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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
earth and planetary sciences
The WEBT campaign on the blazar 3C 279 in 2006
Astrophysical Journal, Volume 670, No. 2, Year 2007
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Description
The quasar 3C 279 was the target of an extensive multiwavelength monitoring campaign from 2006 January through April. An optical-IR-radio monitoring campaign by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration was organized around target-of-opportunity X-ray and soft γ-ray observations with Chandra and INTEGRAL in 2006 mid-January, with additional X-ray coverage by RXTE and Swift XRT. In this paper we focus on the results of the WEBT campaign. The source exhibited substantial variability of optical flux and spectral shape, with a characteristic timescale of a few days. The variability patterns throughout the optical BVRI bands were very closely correlated with each other, while there was no obvious correlation between the optical and radio variability. After the ToO trigger, the optical flux underwent a remarkably clean quasi-exponential decay by about 1 mag, with a decay timescale of T d ∼ 12.8 days. In intriguing contrast to other (in particular, BL Lac type) blazars, we find a lag of shorter wavelength behind longer wavelength variability throughout the RVB wavelength ranges, with a time delay increasing with increasing frequency. Spectral hardening during flares appears delayed with respect to a rising optical flux. This, in combination with the very steep IR-optical continuum spectral index of α0 ∼ 1.5-2.0, may indicate a highly oblique magnetic field configuration near the base of the jet, leading to inefficient particle acceleration and a very steep electron injection spectrum. An alternative explanation through a slow (timescale of several days) acceleration mechanism would require an unusually low magnetic field of B ≲ 0.2 G, about an order of magnitude lower than inferred from previous analyses of simultaneous SEDs of 3C 279 and other flat-spectrum radio quasars with similar properties. © 2007. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Authors & Co-Authors
Boettcher, M.
United States, Athens
Ohio University
Basu, Sárbani
United States, Athens
Ohio University
Joshi, Manasvita
United States, Athens
Ohio University
Villata, Massimo
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Arai, Akira
Japan, Kashiwara
Osaka Kyoiku University
Bach, Uwe
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Bachev, Rumen S.
Bulgaria, Sofia
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Blazek, Martin
Czech Republic, Prague
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Buemi, Carla S.
Italy, Catania
Osservatorio Astrofisico Di Catania
Castro-Tirado, A. J.
Spain, Granada
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - Csic
de Ugarte Postigo, Antonio
Spain, Granada
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - Csic
Frasca, Antonio
Italy, Catania
Osservatorio Astrofisico Di Catania
Fuhrmann, Lars
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Germany, Bonn
Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Italy, Perugia
Università Degli Studi Di Perugia
Hovatta, Talvikki
Finland, Espoo
Aalto University
Hudec, Renè
Czech Republic, Prague
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Jelínek, Martin
Spain, Granada
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía - Csic
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
Kubánek, Petr
Czech Republic, Prague
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
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
Larionov, Valeri M.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Larionova, Liudmilla V.
Russian Federation, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg State University
Lee, Chung-uk
South Korea, Daejeon
Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Leto, Paolo
Italy, Noto
Istituto Di Radioastronomia
Lindfors, Elina J.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Miller, Hugh Richard
United States, Atlanta
Georgia State University
Mirabal, Néstor
United States, Ann Arbor
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mizoguchi, Sahori
Japan, Kashiwara
Osaka Kyoiku University
Nieppola, Elina
Finland, Espoo
Aalto University
Nikolashvili, M. G.
Georgia, Abastumani
Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory
Nilsson, Kari
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Ohlert, Johannes M.
Germany
Michael Adrian Observatory
Pak, Soojong
South Korea, Seoul
Kyung Hee University
Pasanen, Mikko
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Pursimo, Tapio
Spain, Brena Baja
Nordic Optical Telescope
Raiteri, Claudia M.
Italy, Rome
Istituto Nazionale Di Astrofisica, Rome
Robertson, J. R.
United States, Melbourne
Florida Institute of Technology
Sadakane, Kozo
Japan, Kashiwara
Osaka Kyoiku University
Sadun, Alberto C.
United States, Denver
University of Colorado Denver
Sigua, Lorand A.
Georgia, Abastumani
Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory
Sohn, Bongwon
United States, Atlanta
Georgia State University
Strigachev, Anton A.
Bulgaria, Sofia
The Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Takalo, Leo O.
Finland, Turku
Turun Yliopisto
Thorstensen, John R.
United States, Hanover
Dartmouth College
Tosti, Gino
Italy, Perugia
Università Degli Studi Di Perugia
Trigilio, Corrado
Italy, Catania
Osservatorio Astrofisico Di Catania
Umana, Grazia
Italy, Catania
Osservatorio Astrofisico Di Catania
Vennes, Stéphane
United States, Melbourne
Florida Institute of Technology
Volvach, A. E.
Ukraine, Bakhchysarai
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory Ras
Webb, James R.
United States, Miami
Florida International University
Yamanaka, Masayuki
Japan, Kashiwara
Osaka Kyoiku University
Statistics
Citations: 68
Authors: 53
Affiliations: 30
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1086/522583
ISSN:
0004637X
Research Areas
Health System And Policy