Infrared variability properties of the blazar 3C 279

The long-term (about 27 years) near-infrared K light curve is constructed from the published literature for the blazar 3C 279. The Jurkevich method is adopted to analyse the periodicity, and a strong 7.1±0.44 yr period is found, suggesting that the next near-infrared outburst will occur in 2002/03. The correlation between colour index (spectral index) and magnitude is discussed, and a significant correlation between ( J − H ) and K is found with a correlation coefficient r =0.72 ( p =2.0×10⁻¹⁰), which is consistent with Brown et al.'s proposal.     

The lower limit of the Doppler factor for a Fermi blazar sample

We selected 457 blazars(193 flat spectrum radio quasars, 61 lowsynchrotron peaked blazars, 69 intermediate-synchrotron peaked blazars and 134high-synchrotron peaked blazars) from the second Fermi-LAT catalog(2FGL) of γ-ray sources, which have X-ray observations. We calculated the lower limits for their Doppler factors, δγ, and compared the lower limits with the available Doppler factors and the apparent superluminal velocities in the literature.     

Active region of the nucleus of the blazar 3C 454.3

The superfine structure of the object 3C 454.3 has been investigated at λ = 7 mm in polarized emission. The kinematics of the structure is shown to correspond to a vortex. A spiral structure like an Archimedes spiral has been established in the accretion disk. The orbital velocity of the inflow exceeds considerably the radial velocity. The disk is oriented in the plane of the sky. The bipolar outflow ejection axis is directed toward the observer with a slight inclination to the east. The jet sizes exceed considerably the counterjet sizes. The jet is ejected in a direction opposite to the observer; its apparent separation from the nozzle is determined by the disk shadowing. The counterjet is directed toward the observer; the flow brightness temperature at the exit from the nozzle reaches T _b ≈ 10¹⁵ K. The jet has a spiral shape with an increasing pitch; the counterjet is a mirror reflection of the initial part of the jet. The incoming thermal plasma is accelerated and heated to relativistic temperatures as it is transferred along a spiral to the center. The orientation of the emission polarization plane changes along the flows due to a change in the ratio of the orbital and radial velocities, a change in the magnetic field orientation.     

3C 273、3C 279与3C 345光变的比较与分析

Blazar 3C 345的红移以及从射电到X射线波段的能谱等方面与伽玛射线源3C 279很相似,但是EGRET却没有探测到来自3C 345的辐射.从光变幅度(8GHz、22GHz,37GHz和B波段),光学最小光变时标和不同波段间的时间延迟3个方面,比较3C 345与伽玛射线源3C 279和3C 273的异同,寻找3C 345没有伽玛射线的可能原因.分析结果显示:光变幅度,在射电波段,3C 345与3C 279的更相似,在光学波段,3C 279、3C 345和3C 273依次递减并观测到了天量级的光变;还发现3C 345的时延要比3C 279长很多,而与3C 273相近.基于3C 345与3C 273的其他观测特征的相似性,如都观测到了大兰包,红外光度相当,那么3C 345的伽玛辐射能谱可能与3C 273相似,伽玛光度也相当.简单计算表明,若3C 273处于3C 345的红移处时,即使处在爆发态EGRET也探测不到3C 273,这可能正是EGRET从未探测到3C 345的原因.     

Comparison and Analysis of the Light Variations of 3C 273, 3C 279 and 3C 345

The blazar 3C 345 is quite similar to the γ-ray blazar 3C 279 in respect of redshift, spectral energy distribution from the radio to the X-ray wave band, and so on. However, it was not detected by EGRET. We compared the differences and similarities between 3C 345 and the γ-ray sources 3C 279 and 3C 273 in respect of variation amplitudes (in the 8 GHz, 22 GHz, 37 GHz and B band), the smallest variation time scales in the optical and the time lags between different bands to search possible reason for the lack of the γ-ray radiation in 3C 345. From our analyses it is found that the variation amplitudes in the radio band for 3C 345 and 3C 279 are quite similar; the variation amplitudes in the optical wave band gradually decrease in the order 3C 279, 3C 345 and 3C 273, and variations on the order of days are found in these three sources. It is also found that the time lag in 3C 345 is much longer than that in 3C 279 and is approximately the same as that in 3C 273. Based on the similarity of other observational properties between 3C 345 and 3C 273, such as the presence of the big blue bump and their comparable infrared luminosities, it is proposed that the spectral energy distribution and the luminosity in the γ-ray band for 3C 345 are similar to those for 3C 273. It is indicated by our simple calculations that if 3C 273 has a similar redshift to that of 3C 345, then even at the burst state, EGRET could not detect any radiations from 3C 273. This might be the reason why 3C 345 had never been detected by EGRET.     

A possible precessing nozzle and the Lense-Thirring effect in blazar 3C 454.3

The kinematics of superluminal components in blazar 3C 454.3 are studied.Nine components are included:superluminal knots R1,R2,R3,R4,A,B,C and D(from Britzen et al.2013) and C4(from Pauliny-Toth 1998).We find that their kinematics derived from VLBI observations can be consistently interpreted in terms of a jet precession scenario with a period of about 14.5 yr.We discuss the model fits of their trajectory,distance from the core and apparent velocity.We show that the bulk Lorentz factor(in the range 4 to 15) derived for these components does not have any dependence on the phase of the precession(or position angle for ejection).The LenseThirring effect is assumed to interpret the precession of the jet nozzle.The results obtained for blazar 3C 454.3 are only suggestive.They are not unique and have yet to be tested,but they might be useful for understanding the kinematics of superluminal components in blazars and for disentangling different mechanisms and factors.     

喷流吸收对3C 279非热辐射谱的影响

考虑了喷流的吸收效应对类星体3C 279多波段能谱的影响.在不含时的同步自康普顿(SSC)模型的基础上,假定喷流中辐射的包受到在其前面的已冷却的包的遮挡,从而使得辐射区的发射可被吸收,这导致能谱的改变.计算表明喷流物质会对类星体辐射区发出的X射线波段的辐射有强烈的吸收,同时喷流物质会以发射线的形式在软X射线和紫外波段将吸收来的能量发射出去.利用这样的模型拟合了类星体3C 279观测到的多波段能谱,并对结果给出了简要的讨论.     

Constraints on a soft X-ray excess in the quasar 3C 279

We present the results of a three-week daily monitoring campaign of the quasar 3C 279 by the X-ray satellites RXTE ROSAT . A cross-correlation provides no evidence for any time lag between the very similar soft and hard X-ray light curves, and the source shows no significant spectral variability over the observing period. There is no evidence to support the presence of a soft excess, with a 99 per cent upper limit on any such component of 25 per cent of the total observed luminosity in the 0.1–2 keV band (<3 × 10³⁸ W). This fraction (but not the luminosity) is significantly lower than that of the soft excess observed in 3C 273.     

Effect of Jet Absorption on the Non-thermal Radiation Spectrum of 3C 279

The absorptive effect of jets on the multi-waveband energy spectrum of the quasar 3C 279 is studied by using a jet model. Based on the timeindependent synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model, it is assumed that in the jet, the radiant blob is blocked by the preceding cooled blob, thus the emission from the radiation region could be absorbed. This leads to the change of the energy spectrum. Our calculations indicate that the jet material exerts a strong absorption on the X-ray emission from the quasar radiation region, and that the absorbed energy will be re-emitted in the form of emission lines in the ultraviolet and soft X-ray wavebands. By using this model, we have reproduced the multi-waveband energy spectrum of 3C 279. Finally, we give a brief discussion on the obtained results.     

A possible precession period for superluminal ejection in QSO 3C 279

The search for periodic features in fiux variability and superluminal ejection in blazars has been an important subject, which is helpful for providing significant clues to the understanding of the structure and kinematics of relativistic jets (physical processes of acceleration and collimation) and their association with central energy engines (black hole/accretion disk systems). The wobbling of the ejection position angle of VLBI knots in superluminal sources has been interpreted in terms of the precessio...     

Photometric monitoring of the blazar 3C 345 for the period 1996–2006

We present the results of the blazar 3C 345 monitoring in Johnson‐Cousins BVRI bands for the period 1996–2006. We have collected 29 V and 43 R data points for this period; the BI light curves contain a few measurements only. The accuracy of our photometry is not better than 0.03 mag in the VR bands. The total amplitude of the variability obtained from our data is 2.06 mag in the V and 2.25 mag in the R band. 3C 345 showed periods of flaring activity during 1998/99 and 2001: a maximum of the blazar brightness was detected in 2001 February – 15.345 mag in the V and 14.944 mag in the R band. We confirm that during brighter stages 3C 345 becomes redder; for higher fluxes the colour index seems to be less dependent on the magnitude. The intra‐night monitoring of 3C 345 in three consecutive nights in 2001 August revealed no significant intra‐night variability; 3C 345 did not show evident flux changes over timescales of weeks around the period of the intra‐night monitoring. This result supports the existing facts that intra‐night variability is correlated with rapid flux changes rather than with specific flux levels. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Long-term observations of galaxy 3C 66A

Monitoring of the active galaxy nucleus 3C 66A in the VHE γ-ray and analysis of data in X-rays and optical ranges over the period 1996–2009 were carried out. The nature of processes responsible for one or another type of radiation appeared to be very complicated since, at certain periods of time, an either positive or negative correlation may be observed between different types of radiation. Period of radiation P = 365 days in the X-ray range was found.     

On the correlation between the very-high-energy gamma-ray and X-ray fluxes from the blazar 3C 66A

We consider the very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations of the blazar 3C 66A with the GT-48 Cherenkov telescope in the period 2002–2004 in comparison with the quasi-simultaneous ASM/RXTE observations in the energy range 2–10 keV. We show that there are positive correlations between the VHE gamma-ray and X-ray fluxes from this object recorded in the observing periods of 2002–2004.     

On the light variations of Seyfert galaxy 3C120

The fragmentary light-curve of the Seyfert galaxy 3C120, based on photometry of the bestavailable Harvard plates of the past 60 yr, has been subjected to a periodicity analysis using a method (Appendix) particularly suited to this type of irregularly-spaced data. The analysis yields convincing evidence for a period of about 350 d and some indication of a longer period of about 22.5 yr. The observational data often depart appreciably from the light curve synthesized from the two periodic components. In one comparatively well-documented segment (1934–1939), the agreement between observational data and the synthesized model improves if it is assumed that a pair of oppositelydirected phase shifts have occurred, disturbing the 350-day period and then causing it to recover.     

The power of blazar jets

We estimate the power of relativistic, extragalactic jets by modelling the spectral energy distribution of a large number of blazars. We adopt a simple one-zone, homogeneous, leptonic synchrotron and inverse Compton model, taking into account seed photons originating both locally in the jet and externally. The blazars under study have an often dominant high-energy component which, if interpreted as due to inverse Compton radiation, limits the value of the magnetic field within the emission region. As a consequence, the corresponding Poynting flux cannot be energetically dominant. Also the bulk kinetic power in relativistic leptons is often smaller than the dissipated luminosity. This suggests that the typical jet should comprise an energetically dominant proton component. If there is one proton per relativistic electrons, jets radiate around 2–10 per cent of their power in high-power blazars and 3–30 per cent in less powerful BL Lacs.     

Long-term variations in total solar irradiance

For more than a decade total solar irradiance has been monitored simultaneously from space by different satellites. The detection of total solar irradiance variations by satellite-based experiments during the past decade and a half has stimulated modeling efforts to help identify their causes and to provide estimates of irradiance data, using proxy indicators of solar activity, for time intervals when no satellite observations exist. In this paper total solar irradiance observed by the Nimbus-7/ERB, SMM/ACRIM I, and UARS/ACRIM II radiometers is modeled with the Photometric Sunspot Index and the Mg II core-to-wing ratio. Since the formation of the Mg II line is very similar to that of the Ca II K line, the Mg core-to-wing ratio, derived from the irradiance observations of the Nimbus-7 and NOAA9 satellites, is used as a proxy for the bright magnetic elements. It is shown that the observed changes in total solar irradiance are underestimated by the proxy models at the time of maximum and during the beginning of the declining portion of solar cycle 22 similar to behavior just before the maximum of solar cycle 21. This disagreement between total irradiance observations and their model estimates is indicative of the fact that the underlying physical mechanism of the changes observed in the solar radiative output is not well-understood. Furthermore, the uncertainties in the proxy data used for irradiance modeling and the resulting limitation of the models should be taken into account, especially when the irradiance models are used for climatic studies.     

Long-term variations of the Earth's orbital elements

Critical analysis of theories of the long-term variations of the ecliptical elements of the Earth leads to the following conclusions, regarding the influence of different terms on the accuracy of the expansions used:

1. further improvement in planetary masses will not have significant influence:
2. for the (e, π) system, terms depending upon the second order as to the disturbing masses are more important than ones coming from the third degree with respect to the planetary eccentricities and inclinations;
3. for the (i, Ω) system, the latter terms have highly significant influence, whereas additional terms in masses are negligible. The same conclusion can be drawn for (ε,Ψ _g ). Using these results, a new solution for the long-term variations of the Earth's orbital elements is obtained. The results fore, π,i, Ω include terms depending upon the second power as to the disturbing masses and to the third degree with respect to the planetarye's andi's. For the obliquity ε and the annual general precession in longitudeΨ _g , a Laplace series is proposed where amplitudes, mean rates and phases are computed from those of the (i, Ω) system.