lags, and polarization properties can be explained by turbulent plasma that is energized by a shock in the jet and subsequently loses energy to synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation in a magnetic field of strength ∼3 G.
ABSTRACT
We report here the first results from a 15-yr long variability monitoring of the z = 2.0 quasar QSO B1312+7837. It shows luminosity changes with a period P ∼ 6.13 yr (P ∼ 2.04 yr at rest ...frame) and amplitude of ∼0.2 mag, superimposed on a gradual dimming at a rate of ∼0.55 mag per 100 yr. Two false periods associated with power peaks in the data windowing function were discarded. The measured period is confirmed with a bootstrapping Monte Carlo simulation. A damped random walk model yields a better fit to the data than a sine-function model, but at the cost of employing some high-frequency variations which are typically not seen in quasars. We consider the possible mechanisms driving this variability, and conclude that orbital motion of two supermassive black holes – result from a recent galaxy merger – is a possible explanation.
Whiting 1 is a member of the fast-growing group of young globular clusters in the Milky Way halo. Preliminary estimates of its fundamental parameters have been provided using optical photometry and ...low-resolution spectroscopy. In an attempt to strengthen our knowledge of Whiting 1, in this study we employ a complementary approach. Isochrone fitting method was applied on the near-infrared colour–magnitude diagram and yields an age t = 5.7 ± 0.3 Gyr, metallicity z = 0.006 ± 0.001 (Fe/H = −0.5 ± 0.1) and distance modulus (m − M)0 = 17.48 ± 0.10. Our results confirm that Whiting 1 is a young and moderately metal-rich globular cluster. It is one of the youngest from the Sgr dSph. We fitted an Elson, Fall and Freeman (EFF) profile to the near-infrared number counts, and measured cluster core radius r
c = 9.1 arcsec ± 3.9 arcsec. Two probable eclipsing variables in the cluster were found from multi-epoch V-band photometry. Finally, an unknown galaxy cluster was identified on our K versus (J − K) colour–magnitude diagram. It has a redshift z ∼ 1, and it is located at about 1 arcmin from the centre of Whiting 1 at
$\alpha _{\rm J2000} = 02^{\rm h} 02^{\rm m} 56 {.\!\!^{{\mathrm{s}}}6$
, δJ2000 = −03°16′09′
′, contaminating the cluster photometry.
ABSTRACT
In 2021 BL Lacertae underwent an extraordinary activity phase, which was intensively followed by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) Collaboration. We present the WEBT optical data in ...the BVRI bands acquired at 36 observatories around the world. In mid-2021 the source showed its historical maximum, with R = 11.14. The light curves display many episodes of intraday variability, whose amplitude increases with source brightness, in agreement with a geometrical interpretation of the long-term flux behaviour. This is also supported by the long-term spectral variability, with an almost achromatic trend with brightness. In contrast, short-term variations are found to be strongly chromatic and are ascribed to energetic processes in the jet. We also analyse the optical polarimetric behaviour, finding evidence of a strong correlation between the intrinsic fast variations in flux density and those in polarization degree, with a time delay of about 13 h. This suggests a common physical origin. The overall behaviour of the source can be interpreted as the result of two mechanisms: variability on time-scales greater than several days is likely produced by orientation effects, while either shock waves propagating in the jet, or magnetic reconnection, possibly induced by kink instabilities in the jet, can explain variability on shorter time-scales. The latter scenario could also account for the appearance of quasi-periodic oscillations, with periods from a few days to a few hours, during outbursts, when the jet is more closely aligned with our line of sight and the time-scales are shortened by relativistic effects.
Context. The BL Lac object 3C 371 was observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) for approximately a year, between July 2019 and July 2020, with an unmatched two-minute imaging ...cadence. In parallel, the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) Collaboration organized an extensive observing campaign, providing three years of continuous optical monitoring between 2018 and 2020. These datasets allow for a thorough investigation of the variability of the source. Aims. The goal of this study is to evaluate the optical variability of 3C 371. Taking advantage of the remarkable cadence of TESS data, we aim to characterize the intra-day variability (IDV) displayed by the source and identify its shortest variability timescale. With this estimate, constraints on the size of the emitting region and black hole mass can be calculated. Moreover, WEBT data are used to investigate long-term variability (LTV), including in terms of the spectral behavior of the source and the polarization variability. Based on the derived characteristics, we aim to extract information on the origin of the variability on different timescales. Methods. We evaluated the variability of 3C 371 by applying the variability amplitude tool, which quantifies variability of the emission. Moreover, we employed common tools, such as ANOVA (ANalysis Of VAariance) tests, wavelet and power spectral density (PSD) analyses to characterize the shortest variability timescales present in the emission and the underlying noise affecting the data. We evaluated the short- and long-term color behavior to understand its spectral behavior. The polarized emission was analyzed, studying its variability and possible rotation patterns of the electric vector position angle (EVPA). Flux distributions of the IDV and LTV were also studied with the aim being to link the flux variations to turbulent and/or accretion-disk-related processes. Results. Our ANOVA and wavelet analyses reveal several entangled variability timescales. We observe a clear increase in the variability amplitude with increasing width of the time intervals evaluated. We are also able to resolve significant variations on timescales of as little as ∼0.5 h. The PSD analysis reveals a red-noise spectrum with a break at IDV timescales. The spectral analysis shows a mild bluer-when-brighter (BWB) trend on long timescales. On short timescales, mixed BWB, achromatic and redder-when-brighter signatures can be observed. The polarized emission shows an interesting slow EVPA rotation during the flaring period, where a simple stochastic model can be excluded as the origin with a 3 σ significance. The flux distributions show a preference for a Gaussian model for the IDV, and suggest it may be linked to turbulent processes, while the LTV is better represented by a log-normal distribution and may have a disk-related origin.
Abstract
We study Luminous Blue Variable (LBV) candidate J004341.84+411112.0 in the Andromeda galaxy. We present optical spectra of the object obtained with the 6 m telescope of BTA SAO RAS. The ...candidate shows typical LBV features in its spectra: broad and strong hydrogen lines and the He
i
lines with P Cygni profiles. Its remarkable spectral resemblance to the well known LBV P Cygni suggests a common nature of the objects and supports LBV classification of J004341.84+411112.0. We estimate the temperature, reddening, radius and luminosity of the star using its spectral energy distribution. Obtained bolometric luminosity of the candidate (
M
bol
= −10.41 ± 0.12 mag) is quite similar to those of known LBV stars in the Andromeda galaxy. We analyzed a ten year light curve of the object in
R
filter. The candidate demonstrates photometric variations of the order of 0.4 mag, with an overall brightness increasing trend Δ
R
> 0.1 mag. Therewith, the corresponding color variations of the object are fully consistent with LBV behavior when a star become cooler and brighter in the optical spectral range with a nearly constant bolometric luminosity. LBV-type variability of the object, similarity of its spectrum and estimated luminosity to those of known LBVs allow us to classify J004341.84+411112.0 as an LBV.
We have measured multiband optical flux and colour variations for a sample of 12 low-energy peaked blazars (LBLs) on short, day-to-month, time-scales. Our sample contains six BL Lacertae objects (BL ...Lacs) and six flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). These photometric observations, made during 2008 September to 2009 June, used five optical telescopes, one in India and four in Bulgaria. We detected short-term flux variations in 11 of these blazars and colour variability in eight of them. Our data indicate that six blazars (3C 66A, AO 0235+164, S5 0716+714, PKS 0735+178, OJ 287 and 3C 454.3) were observed in pre- or post-outburst states, five (PKS 0420−014, 4C 29.45, 3C 279, PKS 1510−089 and BL Lac) were in a low state, while one (3C 273) was in an essentially steady state. The duty cycles for flux and colour variations on short time-scales in these LBLs are ∼92 and ∼33 per cent, respectively. The colour versus magnitude correlations seen here support the hypothesis that BL Lac objects tend to become bluer with increase in brightness; however, FSRQs may show the opposite trend, and there are exceptions to these trends in both categories of blazar. We briefly discuss emission models for active galactic nuclei that might explain our results.
A search for a correlation between the luminosities of the brightest stars and luminosities of their host galaxies was carried out on archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
or
(
V
) and
(
I
) images ...of 150 nearby galaxies. The sample contains only galaxies with ongoing star formation and with known distances we derived with the TRGB-method. We correlated the average absolute luminosities of the three brightest blue and the three brightest red stars with the luminosity of a host. We find a linear relation for both the blue and the red stars in irregular and low-mass spiral galaxies. Their scatters are sufficiently small (
) to make these relations useful for distance determination for low-mass galaxies. We found that all 31 dwarf galaxies
in our sample lack bright massive stars
, probably due to the physical conditions that prevent their birth. For galaxies with higher an average luminosity in the range
, there is an asymmetry in the distribution of the number of galaxies relative to the linear dependence, indicating an increase in the fraction of galaxies with bright stars.
Context. 3C 454.3 is a very active flat spectrum radio quasar (blazar) that has undergone a recent outburst in all observed bands, including the optical. Aims. In this work we explore the short-term ...optical variability of 3C 454.3 during its outburst by searching for time delays between different optical bands. Finding one would be important for understanding the evolution of the spectrum of the relativistic electrons, which generate the synchrotron jet emission. Methods. We performed photometric monitoring of the object by repeating exposures in different optical bands (BVRI). Occasionally, different telescopes were used to monitor the object in the same band to verify the reliability of the smallest variations we observed. Results. Except on one occasion, where we found indications of a lag of the blue wavelengths behind the red ones, the results are inconclusive for most of the other cases. There were either no structures in the light curves to be able to search for patterns, or else different approaches led to different conclusions.
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