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.
Context. Blazar AO 0235+164 , located at a redshift of z = 0.94, has undergone several sharp multi-spectral-range flaring episodes over recent decades. In particular, the episodes that peaked in 2008 ...and 2015, which were subject to extensive multi-wavelength coverage, exhibited an interesting behavior. Aims. We study the actual origin of these two observed flares by constraining the properties of the observed photo-polarimetric variability as well as of the broadband spectral energy distribution and the observed time-evolution behavior of the source. We use ultra-high-resolution total-flux and polarimetric very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) imaging. Methods. The analysis of VLBI images allowed us to constrain kinematic and geometrical parameters of the 7 mm jet. We used the discrete correlation function to compute the statistical correlation and the delays between emission at different spectral ranges. The multi-epoch modeling of the spectral energy distributions allowed us to propose specific models of the emission; in particular, with the aim to model the unusual spectral features observed in this source in the X-ray region of the spectrum during strong multi spectral-range flares. Results. We find that these X-ray spectral features can be explained by an emission component originating in a separate particle distribution than the one responsible for the two standard blazar bumps. This is in agreement with the results of our correlation analysis, where we did not find a strong correlation between the X-ray and the remaining spectral ranges. We find that both external Compton-dominated and synchrotron self-Compton-dominated models are able to explain the observed spectral energy distributions. However, the synchrotron self-Compton models are strongly favored by the delays and geometrical parameters inferred from the observations.
Optical circular polarization observations can directly test the particle composition in black hole jets. We report the first observations of the BL Lac-type object S4 0954+65 in high linear ...polarized states. While no circular polarization was detected, we were able to place upper limits of < 0.5% at 99.7% confidence. Using a simple model and our novel optical circular polarization observations, we can constrain the allowed parameter space for the magnetic field strength and composition of the emitting particles. Our results favor models that require magnetic field strengths of only a few Gauss and models in which the jet composition is dominated by electron-positron pairs. We discuss our findings in the context of typical magnetic field strength requirements for blazar emission models.
As part of the creation of a unique T-15MD tokamak with a magnetic field of 2 T and an aspect ratio of 2.2, the first one of a series (8 pieces) of microwave setups of a megawatt power level for ...electron–cyclotron plasma heating and current drive was developed and successfully tested. The setup includes a gyrotron, power supplies, a microwave radiation transmission line, and a fast (response time is no more than 10 μs) gyrotron emergency protection system. The generation regime was experimentally demonstrated with the parameters 1 MW/30 s/82.6 GHz for an efficiency of 57%.
ABSTRACT
In 2022 the BL Lac object S4 0954+65 underwent a major variability phase, reaching its historical maximum brightness in the optical and γ-ray bands. We present optical photometric and ...polarimetric data acquired by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) Collaboration from 2022 April 6 to July 6. Many episodes of unprecedented fast variability were detected, implying an upper limit to the size of the emitting region as low as $10^{-4}$ parsec. The WEBT data show rapid variability in both the degree and angle of polarization. We analyse different models to explain the polarization behaviour in the framework of a twisting jet model, which assumes that the long-term trend of the flux is produced by variations in the emitting region viewing angle. All the models can reproduce the average trend of the polarization degree, and can account for its general anticorrelation with the flux, but the dispersion of the data requires the presence of intrinsic mechanisms, such as turbulence, shocks, or magnetic reconnection. The WEBT optical data are compared to γ-ray data from the Fermi satellite. These are analysed with both fixed and adaptive binning procedures. We show that the strong correlation between optical and γ-ray data without measurable delay assumes different slopes in faint and high brightness states, and this is compatible with a scenario where in faint states we mainly see the imprint of the geometrical effects, while in bright states the synchrotron self-Compton process dominates.
We present results of 4 years of VLBA monitoring along with gamma -ray and optical R-band photometric observations of 6 BL Lac objects (3C 66A, S5 0716+71, PKS 0735+17, S4 0954+68, W Com, and OT ...081). We have analyzed total intensity images obtained with the VLBA at 43 GHz and investigated the kinematic evolution of the parsec scale jets of the sources. For all sources we compare flux variations in the VLBI core and bright superluminal knots with gamma -ray and optical light curves. The majority of gamma -ray flares have optical counterparts. 67% of the gamma -ray events are coincident with the appearance of new superluminal knots and/or flares in the millimeter-wave core. These results support the conclusion that for many flares in blazars the region of the gamma -ray and optical emission is located in the vicinity or downstream of the mmwave VLBI core.
We analyze total and polarized intensity images of the quasar PKS 0420-014 obtained monthly with the VLBA at 43 GHz during 2008–2012 along with γ-ray data provided by the Fermi Large Area Telescope ...and multi-color photometric and polarimetric measurements collected by different optical telescopes. During this period the quasar underwent a number of optical flares, which were accompanied by rapid rotation of polarization angle, an increase of activity in γ-rays, and the appearance of new superluminal knots in the parsec-scale jet. We investigate the fine structure of the flares at different wavelengths and in polarized light, and determine kinematic parameters of the knots. We compare the rapid evolution of the optical polarization with the polarization of the VLBI core and knots. We interpret the multi-wavelength behavior within a model that places the blazar “dissipation zone” at the millimeter-wave core of the parsec-scale jet.
Multiwavelength Observations of 6 FSRQ in 2008–2012 Troitskiy, I. S.; Morozova, D. A.; Jorstad, S. G. ...
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union,
10/2013, Volume:
9, Issue:
S304
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We present results of 4 years of VLBA monitoring along with γ-ray and optical R-band photometric observations of 6 blazars (0420-014, 1156+295, 1222+216, PKS 1510-089, 1633+382 and CTA 102). We have ...analyzed total intensity images obtained with the VLBA at 43 GHz and investigated kinematic evolution of the pc-scale jets of the sources. For all sources we compare flux variations in the VLBI core and bright superluminal knots with γ-ray and optical light curves. The majority of γ-ray flares are coincident with the appearance of a new superluminal knot and/or a flare in the millimeter-wave core and at optical wavelengths. These results support the conclusion that for many flares in blazars the region of the enhanced γ-ray and optical emission is located in the vicinity or downstream of the mm-wave VLBI core.
Optical circular polarization observations can directly test the particle composition in black holes jets. Here we report on the first observations of the BL Lac type object S4 0954+65 in high linear ...polarized states. While no circular polarization was detected, we were able to place upper limits of <0.5% at the 99.7% confidence. Using a simple model and our novel optical circular polarization observations we can constrain the allowed parameter space for the magnetic field strength and composition of the emitting particles. Our results favor models that require magnetic field strengths of only a few Gauss and models where the jet composition is dominated by electron-positron pairs. We discuss our findings in the context of typical magnetic field strength requirements for blazar emission models.
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