大样本“变脸”活动星系核多频射电巡天观测结果的统计研究

光学波段的“变脸”AGN (changing-look Active Galactic Nucleus, CL AGN)是光谱类型发生变化AGN的统称.近年来,越来越多观测证据表明这类现象与中央超大质量黑洞吸积活动有关.而黑洞吸积率的变化可能会引起喷流的增强或者减弱,进而导致射电波段观测性质的变化.在已发表的文献中,收集了74个光学波段证认的“变脸”AGN、90个“变脸”AGN的候选体.基于这个目前最大并且选源方式多样化的非完备样本,探讨了“变脸”AGN在射电波段的观测性质.从澳大利亚平方公里阵先导设备(Australian Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Pathfinder, ASKAP)和美国甚大阵甚大阵(Very Large Array, VLA)的4大射电巡天观测中,发现了51个“变脸”AGN (含21个候选体)在0.9–3 GHz存在射电波段的对应体,样本的射电探测率约为41%,与一般AGN的射电探测率无显著区别.此外,分析了这些源的射电谱指数,发现在1.4 GHz和3 GHz频段“变脸”AGN相对于一般射电源有较平的射电谱.该统计结果或可解释为“...     

高红移耀变体4C 38.41光学多波段光变性质

4C 38.41是一颗红移为1.813、可分类为平谱射电类星体的耀变体,使用一台85 cm望远镜在2018年2月22日至26日期间对其进行了光学V和R波段测光观测,得到两个波段的准同时数据.基于这些数据分析了该源在不同光变时标下的光变特性.结果表明:这颗源在观测期间处于较弱的活动状态, V和R波段星等(V, R)总变化均约为0.20等.在天内时标下,其中3晚探测到了该源的天内光变,另有一晚可能存在天内光变.此外,通过色指数和时延分析发现4C 38.41在不同时标下都展现越亮越红行为,与大多数平谱射电类星体类似,但在最后一晚4C 38.41在颜色-星等图上呈现出v字形,即首先展现越亮越红行为,然后转变为越亮越蓝行为,这可能是由该源的辐射在吸积盘主导和喷流主导之间的转换造成的.此外在第2晚探测到了V、R波段之间的时延,这是首次在高红移耀变体中探测到不同光学波段光变之间的时延,可以用随机同步辐射小结构模型来解释.     

处理相关光变时间延迟的新方法

时间延迟相关函数(Time Delay Correlation Function,TDCF)方法是一种可以计算时间序列时间延迟的新方法,利用该方法计算blazar天体0316+413(NGC 1275)3个射电波段(4.8 GHz、8 GHz和14.5 GHz)的时间延迟并进行另外7个blazar源的多波段相关分析.对0316+413的计算结果表明:4.8 GHz光变延迟8 GHz光变410 d,即τ_(4.8-8)=410 d;4.8 GHz光变延迟14.5 GHz光变440 d,τ_(4.8-14.5)=440 d;8 GHz光变延迟14.5 GHz光变30 d,即τ_(8-14.5)=30 d;通过7个blazar天体的多波段相关分析,和离散相关函数(Discrete Correlation Function,DCF)方法相比,利用TDCF方法获得时间延迟是更加合理的.     

类星体3C 446射电光变非线性特性分析

类星体有剧烈、大幅度的光变现象, 光变研究有助于建立与观测相符的理论模型. 这篇文章从密歇根大学射电天文台数据库收集了类星体3C 446射电4.8、8.0和14.5GHz波段的长期观测数据. 传统的线性方法难以分析复杂的光变现象, 文章采用了集合经验模态分解(Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition, EEMD)方法和非线性分析方法相结合, 从混沌动力学特性、分形特性和周期性多角度对类星体光变随时间演化的规律进行了较全面的分析, 并重点对比分析了除去周期成分或混沌成分前后, 光变的周期性和非线性特性是否存在明显区别. 分析结果表明, 类星体3C 446射电波段光变资料由周期成分、趋势成分和混沌成分组成, 光变具有周期性、混沌性和分形特性. 除去混沌成分和趋势成分后的光变周期与原始光变资料的周期完全相同, 而两者的混沌和分形特性有明显不同. 从饱和关联维数来看, 重构动力学系统时, 除去周期成分和趋势成分后的光变资料比原始光变资料需要更多的独立参量, Kolmogorov熵值表明前者信息的损失率比后者大, 系统的混沌程度更高, 系统也更复杂, Hurst值表明后者自相似性和长程相关性比前者略强.     

Fermi耀变体的gamma射线多波段辐射与射电辐射的关系

从Fermi 3期源表(3FGL)中选择了一个含935个耀变体(blazar)的样本, 包括415个平谱射电源(Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar, FSRQ), 520个蝎虎天体(BL Lac object, BL Lac), 其中高同步峰BL Lac (HBL) 233个, 中同步峰BL Lac (IBL) 144个, 低同步峰BL Lac (LBL) 143个. 研究了总样本、FSRQ、BL Lac及其子类HBL、LBL的射电1.4GHz 与gamma射线在0.1、0.3、1、3、10GeV处辐射流量密度的关系. 结果显示: 所有样本的射电1.4GHz与5个波段gamma射线的辐射流量都有强相关, 相关系数在0.48--0.81之间, 机会概率均小于$10^{-4; 对于不同的样本相关系数随着gamma射线辐射频率的变化有不同的变化趋势, 所有样本在5个波段的相关系数平均值随gamma射线频率的增加而减小. 该结果暗示, 随着频率的升高, blazar的gamma射线辐射主导机制在发生变化, 在相同频率处, 不同类型天体的辐射主导机制存在差异; HBL的gamma射线辐射主要由同步自康普顿主导, 而LBL的其他成份比HBL的更复杂; FSRQ的gamma射线起源较BL Lac的复杂.     

Blazar天体的辐射特性研究

收集了47个Blazar天体的短时标光变资料,估算了中心天体质量和不同波段辐射区域,并对估算结果作了统计分析,发现Blazar天体中心黑洞质量在10~7M_☉到10~(10)M_☉之间,BL Lac天体与平谱射电类星体中心黑洞质量有很大差异,平谱射电类星体中心黑洞质量大于BL Lac天体中心黑洞质量;红外波段和γ射线波段辐射区域大小相似.同时,利用收集到Blazar天体的热光度分析了Blazar天体热光度与短时标光变之间的关系,证实了射电选BL Lac(RBL)天体和平谱射电类星体(FSRQs)的辐射是强成束的,但相对论聚柬效应对X射线选BL Lac(XBL)天体的辐射影响较小.     

非均匀喷流模型及其在BL Lac天体中的应用

在非均匀锥形喷流模型中,电子数密度、磁场强度随着到喷流顶点的距离呈幂律分布.该模型能成功解释活动星系核喷流核心区域的平谱射电辐射,但已有的模型计算只适用于喷流运动方向与视线夹角很大的情况,所以需要建立适用于任何视角情况的非均匀锥形喷流辐射计算公式.普遍认为BL Lac天体中喷流的运动方向与视线夹角很小,推广后的非均匀喷流模型拟合了3个BL Lac天体的射电观测谱,确定了它们喷流中电子数密度、磁场强度等物理参数.研究结果表明观测辐射谱拐折频率确定出锥形喷流离黑洞最近距离,对于这3个BL Lac天体,它们的锥形喷流离黑洞最近距离约为Schwarzschild半径.     

基于EMD-AR谱的3C 273光变周期分析

光变是Blazar最显著的观测特征之一,有的光变呈准周期性. Blazar周期光变可能为其中心黑洞和吸积盘等内部物理结构提供重要信息.因此,周期分析对于讨论Blazar的光变有重要意义.结合经验模态分解(Empirical Mode Decomposition, EMD)和自回归(Auto-regressive, AR)模型谱估计方法的优点,提出了一种基于EMD-AR谱的组合光变周期分析新方法.先对观测数据进行EMD分解,得到各阶模态分量,并计算其与原始光变曲线的相关系数,再取相关度高的分量求和后估算AR谱,最后将此功率谱的周期分析方法用于天体的光变数据分析.讨论了EMD-AR谱方法的原理和应用步骤,并用此方法对类星体3C 273在1887—2016年的观测数据进行了分析,得到3C 273的长时标周期分别为:21.23、13.51、11.02、5.51、4.69、3.79、2.76 yr,与文献中常用方法的分析结果有很好的一致性;短时标周期分别为:(30±1)、(15±0.3)、(7.5±0.2)、(10±0.1)、(5±0.6)、(6±0.4)和(3±0.5) min,此结果未见相关...     

光学选射电噪类星体的射电性质

对类星体进行多波段的观测和研究,是了解类星体本质的一个重要途径．LBQS类星体是目前公认较为完备的一个光学选类星体样本,利用此样本与最新的485GHz全天射电源表进行了交叉证认,共找到了34个类星体的对应射电源．计算证明,这34个类星体都是射电噪的类星体．所得研究结果表明,射电噪类星体的射电光度与光学光度之间存在线性相关性．     

星系团的射电研究进展

我们从四个方面综述星系闭的射电研究进展。首先介绍了星系闭中的分立射电源，特别是ｃＤ星系研究的一些最新进展和结果。继而介绍了星系闭中射电晕的分类、目前的观测结果和理论解释。星闭中的磁场主要由射电研究得出，在本文中对此也作了适当的介绍和讨论。最后还简介了在星系闭射观测中发现的ｒｅｌｉｃ射电源。     

Intermediate BL Lac objects

The 200-mJy sample, defined by Marchã et al., contains about 60 nearby, northern, flat-spectrum radio sources. In particular, the sample has proved effective at finding nearby radio-selected BL Lac objects with radio luminosities comparable to those of X-ray-selected objects, and low-luminosity flat-spectrum weak emission-line radio galaxies (WLRGs). The 200-mJy sample contains 23 BL Lac objects (including 6 BL Lac candidates) and 19 WLRGs. We will refer to these subsamples as the 200-mJy BL Lac sample and the 200-mJy WLRG sample, respectively. We have started a systematic analysis of the morphological pc-scale properties of the 200-mJy radio sources using VLBI observations.
This paper presents VLBI observations at 5 and 1.6 GHz of 14 BL Lac objects and WLRGs selected from the 200-mJy sample. The pc-scale morphology of these objects is briefly discussed. We derive the radio beaming parameters of the 200-mJy BL Lac objects and WLRGs and compare them with those of other BL Lac samples and with a sample of FR I radio galaxies. The overall broad-band radio, optical and X-ray properties of the 200-mJy BL Lac sample are discussed and compared with those of other BL Lac samples, radio- and X-ray-selected. We find that the 200-mJy BL Lac objects fill the gap between HBL and LBL objects in the colour–colour plot, and have intermediate α _XOX as expected in the spectral energy distribution unification scenario. Finally, we briefly discuss the role of the WLRGs.     

The Deep X-Ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS) – II. New identifications

We have searched the archived, pointed ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter data for blazars by correlating the WGACAT X-ray data base with several publicly available radio catalogues, restricting our candidate list to serendipitous X-ray sources with a flat radio spectrum ( α _r≤0.70, where S _ν ∝ ν ^{− α} ). This makes up the Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS). Here we present new identifications and spectra for 106 sources, including 86 radio-loud quasars, 11 BL Lacertae objects, and nine narrow-line radio galaxies. Together with our previously published objects and already-known sources, our sample now contains 298 identified objects: 234 radio-loud quasars [181 flat-spectrum quasars: FSRQ ( α _r≤0.50) and 53 steep-spectrum quasars: SSRQ], 36 BL Lacs and 28 narrow-line radio galaxies. Redshift information is available for 96 per cent of these. Thus our selection technique is ∼90 per cent efficient at finding radio-loud quasars and BL Lacs. Reaching 5-GHz radio fluxes ∼50 mJy and 0.1–2.0 keV X-ray fluxes a few ×10⁻¹⁴ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹, DXRBS is the faintest and largest flat-spectrum radio sample with nearly complete (∼85 per cent) identification. We review the properties of the DXRBS blazar sample, including redshift distribution and coverage of the X-ray-radio–power plane for quasars and BL Lacs. Additionally, we touch upon the expanded multiwavelength view of blazars provided by DXRBS. By sampling for the first time the faint end of the radio and X-ray luminosity functions, this sample will allow us to investigate the blazar phenomenon and the validity of unified schemes down to relatively low powers.     

Deep low-frequency observations with the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope: a search for relic radio emission

We present deep multifrequency observations using the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) at 153, 244, 610 and 1260 MHz of a field centred on J0916+6348, to search for evidence of fossil radio lobes which could be due to an earlier cycle of episodic activity of the parent galaxy, as well as haloes and relics in clusters of galaxies. We do not find any unambiguous evidence of episodic activity in a list of 374 sources, suggesting that such activity is rare even in relatively deep low-frequency observations. We examine the spectra of all the sources by combining our observations with those from the Westerbork Northern Sky Survey (WENSS), NRAO (National Radio Astronomy Observatories) VLA (Very Large Array) Sky Survey (NVSS) and the Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters Survey (FIRST). Considering only those which have measurements at a minimum of three different frequencies, we find that almost all sources are consistent with a straight spectrum with a median spectral index,  α∼ 0.8 [S(ν) ∝ν^−α  ], which appears steeper than theoretical expectations of the injection spectral index. We identify 14 very steep-spectrum sources with  α≥ 1.3  . We examine their optical fields and discuss the nature of some of these sources.     

Effects of Redshift on the Classifying Criteria of BL Lacertae Objects

We have collected a sample of 70 BL Lacs (33 radio-selected BL Lacs and 37 X-ray selected BL Lacs) with multi-waveband data for investigating the classifying criteria of BL Lacertae Objects. For each source, we estimate its luminosities in radio, optical and X-ray, the broad-band spectral index from radio to X-ray and the peak frequency of the syn- chrotron emission, and make a statistical analysis of the data obtained. Our main results are as follows: (1) The broad-band spectral index and the peak frequency have no correlation with the redshift, while they are inversely correlated with each other and they could be regarded as equivalent classifying criteria of BL Lac objects. (2) There are significant effects of the luminosity/redshift relation on the observed luminosity distribution in our sample, hence, if the radio luminosity is to be used as a classifying criterion of BL Lac objects, it should not be regarded as equivalent to the broad-band spectral index or the peak frequency. (3) Our re- sults supply a specific piece of evidence for the suggestion that the use of luminosities always introduces a redshift bias to the data and show that the location of the peak frequency is not always linked to the luminosity of any wave band.     

Identification of newly discovered radio-emitting X-ray sources: results from spectroscopy

We present optical identifications for a sample of 20 previously unknown X-ray/radio sources that are present both in the source catalogue of ROSAT PSPC pointed observations ( ROSAT SRC) and in the NRAO VLA Sky Survey (NVSS). The optical spectroscopy was carried out with the 2.1-m telescope at San Pedro Martir (Mexico) during 1995 April and September. We have identified 15 active galactic nuclei [including 12 broad-emission-line (FWHM >1000 km s⁻¹) objects, one bona fide BL Lac, one BL Lac candidate and one narrow-line (FWHM < 1000 km s⁻¹) radio galaxy] and five radio galaxies. We derive the X-ray fluxes and luminosities by analysing the PSPC exposures, and show the radio morphology from the NVSS maps.  We find that the correlation between the monochromatic X-ray luminosity at 2 keV and the core radio luminosity at 5 GHz for the radio galaxies in our sample follows that found for the 3CR radio galaxies, suggesting a possible nuclear origin for the X-ray emission in these sources. This correlation is weaker in the case of broad-line objects, indicating the presence of another (unbeamed) mechanism for the X-ray emission only weakly related to the radio emission.     

Spectral energy distributions of FR I nuclei and the FR I/BL Lac unifying model

We consider archival ROSAT and Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) observations of five FR I radio galaxies and isolate their nuclear emission from that of the host galaxy. This enables us to determine the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of their nuclei spanning the region from the radio to the X-ray band. They cannot be described as single power laws, but require the presence of an emission peak located between the infrared (IR) and soft X-ray band. We found consistency between the SED peak position and the values of the broad-band spectral indices of radio galaxies compared with those of BL Lacs, once the effects of beaming are properly taken into account. FR I SEDs are thus qualitatively similar to those of BL Lacs, supporting the identification of FR I sources as their misoriented counterparts. No dependence of the shape of the SED on the FR I orientation is found.     

BeppoSAX observations of 1-Jy BL Lacertae objects – I

We present new BeppoSAX observations of seven BL Lacertae objects selected from the 1-Jy sample plus one additional source. The collected data cover the energy range     (observer's frame), reaching ∼50 keV for one source (BL Lac). All sources characterized by a peak in their multifrequency spectra at infrared/optical energies (i.e., of the low-energy peaked BL Lac type, LBL) display a relatively flat     X-ray spectrum, which we interpret as inverse Compton emission. Four objects (two-thirds of the LBLs) show some evidence for a low-energy steepening, which is probably due to the synchrotron tail merging into the inverse Compton component around ∼     . If this were generally the case with LBLs, it would explain why the     ROSAT spectra of our sources are systematically steeper than the BeppoSAX ones     . The broad-band spectral energy distributions fully confirm this picture, and a synchrotron inverse Compton model allows us to derive the physical parameters (intrinsic power, magnetic field, etc.) of our sources. Combining our results with those obtained by BeppoSAX on BL Lacs covering a wide range of synchrotron peak frequency, ν _peak, we confirm and clarify the dependence of the X-ray spectral index on ν _peak originally found in ROSAT data.     

A unifying view of the spectral energy distributions of blazars

We collect data at well-sampled frequencies from the radio to the γ-ray range for the following three complete samples of blazars: the Slew survey, the 1-Jy samples of BL Lacs and the 2-Jy sample of flat-spectrum radio-loud quasars (FSRQs). The fraction of objects detected in γ-rays ( E  ≳ 100 MeV) is ∼ 17, 26 and 40 per cent in the three samples respectively. Except for the Slew survey sample, γ-ray detected sources do not differ either from other sources in each sample, or from all the γ-ray detected sources, in terms of the distributions of redshift, radio and X-ray luminosities or of the broad-band spectral indices (radio to optical and radio to X-ray). We compute average spectral energy distributions (SEDs) from radio to γ-rays for each complete sample and for groups of blazars binned according to radio luminosity, irrespective of the original classification as BL Lac or FSRQ. The resulting SEDs show a remarkable continuity in that (i) the first peak occurs in different frequency ranges for different samples/luminosity classes, with most luminous sources peaking at lower frequencies; (ii) the peak frequency of the γ-ray component correlates with the peak frequency of the lower energy one; (iii) the luminosity ratio between the high and low frequency components increases with bolometric luminosity. The continuity of properties among different classes of sources and the systematic trends of the SEDs as a function of luminosity favour a unified view of the blazar phenomenon: a single parameter, related to luminosity, seems to govern the physical properties and radiation mechanisms in the relativistic jets present in BL Lac objects as well as in FSRQs. The general implications of this unified scheme are discussed while a detailed theoretical analysis, based on fitting continuum models to the individual spectra of most γ-ray blazars, is presented in a separate paper.     

Properties of BL Lac Objects with Redshift≤0.2

1 INTRODUCTIONBlazars, including BL Lacertae objects and Optical Violently Variable (OVV) quasars,belong to a class of active ga1actic nuclei (AGNs), the spectrum of which is dominated bynontherma1 radiation from re1ativistic electrons in jets pointing at us (e.g. BlandfOrd & Rees1978; Urry & Padovani 1995). The entire electromagnetic spectraI energy distributions (SEDs)usually reveal two broad components, the low energy part, peaking in the IR to soft X-rayrange, and the high en…