Photopolarimetry of BL Lac

This paper presents results of our monitoring of BL Lac at the 2.56 m Nordic Optical Telescope in La Palma and at the 0.91 m telescope at National Astronomical Observatory in Dodaira, Japan. On La Palma we used aUBVRI-photopolarimeter which gives truly simultaneous observations in all five colour bands. At Dodaira we used a photopolarimeter which gives simultaneously photometry atB, V andR-bands and polarimetry atV-band. We have observations of BL Lac during flare behaviour and during these times we have observed a clear rotation of the polarization position angle. During these flares the polarization level has also been strongly variable and the object has lost its preferred direction of the polarization position angle. The reason for this behaviour remains still unclear, but there are two possible explanations: shocks in the helical magnetic field in the jet pointing nearly towards us or polarized synchrotron flares rotating within the accretion disk (seen nearly face on) of the supermassive central black hole.     

The BL Lac heart of Centaurus A

We have observed emission from the nucleus of the closest radio galaxy, Centaurus A, from the radio to the gamma-ray band. We construct, for the first time, its overall spectral energy distribution (SED) which appears to be intriguingly similar to those of blazars, showing two broad peaks located in the far-infrared band and at ∼0.1 MeV respectively. The whole nuclear emission of Centaurus A is successfully reproduced with a synchrotron self-Compton model. The estimated physical parameters of the emitting source are similar to those of BL Lacs, except for a much smaller beaming factor, as qualitatively expected when a relativistic jet is orientated at a large angle to the line of sight. These results represent strong evidence that Centaurus A is indeed a misoriented BL Lac, and provide strong support in favour of the unification scheme for low-luminosity radio-loud active galactic nuclei. Modelling of the SED of Centaurus A also provides further and independent indications of the presence of velocity structures in sub-parsec-scale jets.     

The distance of BL Lac

An upper limit on the distance of BL Lac is derived assuming that (a) the optical continuum is synchrotron radiation produced by relativistic electrons; (b) the magnetic field has the value appropriate for equipartition of energy; (c) the optical object lies within the radio component. The upper limit obtained depends on the mechanism of electron production. Limits are also obtained on the magnetic field and mass of BL Lac, and the possibility that it may be a galaxy in the process of formation is explored.     

Cosmological implications of BL Lac objects

It has become clear in recent years that relativistic beaming is a good explanation for the BL Lac phenomenon. Of studies based on the relativistic beaming model of BL Lac objects, we note that the orientation of jet's axis to the line-of-sight is very small and, therefore, the observed flux emitted from a rapidly moving source is orders of magnitude higher than the flux in its rest-frame:F _obs = ^{3 +} F _intr, where is the bulk relativistic Doppler factor. Then the observed apparent magnitudem _v must be corrected for this effect. For our 39 samples, the corrected apparent magnitudem _v ^corr and logZ have a good correlation.     

Optical Spectra Evolution of BL Lac Objects

Many quasi-simultaneous optical observations of nine BL Lac objects are obtained from literature. We study the relationship between the optical spectral index and the luminosity of BL Lac objects, and are tempted to exploit spectral evolution in the optical frequency ranges. Our results show that: (i) The optical spectra index of the low-frequency peaked BL Lac objects (LBLs) is steeper than the high-frequency peaked BL Lac objects (HBLs); (ii) The spectra tend to be softer when the source becomes brighter for LBLs and the intermediate BL Lac objects (IBLs) (i.e., bluer-when-brighter), and the spectra of HBLs does not vary when the brightness of HBLs changes. Possible explanations are briefly discussed for this phenomenon.     

BL Lac天体的谱性质

研究了等离子体反应堆模型,统一解释活动星系核的辐射性质,特别是ＢＬＬａｃ天体的谱性质．具体的物理过程是:大量相对论电子从中心天体注入周围的等离子体反应堆中,通过同步辐射快速损失能量,同时这些电子同步吸收反应堆中不透明的光子,产生一个稳定、各向同性的幂律分布,其谱指数为γ＝３;然后,这些相对论电子通过等离子体反应堆的爆发或其表面扩散过程逃逸出来,产生低频的同步辐射;来自等离子体反应堆的高频辐射表现出快速的谱变化,即流量减小时谱变陡．另外,还详细分析了具有辐射损失和相对论电子注入的同步辐射源的性质．     

The debeamed luminosity, sychrotron peak frequency and black hole mass of BL Lac objects

We estimate the intrinsic luminosities and synchrotron peak frequencies using the derived Doppler factor for a sample of 170 BL Lac objects, of which the synchrotron peak frequency is derived by fitting the SED constructed with the collected multi-band data from the literature. We find that the debeamed radio and optical core luminosities follow the same correlation found for FR I radio galaxies, which is in support of the unification of the BL Lac objects and the FR I galaxies based on orientation. For the debeamed luminosity at the synchrotron peak frequency, we find a significant positive correlation between the luminosity and intrinsic synchrotron peak frequency. This implies that the more powerful sources may have the majority of jet emission at higher frequency. At the synchrotron peak frequency, the intrinsic luminosity and black hole mass show strong positive correlation, while mild correlation is found in the case of jet power, indicating that the more powerful sources may have more massive black holes.     

BL Lac objects in the synchrotron proton blazar model

We calculate the spectral energy distribution (SED) of electromagnetic radiation and the spectrum of high-energy neutrinos from BL Lac objects in the context of the synchrotron proton blazar model. In this model, the high-energy hump of the SED is due to accelerated protons, while most of the low-energy hump is due to synchrotron radiation by co-accelerated electrons. To accelerate protons to sufficiently high energies to produce the high-energy hump, rather high magnetic fields are required. Assuming reasonable emission region volumes and Doppler factors, we then find that in low-frequency peaked BL Lacs (LBLs), which have higher luminosities than high-frequency peaked BL Lacs (HBLs), there is a significant contribution to the high-frequency hump of the SED from pion photoproduction and subsequent cascading, including synchrotron radiation by muons. In contrast, in HBLs we find that the high-frequency hump of the SED is dominated by proton synchrotron radiation. We are able to model the SED of typical LBLs and HBLs, and to model the famous 1997 flare of Markarian 501. We also calculate the expected neutrino output of typical BL Lac objects, and estimate the diffuse neutrino intensity due to all BL Lacs. Because pion photoproduction is inefficient in HBLs, as protons lose energy predominantly by synchrotron radiation, the contribution of LBLs dominates the diffuse neutrino intensity. We suggest that nearby LBLs may well be observable with future high-sensitivity TeV γ-ray telescopes.     

A new model for the periodic outbursts of the BL Lac object OJ287

Recent observations provide strong evidence for the BL Lac object OJ287 exhibiting a 11.6±0.5 yr periodicity with a double-peaked maxima in its optical flux variations. Several models have been proposed for the optical behavior. The 2005 November outburst in OJ287 gives us a surprising result since calculation based on the periodicity was predicting such an outburst in late 2006. Here we suggest a new model, it can not only explain the optical quasi-periodic behavior, but also the radio flares behavior which is and simultaneous with the optical flares. We propose that OJ287 is a binary pair of super-massive black holes, both of them creating a jet. The quasi-periodic double peaks would be due to the relativistic beaming effect on the emission coming from the double helix jets. We used “core flares” to explain the large lags between light curves at different frequencies, and the assumption of two jets appear to be merged with each other partly in the radio frequency emitting regions provides a viable interpretation that we can see only a broad maximum which contains two radio flares that we cannot distinguish.     

BL Lac天体Mrk 421 X射线辐射流量变化特性研究

利用Swift/BAT望远镜的观测数据,获得BL Lac天体Mrk 421从2005年2月12日到2012年11月26日在硬X射线15 ～ 50 keV能段上的辐射流量变化曲线.用离散相关函数(Discrete Correlation Function,DCF)方法、Jurkevich方法和功率谱方法对Mrk 421在X射线波段的辐射流量变化周期进行了分析.分析结果表明,3种周期分析方法得到的结果基本一致,Mrk421在X射线波段存在(1.7±0.1)yr和(3.7±0.1)yr的变化周期,其中3.7 yr的周期值与Li等人在射电22 GHz、37 GHz波段获得的3.95 yr周期值基本一致.用双黑洞系统的轨道运动驱动引起喷流的非弹道螺旋运动模型解释Mrk 421在X射线波段存在的1.7 yr变化周期.     

2MASS observation of BL Lac objects II

In this paper, we have searched for the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) counterparts of 1434 BL Lacs. Eight hundred and thirty-three of 1434 BL Lacs (～58%) have spatially coincident 2MASS counterparts. Fermi-detected BL Lacs (FBLs) have a much higher 2MASS detection rate than non-Fermi-detected BL Lacs (non-FBLs) (～95% vs 49%). We compare the near-infrared (NIR) apparent magnitudes, monochromatic luminosities and spectral indices of different subclasses of BL Lacs: (i) FBLs are significantly brighter and more luminous than non-FBLs; (ii) low-energy peaked BL Lacs (LBLs) are significantly more luminous than high-energy peaked BL Lacs (HBLs); (iii) the NIR spectral index, α_IR, shows a sequence of decrease from LBLs to intermediate-energy peaked BL Lacs (IBLs) then to HBLs. The K_S band luminosity and NIR spectral index are both strongly anti-correlated with the synchrotron peak frequency (ν_peak). About 66% of BL Lacs in our sample are located close to the power law line in the J-H–H-K_S diagram, which implies predominantly non-thermal radiation in the NIR range. We label 218 BL Lacs whose NIR spectra show convex curvatures probably due to the significant contaminations of host-galaxy starlight. Finally we investigate the correlation between NIR and gamma-ray emission using the 2MASS observational data.     

X选BL Lac天体的某些性质

本文给出了包含５６个Ｘ选择的ＢＬＬａｃ天体（ＸＢＬｓ）的完备样品，得到了一些相互关系并讨论了ＸＢＬｓ的一些性质。     

Global VLBI polarisation observations of BL Lac objects

In May 1995, we obtained 5-GHz VLBI polarisation observations of 20 sources in the complete sample of BL Lac objects defined by H. Kühr and G. Schmidt. Ten antennas participated in the global VLBI observations. Total intensity and linear polarisation images of five sources have been made and analysed thus far. The images for 0003–066, 1538+149, and 2254+074 are presented, together with an analysis of the evolution of their polarisation structure and estimates of apparent velocities for components in their VLBI jets.     

特殊BL Lac型天体的VLBI观测研究

BL Lac型天体是一类特殊的活动星系核,根据辐射能谱的不同可以分为低峰值频率BL Lac型天体(LBLs),中间峰值频率BL Lac型天体(IBLs),高峰值频率BL Lac型天体(HBLs),以及极高峰值频率BL Lac型天体(UHBLs)。不同类型BL Lac型天体具有不同的辐射特性,通过射电、光学、X射线、伽玛射线等多波段的观测可以发现很多特殊类型及辐射特性的BL Lac型天体,而甚长干涉测量技术(Very Long Baseline Interferometry,VLBI)是目前分辨率最高的观测技术,也是探测致密核区结构的唯一手段。主要介绍目前对BL Lac型天体的VLBI观测研究概况,以及对其中一些特殊BL Lac型天体VLBI研究的进展及初步结果。     

On the Geometry of Broad-Line Regions in BL Lac Objects

The geometry of broad-line regions (BLRs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) is still controversial. We use a sample of BL Lac objects, of which the black hole masses Mbh are estimated from their host galaxy absolute magnitude at R-band, MR, by using the empirical relation between MR and black hole mass Mbh. The sizes of the broad-line regions for Mgn are derived from the widths of Mgn lines and the black hole masses. Compared with the empirical relation between BLR size RBLR and MgII line luminosity LMgII, it is found the BLR sizes in the BL Lac objects derived in this paper are 2-3 orders of magnitude higher. If the BLR geometry of these sources is disklike, then the viewing angle between the axis and the line of sight is in the range of ~ 2°-15°, which is consistent with the unification scheme.     

BL Lac天体喷流物理参数的限定

同步+同步自康普顿(Synchrotron+Synchrotron Self Compton (SSC))模型用于拟合蝎虎天体(BL Lac object, BL Lac)准同时性多波段观测数据,可以获得相关的喷流物理参数,从而能对BL Lac天体喷流的物理性质进行解释.在同步自康普顿模型中,较多的自由参数给计算结果带来很大的不确定性,同时,由于这些模型参数范围太大降低了能谱拟合效率.利用多波段观测数据获得的物理量值,对双幂律电子分布情况下的单区、均匀SSC模型中涉及到的8个模型参数进行限定.另外,还利用模型计算两个典型的BL Lac天体多波段能谱对参数限定的结果进行检验.结果表明:在8个模型参数限定的范围内,选取的模型参数值计算出的理论光子谱与两个BL Lac天体的多波段准同时性观测数据符合较好.     

VSOP observations of the BL Lac object 2007+777

A numerical model of magnetic turbulence allows us to compute the diffusion coefficients for different degrees of anisotropy, and in particular for the cases corresponding to the solar wind. We consider here the problem of the propagation of the energetic particles accelerated by corotating interaction regions (CIRs) and observed by Ulysses at high heliographic latitudes. The excursion in latitude of a magnetic field line located at large heliospheric distance is evaluated with a Monte Carlo simulation. In the calculations, the random `force' terms are proportional to the square root of the diffusion coefficient in each direction. By tracing a large number of field lines, we can devise how the particles would be seen by Ulysses. Good agreement with the actual observations is found. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.