Optical R-band Research Articles

Investigating Optical Variability of the Blazar S5 0716+714 on Diverse Timescales

We present the results of the observational study of the blazar S5 0716+716 in the optical bands B, V, R, and I between 2019 March and 2023 August to investigate its variability on diverse timescales. The blazar was followed up by the T60 robotic telescope in Türkiye for 416 nights to obtain long-term variability during this period. In order to search for the intraday variability of the object, we have carried out 21 nights of observations with the T100 telescope for at least 1 hr. The blazar showed a ∼2.47 mag variation in the optical R band during our monitoring period, the brightest state on 2020 January 18 (MJD 58866) as R = 12.109 ± 0.011 mag and the faintest state on 2019 March 23 (MJD 58565) as R = 14.580 ± 0.013 mag. We employed the nested ANOVA test and the power-enhanced F-test to quantify intraday variability, which showed that the blazar was significantly variable in the R band on 12 out of 21 nights. Correlation analysis of the light curves shows that the emission in the BVRI optical bands was strongly correlated both in the short and long term without any time lag. The blazar has likely quasiperiods of 186 ± 30 and 532 ± 76 days in the optical R-band light curve according to the weighted wavelet Z-transform and Lomb–Scargle periodogram. The intraday variation and long-term variation features are discussed within the frame of prospective scenarios.

Probable low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillations in blazars from the ZTF survey

ABSTRACT We investigate the possible presence of quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signals in 2103 blazars from the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) time-domain survey. We detect a low-frequency QPO signal in five blazars observed over these 3.8-yr-long optical r-band ZTF light curves. These periods range from 144 to 196 d detected at ≳4σ significance levels in both the Lomb–Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform analyses. We find consistent results using the phase dispersion minimization technique. A similar peak is detected in the g-band light curves at a slightly lower significance of 3σ. Such nearly periodic signals on these time-scales in optical wavebands most likely originate from a precessing jet with high Lorentz factor, closely aligned to the observer’s line of sight or the movement of plasma blobs along a helical structure in the jet.

Simultaneous Millimeter-wave, Gamma-Ray, and Optical Monitoring of the Blazar PKS 2326-502 during a Flaring State

Including millimeter-wave data in multiwavelength studies of the variability of active galactic nuclei (AGN) can provide insights into AGN physics that are not easily accessible at other wavelengths. We demonstrate in this work the potential of cosmic microwave background (CMB) telescopes to provide long-term, high-cadence millimeter-wave AGN monitoring over large fractions of sky. We report on a pilot study using data from the SPTpol instrument on the South Pole Telescope (SPT), which was designed to observe the CMB at arcminute and larger angular scales. Between 2013 and 2016, SPTpol was used primarily to observe a single 500 deg2 field, covering the entire field several times per day with detectors sensitive to radiation in bands centered at 95 and 150 GHz. We use SPT 150 GHz observations to create AGN light curves, and we compare these millimeter-wave light curves to those at other wavelengths, in particular γ-ray and optical. In this Letter, we focus on a single source, PKS 2326-502, which has extensive, day-timescale monitoring data in gamma-ray, optical, and now millimeter-wave between 2013 and 2016. We find PKS 2326-502 to be in a flaring state in the first 2 yr of this monitoring, and we present a search for evidence of correlated variability between millimeter-wave, optical R-band, and γ-ray observations. This pilot study is paving the way for AGN monitoring with current and upcoming CMB experiments such as SPT-3G, Simons Observatory, and CMB-S4, including multiwavelength studies with facilities such as Vera C. Rubin Observatories Large Synoptic Survey Telescope.

Shortterm optical variability of 4C 29.45

We observed the flat-spectrum radio quasar 4C 29.45 in the BVRI optical bands for 39 nights from February 2022 to July 2022 with the T60 telescope at TÜBİTAK National Observatory (TUG) in Turkey. In this study, we aimed to study flux, color, and spectral variability on short timescales. The object was in an active (bright) phase with an average optical R-band brightness of 14.7 mag and was variable in the BVRI bands throughout the monitoring period. We analyzed the flux variability during our observation period, and the variability amplitudes in V, R, and I bands were determined to be 220%, 208%, and 209%, respectively. Optical spectral energy distributions of 4C 29.45 were derived from the observational data of 33 nights, indicating spectral indices ranging from 1.032 to 1.573. We found modest correlations between optical light curves, and between R-band light curve and spectral indices, suggesting that the time lag ranges from several hours to days. Investigation on relation between spectral and color indices versus R-band magnitude revealed achromatic trend during the bright phase of 4C 29.45 in the first half of 2022. Our periodicity search suggested that the periodicity would be larger than 100 days, and no significant signal for periodicity was found for short timescales.

Long-term Optical Monitoring of the TeV BL Lacertae Object 1ES 2344 + 514

Variability is one of the main observational characteristics of blazars. Studying variability is an efficient method to reveal the nature of active galactic nuclei. In the present work, we report optical R-band photometry observations of a TeV blazar, 1ES 2344 + 514, carried out with a 70 cm telescope in the period of 1998 July–2017 November at Abastumani Observatory, Georgia. Based on the optical R-band observations, the optical variation behaviors on both short timescales and long timescales are investigated. Three methods (Jurkevich, discrete correlation function, and power spectrum analysis) are used to investigate periodicity in the light curve. In addition, combined with multiwavelength data, the jet physical properties are discussed. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) A variability of ΔR = 0.155 mag (15.356 − 15.201 mag) over a timescale of ΔT = 12.99 minutes is detected during our 628 days of monitoring. (2) According to the Kelvin–Helmholtz thermal instability, if the magnetic field intensity (B) for the source is greater than a critical value (B c ), it will reduce the incidence of intraday variations in the light curves. (3) The physical parameters of the dissipation region are obtained by fitting the spectral energy distribution with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model for the average and flare states. (4) The three methods show that there are periods of P = 2.72 ± 0.47 yr, P = 1.61 ± 0.18 yr, P = 1.31 ± 0.17 yr, and P = 1.05 ± 0.07 yr. When a binary black hole system is adopted with a period of P = 2.72 ± 0.41 yr, we obtain the orbital parameters for the binary black hole system as follows: M = 8.08 × 109 M ⊙, the sum of the semiaxes is r = 7.18 × 1016 cm, and the lifetime of the binary black hole is τ merge = 6.24 × 102 yr.

H.E.S.S. and MAGIC observations of a sudden cessation of a very-high-energy γ-ray flare in PKS 1510−089 in May 2016

The flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 1510−089 is known for its complex multiwavelength behaviour and it is one of only a few FSRQs detected in very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) γ rays. The VHE γ-ray observations with H.E.S.S. and MAGIC in late May and early June 2016 resulted in the detection of an unprecedented flare, which revealed, for the first time, VHE γ-ray intranight variability for this source. While a common variability timescale of 1.5 h has been found, there is a significant deviation near the end of the flare, with a timescale of ∼20 min marking the cessation of the event. The peak flux is nearly two orders of magnitude above the low-level emission. For the first time, a curvature was detected in the VHE γ-ray spectrum of PKS 1510–089, which can be fully explained by the absorption on the part of the extragalactic background light. Optical R-band observations with ATOM revealed a counterpart of the γ-ray flare, even though the detailed flux evolution differs from the VHE γ-ray light curve. Interestingly, a steep flux decrease was observed at the same time as the cessation of the VHE γ-ray flare. In the high-energy (HE, E > 100 MeV) γ-ray band, only a moderate flux increase was observed with Fermi-LAT, while the HE γ-ray spectrum significantly hardens up to a photon index of 1.6. A search for broad-line region (BLR) absorption features in the γ-ray spectrum indicates that the emission region is located outside of the BLR. Radio very-long-baseline interferometry observations reveal a fast-moving knot interacting with a standing jet feature around the time of the flare. As the standing feature is located ∼50 pc from the black hole, the emission region of the flare may have been located at a significant distance from the black hole. If this is indeed a true correlation, the VHE γ rays must have been produced far down in the jet, where turbulent plasma crosses a standing shock.

Spitzer Observations of the Predicted Eddington Flare from Blazar OJ 287

Abstract Binary black hole (BH) central engine description for the unique blazar OJ 287 predicted that the next secondary BH impact-induced bremsstrahlung flare should peak on 2019 July 31. This prediction was based on detailed general relativistic modeling of the secondary BH trajectory around the primary BH and its accretion disk. The expected flare was termed the Eddington flare to commemorate the centennial celebrations of now-famous solar eclipse observations to test general relativity by Sir Arthur Eddington. We analyze the multi-epoch Spitzer observations of the expected flare between 2019 July 31 and 2019 September 6, as well as baseline observations during 2019 February–March. Observed Spitzer flux density variations during the predicted outburst time display a strong similarity with the observed optical pericenter flare from OJ 287 during 2007 September. The predicted flare appears comparable to the 2007 flare after subtracting the expected higher base-level Spitzer flux densities at 3.55 and 4.49 μm compared to the optical R-band. Comparing the 2019 and 2007 outburst lightcurves and the previously calculated predictions, we find that the Eddington flare arrived within 4 hr of the predicted time. Our Spitzer observations are well consistent with the presence of a nano-Hertz gravitational-wave emitting spinning massive binary BH that inspirals along a general relativistic eccentric orbit in OJ 287. These multi-epoch Spitzer observations provide a parametric constraint on the celebrated BH no-hair theorem.

The H IX galaxy survey

Context. This paper presents the analysis of optical integral field spectra for the H I eXtreme (H IX) galaxy sample. H IX galaxies host at least 2.5 times more atomic gas (H I) than expected from their optical R-band luminosity. Previous examination of their star formation activity and H I kinematics suggested that these galaxies stabilise their large H I discs (radii up to 94 kpc) against star formation due to their higher than average baryonic specific angular momentum. A comparison to semi-analytic models further showed that the elevated baryonic specific angular momentum is inherited from the high spin of the dark matter host. Aims. In this paper we now turn to the gas-phase metallicity as well as stellar and ionised gas kinematics in H IX galaxies to gain insights into recent accretion of metal-poor gas or recent mergers. Methods. We compare the stellar, ionised, and atomic gas kinematics, and examine the variation in the gas-phase metallicity throughout the stellar disc of H IX galaxies. Results. We find no indication for counter-rotation in any of the components, the central metallicities tend to be lower than average, but as low as expected for galaxies of similar H I mass. Metallicity gradients are comparable to other less H I-rich, local star forming galaxies. Conclusions. We conclude that H IX galaxies show no conclusive evidence for recent major accretion or merger events. Their overall lower metallicities are likely due to being hosted by high spin halos, which slows down their evolution and thus the enrichment of their interstellar medium.

Optical Polarimetric and Multiwavelength Flaring Activity of Blazar 3C 279

Abstract An exhaustive analysis of 9 yr optical R-band photopolarimetric data of the flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 from 2008 February 27 to 2017 May 25 is presented, along with multiwavelength observing campaigns performed during the flaring activity exhibited in 2009 February/March, 2011 June, 2014 March/April, 2015 June, and 2017 February. In the R band, this source showed the maximum brightness state of 13.68 ± 0.11 mag (1.36 ± 0.20 mJy) on 2017 March 2 and the lowest brightness state ever recorded of 18.20 ± 0.87 mag (0.16 ± 0.03 mJy) on 2010 June 17. During the entire period of observations, the polarization degree varied between 0.48% ± 0.17% and 31.65% ± 0.77%, and the electric vector position angle (EVPA) exhibited large rotations between 82.°98 ± 0.°92 and 446.°32 ± 1.°95. Optical polarization data show that this source has a stable polarized component that varied from ∼6% (before the 2009 flare) to ∼13% after the flare. The overall behavior of our polarized variability data supports the scenario of jet precessions as responsible for the observed large rotations of the EVPA. Discrete correlation function analysis shows that the lags between gamma-rays and X-rays compared to the optical R-band fluxes are Δt ∼ 31 days and 1 day in 2009. Lags were also found among gamma-rays compared with X-rays and radio of Δt ∼ 30 and 43 days in 2011, and among radio and optical R band of Δt ∼ 10 days in 2014. A very intense flare in 2017 was observed in optical bands, with a dramatic variation in the polarization degree (from ∼6% to 20%) in 90 days without exhibiting flaring activity in other wavelengths.

Polarimetric and Photometric Investigation of the Dark Globule LDN 1225: Distance, Extinction Law, and Magnetic Fields

Abstract We present results based on the optical R-band observations of the polarization of 280 stars distributed toward the dark globule LDN 1225. Parallaxes from Gaia data release 2 along with the polarization data of ∼200 stars have been used to (a) constrain the distance of LDN 1225 as 830 ± 83 pc, (b) determine the contribution of interstellar polarization, and (c) characterize the dust properties and delineate the magnetic field (B-field) morphology of LDN 1225. We find that B-fields are more organized and exhibit a small dispersion of 12°. Using the 12CO molecular line data from the Purple Mountain Observatory, along with the column density and dispersion in B-fields, we estimate the B-field strength to be ∼56 ± 10 μG, the ratio of magnetic to turbulent pressure to be ∼3 ± 2, and the ratio of mass to magnetic flux (in units of the critical value) to be <1. These results indicate the dominant role of B-fields in comparison to turbulence and gravity in rendering the cloud support. B-fields are aligned parallel to the low-density parts (traced by a 12CO map) of the cloud; in contrast, they are neither parallel nor perpendicular to the high-density core structures (traced by 13CO and C18O maps). LDN 1225 hosts two 70 μm sources, which seem to be low-mass Class 0 sources. The ratio of total to selective extinction derived using optical and near-infrared photometric data is found to be anomalous (R V = 3.4), suggesting the growth of dust grains in LDN 1225. The polarization efficiency of dust grains follows a power law with an index of −0.7, implying that optical polarimetry traces B-fields in the outer parts of the cloud.

The 2016 June Optical and Gamma-Ray Outburst and Optical Microvariability of the Blazar 3C 454.3

Abstract The quasar 3C 454.3 underwent a uniquely structured multifrequency outburst in 2016 June. The blazar was observed in the optical R-band by several ground-based telescopes in photometric and polarimetric modes, at γ-ray frequencies by the Fermi Large Area Telescope, and at 43 GHz with the Very Long Baseline Array. The maximum flux density was observed on 2016 June 24 at both optical and γ-ray frequencies, reaching mJy and ph cm−2 s−1, respectively. The 2016 June outburst possessed a precipitous decay at both γ-ray and optical frequencies, with the source decreasing in flux density by a factor of 4 over a 24 hr period in the R-band. Intraday variability was observed throughout the outburst, with flux density changes between 1 and 5 mJy over the course of a night. The precipitous decay featured statistically significant quasiperiodic microvariability oscillations with an amplitude of ∼2%–3% about the mean trend and a characteristic period of 36 minutes. The optical degree of polarization jumped from ∼3% to nearly 20% during the outburst, while the position angle varied by ∼120°. A knot was ejected from the 43 GHz core on 2016 February 25, moving at an apparent speed . From the observed minimum timescale of variability and derived Doppler factor δ = 22.6, we find the size of the emission region r ≲ 2.6 × 1015 cm. If the quasiperiodic microvariability oscillations are caused by periodic variations of the Doppler factor of emission from a turbulent vortex, we derive the rotational speed of the vortex to be ∼0.2c.

Variability and Period Analysis for BL Lac AO 0235+164

Abstract Variability is one of the extreme observational properties of BL Lacertae objects. AO 0235+164 is a well-studied BL Lac throughout all electromagnetic wavebands. In the present work, we show its optical R-band photometric observations carried out during the period from 2006 November to 2012 December using the Ap6E CCD camera attached to the primary focus of the 70 cm meniscus telescope at Abastumani Observatory, Georgia. During our monitoring period, it showed a large variation of (14.19–19.07 mag) and a short timescale of . During the period of 2006 December to 2009 November, we made radio observations of the source using the 25 m radio telescope at Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory. By adopting a discrete correlation function to the optical and radio observations we found that the optical variation leads a radio variation of 23.2 ± 12.9 days.

Hard X-Ray-selected AGNs in Low-mass Galaxies from the NuSTAR Serendipitous Survey

Abstract We present a sample of 10 low-mass active galactic nuclei (AGNs) selected from the 40-month Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) serendipitous survey. The sample is selected to have robust NuSTAR detections at , to be at , and to have optical r-band magnitudes at least 0.5 mag fainter than an galaxy at its redshift. The median values of absolute magnitude, stellar mass, and 2–10 X-ray luminosity of our sample are , , and erg s−1, respectively. Five objects have detectable broad Hα emission in their optical spectra, indicating black hole masses of . We find that of the galaxies in our sample do not show AGN-like optical narrow emission lines, and one of the 10 galaxies in our sample, J115851+4243.2, shows evidence for heavy X-ray absorption. This result implies that a non-negligible fraction of low-mass galaxies might harbor accreting massive black holes that are missed by optical spectroscopic surveys and X-ray surveys. The mid-IR colors of our sample also indicate that these optically normal low-mass AGNs cannot be efficiently identified with typical AGN selection criteria based on Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer colors. While the hard ( keV) X-ray-selected low-mass AGN sample size is still limited, our results show that sensitive NuSTAR observations are capable of probing faint hard X-ray emission originating from the nuclei of low-mass galaxies out to moderate redshift ( ), thus providing a critical step in understanding AGN demographics in low-mass galaxies.

Radio-to-γ-Ray, Broadband Variability Study of the Classical BL Lac Object PKS 0735+178

The power-law shape of the power spectral density (PSD) of blazar light curves— P ( ν k ) ∝ ν k − β , where ν k is the temporal frequency—indicates that blazar variability is, in general, of the colored-type noise ( β ≃ 1 − 3 ). A precise characterisation of PSD slopes, normalizations, or characteristic timescales (if any) manifesting as distinct features in the power spectra of blazars is important for constraining the physics of the emission and energy dissipation processes in relativistic jets. Here we present the results of the PSD analysis for the BL Lac object PKS 0735+178 at GeV (Fermi-LAT), optical (R-band), and radio (GHz band from UMRAO and OVRO programmes) frequencies, covering a broad range in variability timescales. The novelty of our approach is that in the optical regime, by combining the long-term and densely sampled R-band intra-night light curves, we constructed the PSD for time periods ranging from 23 years down to minutes. Our analysis reveals that: (1) the nature of processes generating flux variability at optical and radio frequencies is different from those operating at GeV photon energies ( β ∼ 2 and 1, respectively); (2) the main driver behind the optical variability is the same on timescales of years, months, days, and hours (a single power-law with β ∼ 2). We discuss our findings in the framework of a model where the overall blazar variability is generated by an underlying single stochastic process (radio and optical frequencies), or a linear superposition of such processes (γ-ray regime).

Optical and radio variability of the northern VHE gamma-ray emitting BL Lacertae objects

We compare the variability properties of very high energy gamma-ray emitting BL Lac objects in the optical and radio bands. We use the variability information to distinguish multiple emission components in the jet, to be used as a guidance for spectral energy distribution modelling. Our sample includes 32 objects in the Northern sky that have data for at least 2 years in both bands. We use optical R-band data from the Tuorla blazar monitoring program and 15 GHz radio data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory blazer monitoring program. We estimate the variability amplitudes using the intrinsic modulation index, and study the time-domain connection by cross-correlating the optical and radio light curves assuming power law power spectral density. Our sample objects are in general more variable in the optical than radio. We find correlated flares in about half of the objects, and correlated long-term trends in more than 40% of the objects. In these objects we estimate that at least 10%-50% of the optical emission originates in the same emission region as the radio, while the other half is due to faster variations not seen in the radio. This implies that simple single-zone spectral energy distribution models are not adequate for many of these objects.

PRIMARY BLACK HOLE SPIN IN OJ 287 AS DETERMINED BY THE GENERAL RELATIVITY CENTENARY FLARE

ABSTRACT OJ 287 is a quasi-periodic quasar with roughly 12 year optical cycles. It displays prominent outbursts that are predictable in a binary black hole model. The model predicted a major optical outburst in 2015 December. We found that the outburst did occur within the expected time range, peaking on 2015 December 5 at magnitude 12.9 in the optical R-band. Based on Swift/XRT satellite measurements and optical polarization data, we find that it included a major thermal component. Its timing provides an accurate estimate for the spin of the primary black hole, χ = 0.313 ± 0.01 ?> . The present outburst also confirms the established general relativistic properties of the system such as the loss of orbital energy to gravitational radiation at the 2% accuracy level, and it opens up the possibility of testing the black hole no-hair theorem with 10% accuracy during the present decade.

INVESTIGATING BROADBAND VARIABILITY OF THE TeV BLAZAR 1ES 1959+650

We summarize broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar 1ES 1959+650, including optical R-band observations by the robotic telescopes Super-LOTIS and iTelescope, UV observations by Swift UVOT, X-ray observations by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT), high-energy gamma-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations by VERITAS above 315 GeV, all taken between 17 April 2012 and 1 June 2012 (MJD 56034 and 56079). The contemporaneous variability of the broadband spectral energy distribution is explored in the context of a simple synchrotron self Compton (SSC) model. In the SSC emission scenario, we find that the parameters required to represent the high state are significantly different than those in the low state. Motivated by possible evidence of gas in the vicinity of the blazar, we also investigate a reflected-emission model to describe the observed variability pattern. This model assumes that the non-thermal emission from the jet is reflected by a nearby cloud of gas, allowing the reflected emission to re-enter the blob and produce an elevated gamma-ray state with no simultaneous elevated synchrotron flux. The model applied here, although not required to explain the observed variability pattern, represents one possible scenario which can describe the observations. As applied to an elevated VHE state of 66% of the Crab Nebula flux, observed on a single night during the observation period, the reflected-emission scenario does not support a purely leptonic non-thermal emission mechanism. The reflected emission model does, however, predict a reflected photon field with sufficient energy to enable elevated gamma-ray emission via pion production with protons of energies between 10 and 100 TeV.

Discovery of very high energy γ-ray emission from the blazar 1ES 0033+595 by the MAGIC telescopes

The number of known very high energy (VHE) blazars is ∼50, which is very small in comparison to the number of blazars detected in other frequencies. This situation is a handicap for population studies of blazars, which emit about half of their luminosity in the γ-ray domain. Moreover, VHE blazars, if distant, allow for the study of the environment that the high-energy γ-rays traverse in their path towards the Earth, like the extragalactic background light (EBL) and the intergalactic magnetic field (IGMF), and hence they have a special interest for the astrophysics community. We present the first VHE detection of 1ES 0033+595 with a statistical significance of 5.5σ. The VHE emission of this object is constant throughout the MAGIC observations (2009 August and October), and can be parametrized with a power law with an integral flux above 150 GeV of (7.1 ± 1.3) × 10−12 photons cm−2 s−1 and a photon index of (3.8 ± 0.7). We model its spectral energy distribution (SED) as the result of inverse Compton scattering of synchrotron photons. For the study of the SED, we used simultaneous optical R-band data from the KVA telescope, archival X-ray data by Swift as well as INTEGRAL, and simultaneous high-energy (HE, 300 MeV–10 GeV) γ-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) observatory. Using the empirical approach of Prandini et al. (2010) and the Fermi LAT and MAGIC spectra for this object, we estimate the redshift of this source to be 0.34 ± 0.08 ± 0.05. This is a relevant result because this source is possibly one of the 10 most distant VHE blazars known to date, and with further (simultaneous) observations could play an important role in blazar population studies, as well as future constraints on the EBL and IGMF.

Discovery of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the blazar 1ES 1727+502 with the MAGIC Telescopes

Motivated by the Costamante & Ghisellini (2002) predictions we investigated if the blazar 1ES 1727+502 (z=0.055) is emitting very high energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma rays. We observed the BL Lac object 1ES 1727+502 in stereoscopic mode with the two MAGIC telescopes during 14 nights between May 6th and June 10th 2011, for a total effective observing time of 12.6 hours. For the study of the multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) we use simultaneous optical R-band data from the KVA telescope, archival UV/optical and X-ray observations by instruments UVOT and XRT on board of the Swift satellite and high energy (HE, 0.1 GeV - 100 GeV) gamma-ray data from the Fermi-LAT instrument. We detect, for the first time, VHE gamma-ray emission from 1ES 1727+502 at a statistical significance of 5.5 sigma. The integral flux above 150 GeV is estimated to be (2.1\pm0.4)% of the Crab Nebula flux and the de-absorbed VHE spectrum has a photon index of (2.7\pm0.5). No significant short-term variability was found in any of the wavebands presented here. We model the SED using a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model obtaining parameters typical for this class of sources.

Multiwavelength Observations of 6 FSRQ in 2008–2012

AbstractWe 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.