Skip to content
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Menu
Home
About Us
Resources
Profiles Metrics
Authors Directory
Institutions Directory
Top Authors
Top Institutions
Top Sponsors
AI Digest
Contact Us
Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Results of WEBT, VLBA and RXTE monitoring of 3C 279 during 2006-2007
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 492, No. 2, Year 2008
Notification
URL copied to clipboard!
Description
Context. The quasar 3C 279 is among the most extreme blazars in terms of luminosity and variability of flux at all wavebands. Its variations in flux and polarization are quite complex and therefore require intensive monitoring observations at multiple wavebands to characterise and interpret the observed changes.Aims. In this paper, we present radio-to-optical data taken by the WEBT, supplemented by our VLBA and RXTE observations, of 3C 279. Our goal is to use this extensive database to draw inferences regarding the physics of the relativistic jet.Methods. We assemble multifrequency light curves with data from 30 ground-based observatories and the space-based instruments SWIFT (UVOT) and RXTE, along with linear polarization vs. time in the optical R band. In addition, we present a sequence of 22 images (with polarization vectors) at 43 GHz at resolution 0.15 milliarcsec, obtained with the VLBA. We analyse the light curves and polarization, as well as the spectral energy distributions at different epochs, corresponding to different brightness states.Results. We find that the IR-optical-UV continuum spectrum of the variable component corresponds to a power law with a constant slope of -1.6, while in the 2.4-10 keV X-ray band it varies in slope from -1.1 to -1.6. The steepest X-ray spectrum occurs at a flux minimum. During a decline in flux from maximum in late 2006, the optical and 43 GHz core polarization vectors rotate by ~300°.Conclusions. The continuum spectrum agrees with steady injection of relativistic electrons with a power-law energy distribution of slope -3.2 that is steepened to -4.2 at high energies by radiative losses. The X-ray emission at flux minimum comes most likely from a new component that starts in an upstream section of the jet where inverse Compton scattering of seed photons from outside the jet is important. The rotation of the polarization vector implies that the jet contains a helical magnetic field that extends ∼20 pc past the 43 GHz core. © 2008 ESO.
Authors & Co-Authors
Larionov, Valeri M.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Pulkovo Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Jorstad, Svetlana G.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
United States, Boston
Boston University
Marscher, Alan P.
United States, Boston
Boston University
Raiteri, Claudia M.
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Villata, Massimo
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Agudo, Iván N.
Spain, Madrid
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas
Aller, M. F.
United States, Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Arkharov, Arkady A.H.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Pulkovo Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Bach, Uwe
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Bachev, Rumen S.
Bulgaria, Sofia
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Berdyugin, Andrei V.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Boettcher, M.
United States, Athens
Ohio University
Buemi, Carla S.
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Calcidese, Paolo
Unknown Affiliation
Carosati, Daniele
Italy
Armenzano Astronomical Observatory
Charlot, Patrick
France, Pessac
Laboratoire D'astrophysique de Bordeaux
Chen, Wenping
Taiwan, Taoyuan
National Central University
Di Paola, Andrea
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Doroshenko, V. T.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Russian Federation, Moscow
Lomonosov Moscow State University
Efimov, Yu S.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Erdem, Ahmet
Unknown Affiliation
Frasca, Antonio
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Fuhrmann, Lars
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Giommi, Paolo
Italy, Frascati
Asi Science Data Center
Glowienka, Lars
Denmark, Aarhus
Aarhus Universitet
Gupta, Alok Chandra
China, Beijing
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Gurwell, Mark A.
United States, Cambridge
Harvard-smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Grishina, Tatiana S.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Kopatskaya, Evgenia N.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Kovalev, Y. Y.
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Russian Federation, Moscow
P.n. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Kovalev, Yu A.
Russian Federation, Moscow
P.n. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Kurtanidze, Omar M.
Georgia, Abastumani
Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory
L¨ahteenm¨aki, Anne A.
Finland, Espoo
Aalto University
Lanteri, Luciano
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Larionova, Liudmilla V.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Leto, Paolo
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Lee, Chung-uk
South Korea, Daejeon
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Lindfors, Elina J.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
McHardy, Ian M.M.
United Kingdom, Southampton
University of Southampton
Nazarov, Sergey V.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Nieppola, Elina
Finland, Espoo
Aalto University
Nilsson, Kari
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Ohlert, Johannes M.
Germany
Michael Adrian Observatory
Pasanen, Mikko
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Pursimo, Tapio
Spain, Brena Baja
Nordic Optical Telescope
Ros, J. A.
Unknown Affiliation
Sadakane, Kozo
Japan, Kashiwara
Osaka Kyoiku University
Sadun, Alberto C.
United States, Denver
University of Colorado Denver
Sergeev, Sergey G.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Smith, Niall J.
Ireland, Bishopstown
Munster Technological University Mtu
Strigachev, Anton A.
Bulgaria, Sofia
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Takalo, Leo O.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Trigilio, Corrado
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Umana, Grazia
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Ungerechts, Hans
Spain, Granada
Instituto de Radioastronomia Milimetrica
Volvach, A. E.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Statistics
Citations: 107
Authors: 56
Affiliations: 33
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1051/0004-6361:200810937
ISSN:
14320746
Research Areas
Environmental