Suchergebnisse

© 2015. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We present the analysis of the radio jet evolution of the radio galaxy 3C 120 during a period of prolonged γ-ray activity detected by the Fermi satellite between 2012 December and 2014 October. We find a clear connection between the γ-ray and radio emission, such that every period of γ-ray activity is accompanied by the flaring of the millimeter very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) core and subsequent ejection of a new superluminal component. However, not all ejections of components are associated with γ-ray events detectable by Fermi. Clear γ-ray detections are obtained only when components are moving in a direction closer to our line of sight. This suggests that the observed γ-ray emission depends not only on the interaction of moving components with the millimeter VLBI core, but also on their orientation with respect to the observer. Timing of the γ-ray detections and ejection of superluminal components locate the γ-ray production to within ∼0.13 pc from the millimeter VLBI core, which was previously estimated to lie about 0.24 pc from the central black hole. This corresponds to about twice the estimated extension of the broad line region, limiting the external photon field and therefore suggesting synchrotron self Compton as the most probable mechanism for the production of the γ-ray emission. Alternatively, the interaction of components with the jet sheath can provide the necessary photon field to produced the observed γ-rays by Compton scattering. ; his research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation grants AYA2010-14844, and AYA2013-40825 P, and by the Regional Government of Andalucia (Spain) grant P09-FQM-4784. This research was partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grant 13-02-12103 and by the Academy of Finland project 274477. ; Peer Reviewed

Context. Investigating the magnetic field structure in the innermost regions of relativistic jets is fundamental to understanding the crucial physical processes giving rise to jet formation, as well as to their extraordinary radiation output up to γ-ray energies. Aims. We study the magnetic field structure of the quasar CTA 102 with 3 and 7 mm VLBI polarimetric observations, reaching an unprecedented resolution (∼50 μas). We also investigate the variability and physical processes occurring in the source during the observing period, which coincides with a very active state of the source over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Methods. We perform the Faraday rotation analysis using 3 and 7 mm data and we compare the obtained rotation measure (RM) map with the polarization evolution in 7 mm VLBA images. We study the kinematics and variability at 7 mm and infer the physical parameters associated with variability. From the analysis of γ-ray and X-ray data, we compute a minimum Doppler factor value required to explain the observed high-energy emission. Results. Faraday rotation analysis shows a gradient in RM with a maximum value of ∼6 × 10 4 rad m -2 and intrinsic electric vector position angles (EVPAs) oriented around the centroid of the core, suggesting the presence of large-scale helical magnetic fields. Such a magnetic field structure is also visible in 7 mm images when a new superluminal component is crossing the core region. The 7 mm EVPA orientation is different when the component is exiting the core or crossing a stationary feature at ∼0.1 mas. The interaction between the superluminal component and a recollimation shock at ∼0.1 mas could have triggered the multi-wavelength flares. The variability Doppler factor associated with such an interaction is large enough to explain the high-energy emission and the remarkable optical flare occurred very close in time. © ESO 2019. ; DB acknowledges support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 771282. IA acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (MICINU) of Spain. The research at the IAA-CSIC was supported in part by the MICINU through grant AYA2016-80889-P. ; Peer Reviewed

The object 4C 71.07 is a high-redshift blazar whose spectral energy distribution shows a prominent big blue bump and a strong Compton dominance. We present the results of a 2- yr multiwavelength campaign led by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) to study both the quasar core and the beamed jet of this source. The WEBT data are complemented by ultraviolet and X-ray data from Swift, and by γ-ray data by Fermi. The big blue bump is modelled by using optical and near-infrared mean spectra obtained during the campaign, together with optical and ultraviolet quasar templates. We give prescriptions to correct the source photometry in the various bands for the thermal contribution, in order to derive the non-thermal jet flux. The role of the intergalactic medium absorption is analysed in both the ultraviolet and X-ray bands.We provide opacity values to deabsorb ultraviolet data, and derive a best-guess value for the hydrogen column density of Nbest H = 6.3 × 10 cmthrough the analysis of X-ray spectra.We estimate the disc and jet bolometric luminosities, accretion rate, and black hole mass. Light curves do not show persistent correlations among flux changes at different frequencies. We study the polarimetric behaviour and find no correlation between polarization degree and flux, even when correcting for the dilution effect of the big blue bump. Similarly, wide rotations of the electric vector polarization angle do not seem to be connected with the source activity.© 2019 The Author(s). ; We acknowledge financial contribution from the agreement ASI-INAF n.2017-14-H.0 and from the contract PRIN-SKA-CTA-INAF 2016. PR and SV acknowledge contract ASI-INAF I/004/11/0. We acknowledge support by Bulgarian National Science Programme 'Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students 2019', Bulgarian National Science Fund under grant DN18-10/2017 and National RI Roadmap Projects DO1-157/28.08.2018 and DO1-153/28.08.2018 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge the observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences via bilateral joint research project 'Study of ICRF radio-sources and fast variable astronomical objects' (head -G.Damljanovic). This work is a part of the Projects No. 176011 ('Dynamics and Kinematics of Celestial Bodies and Systems'), No. 176004 ('Stellar Physics'), and No. 176021 ('Visible and Invisible Matter in Nearby Galaxies: Theory and Observations') supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. This research was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of theMinistry of Education and Science under grants DN 08-1/2016, DN 18-13/2017, and KP-06-H28/3 (2018). The Skinakas Observatory is a collaborative project of the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology -Hellas, and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik. The St Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant no. 17-12-01029. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract FR/217950/16. This work was partly supported by the National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria under grant DN 08-20/2016, and by funds of the project RD-08-37/2019 of the University of Shumen. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) is managed by the Fondazione Clement Fillietroz-ONLUS, which is supported by the Regional Government of the Aosta Valley, the Town Municipality of Nus and the Unite des Communes valdotaines Mont-Emilius'. The research at the OAVdA was partially funded by two 'Research and Education' grants from Fondazione CRT

We report on long-term multiwavelength monitoring of blazar Mrk 421 by the GLAST-AGILE Support Program of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (GASP-WEBT) collaboration and Steward Observatory, and by the Swift and Fermi satellites. We study the source behaviour in the period 2007-2015, characterized by several extreme flares. The ratio between the optical, X-ray and γ-ray fluxes is very variable. The γ-ray flux variations show a fair correlation with the optical ones starting from 2012. We analyse spectropolarimetric data and find wavelength-dependence of the polarization degree (P), which is compatible with the presence of the host galaxy, and no wavelength dependence of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA). Optical polarimetry shows a lack of simple correlation between P and flux and wide rotations of the EVPA. We build broad-band spectral energy distributions with simultaneous near-infrared and optical data from the GASP-WEBT and ultraviolet and X-ray data from the Swift satellite. They show strong variability in both flux and X-ray spectral shape and suggest a shift of the synchrotron peak up to a factor of ~50 in frequency. The interpretation of the flux and spectral variability is compatible with jet models including at least two emitting regions that can change their orientation with respect to the line of sight.© 2017 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. ; The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by Shota Rustaveli NSF under contract FR/577/6-320/13. The research at BU was supported in part by US National Science Foundation grant AST-1615796 and NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grant NNX14AQ58G. This study makes use of 43 GHz VLBA data from the VLBA-BU Blazar Monitoring Program (VLBA-BUBLAZAR; http://www.bu.edu/blazars/VLBAproject.html), funded by NASA through the Fermi Guest Investigator Program. The PRISM camera at the Lowell Observatory was developed by K. Janes et al. at the BU and Lowell Observatory, with funding from the NSF, BU and Lowell Observatory. This research has made use of data from the MOJAVE data base, which is maintained by the MOJAVE team (Lister et al. 2009). The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949 and St. Petersburg University research grant 6.38.335.2015. This paper is partly based on observations carried out at the German Spanish Calar Alto Observatory, which is jointly operated by the MPIA and the IAA-CSIC. IA research is supported by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO). Acquisition of the MAPCAT data was supported in part by MINECO through grants AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P and AYA2016-80889-P, and by the Regional Government of Andalucia through grant P09-FQM-4784. This research was partially supported by the Scientific Research Fund of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences under grants DO 02-137 (BIn-13/09) and DN 08/1. The Skinakas Observatory is a collaborative project of the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extrater-restrische Physik. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge the observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgaria Academy of Sciences, via the bilateral joint research project 'Observations of ICRF radio-sources visible in optical domain' (the head is Dr G. Damljanovic). This work is a part of the Projects No 176011 ('Dynamics and kinematics of celestial bodies and systems'), No 176004 ('Stellar physics') and No 176021 ('Visible and invisible matter in nearby galaxies: theory and observations') supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. The Serbian station is the Astronomical Station Vidojevica (ASV) with the 60-cm ASV telescope (and from this year, the 1.4-m ASV one). This research was supported partly by funds of the project RD-08-81 of the Shumen University. ; Peer Reviewed