Abstract
We report on seven nights of optical observation taken over a two-week period, and the resultant analysis of the intermediate-frequency peaked BL Lac object (IBL), BL Lac itself, at redshift z = 0.069. The microvariable behavior can be confirmed over the course of minutes for each night. A relativistic beaming model was used in our analysis, to infer changes to the line of sight angles for the motion of the different relativistic components. This model has very few free parameters. The light curves we generated show both high and moderate frequency cadence to the variable behavior of BL Lac itself, in addition to the well documented long-term variability.
Highlights
BL Lacertae at z = 0.069 [1] is a high energy blazar [2] that is detectable at all wavelengths, from radio waves to high energy γ-rays
What has been addressed is that relativistic jets are an important contribution to such variability [3,4]
All images were taken with the Johnson–Cousins R filter, and with the Remote Observatory for Variable Object Research (ROVOR)
Summary
Blazars are highly variable BL Lac objects, i.e., AGN with relativistic beaming properties. The high frequency component of the spectrum is often attributable to Compton scattering—Doppler boosting from relativistic electrons of lower energy spectral components. This object is a microvariable source as well. Such a source exhibits rapid, low amplitude variation, and is sometimes called intra-day variability. Our source produces very high cadence variations in the optical range, a phenomenon which has been studied by many, but is not represented by a single accepted model. The challenge is to find and describe the relativistic components from an optical light curve—something we wish to accomplish here. We use a geometrical beaming model as an alternative to intrinsically occurring variations in intensity by other means
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