Abstract
UBVRI photopolarimetric observations of the low polarization quasar 3C 273 in a quiescent phase have been obtained. The overall shape of the spectrum and the average polarization, decreasing towards blue, can be explained as resulting from a synchrotron and a blackbody component. The observations also show daily variations in flux, polarization, and wavelength dependence of polarization, properties usually associated with blazars only. Since neither of the two main components is a likely candidate for these variations, the existence of a third component with blazarlike properties is indicated. 3C 273 may be an intermediate case between blazars and normal low polarization quasars, with the quantitative difference that both the absolute intensities and the polarizations of the synchrotron components are an order of magnitude smaller than in blazars. 34 refs.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call