Cosmic vibration of the sun and quasar 3C 273

The hypothesis that some extragalactic objects pulsate with a period of P ₀ = 9600.606(12) s, which was first discovered in the Sun, is tested with data on quasar 3C 273. Observations of its rapid photometric variability were made by different observers in 1968–2005 within several spectral bands. At the 4σ confidence level, these data show that there is a period of 9600.624(18) s, which is consistent, within the error limits, with P ₀ (mean harmonic amplitude 0.006 B magnitude). Its independence from the redshift z is a sign of a cosmological origin of the P ₀ pulsation, which is sometimes understood as the “rhythm” of cosmos’ absolute time. This phenomenon is also shown to be deeply connected—via the Sanchez formula—to the fundamental constants of physics and cosmology. This refutes the standard Big Bang hypothesis and confirms the Steady State, c-free model of the Universe (c is the speed of light).     

Spectral variability in hard X-rays and the evidence for a 13.5 years period in the bright quasar 3C273

We report the observation of nearest quasar 3C273 made with LASE instrument on November 20th, 1998 as a part of our continuing programme of balloon borne hard X-ray observations in the 20–200 keV band using high sensitivity Large Area Scintillation counter Experiment. Our data clearly show a steep spectrum in the 20–200 keV with power law spectral indexα = 2.26 ± 0.07. This is in complete contrast to the reported data from OSSE and BeppoSAX which suggest the value of 1.3 to 1.6 for the power law index in the X-ray energy band, but is quite consistent with the value derived for the high energy gamma ray data. A single power law fit in the X-ray and gamma ray energy bands points to a common origin of these photons and the absence of spectral break around 1 MeV as suggested in literature. We have reanalyzed the available data to study the temporal variability of the spectrum in the hard X-ray band. Our analysis reveals that 50 keV flux from the source, shows a strong modulation with a period of about 13.5 years. The analysis of the optical light curve of the source also supports the 5000 day period. We discuss the emission mechanism and the possible sites for X-ray photons along with the implications of the long term periodicity with respect to source geometry.     

The long-term multiband optical observations and colour index for the quasar 3C 273

The long baseline simultaneous multiband ( BVRI ) observations of blazar 3C 273 are presented. We have made 758 optical multiband observations with the Yunnan Astronomical Observatory (YAO) 103 cm and Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) 156 cm from 2003 January to 2005 April. In our observational campaign, the average colour indices are   B − V = 0.21, V − R = 0.26  and   R − I = 0.31  . The mean magnitudes in B, V, R and I are 12.895, 12.698, 12.441 and 12.139, respectively. The source is in a steady state over observational campaign. The correlations between colour index and brightness are discussed. We find that the correlations of   B − V   versus B ,   V − R   versus V and   R − I   versus R have significant negative correlation, while   B − V   versus V ,   V − R   versus R and   R − I   versus I have positive correlation. These strong correlations imply that the spectrum becomes bluer (flatter) when the source becomes brighter, and redden (softer) when the source fades both in intraday and long-term variability. The spectral evolution trends of 3C 273 are consistent with those of BL Lac objects.     

3C 345和3C 273的光变分析

用结构函数法,对两个经典的blazar 3C 273和3C 345的22 GHz、37 GHz和光学波段的数据进行了周期分析.结果显示,3C 273的周期性比较明显,22 GHz经分析存在7.0年和14.7年的周期,37 GHz存在7.2年和14.5年的周期,同时它的光学波段可能存在0.7年和8.7年的周期.3C 345的37 GHz存在比较明显的8.8年的周期,22 GHz和光学波段分别存在不太明显的9.3年和10.2年的周期.     

The jet of the Quasar 3C 273

New observations of the jet in 3C 273 support and refine our earlier interpretation that (i) the mapped jet is 10^6±0.3 yr old and grows at 0.6 to 0.75 times the speed of light, at an average angle θ of (20 ± 10)? with respect to the line of sight; (ii) its twin is not seen yet because arriving signals were emitted when it was some 10^0.6±0.2 times younger; (iii) the fluid moving in the jet is an extremely relativistice ^±-pair plasma, of bulk Lorentz factor γ >10²; (iv) the beam has swung in projection through some 10?; and (v) the small excursions (wiggles) of the jet around its average propagation direction result from a self-stabilizing interaction with the nonstatic ambient plasma. All other interpretations of which we are aware depend heavily on the (‘beaming’) assumption that the jet material radiates isotropically in some (comoving) Lorentz frame, an assumption which we consider unrealistic.     

The infrared variability of QSO 3C 273

The near-infrared data of the quasar 3C273 are collected from available literature and are used to analyze its variability properties. The largest amplitudes of variations are ΔJ = 1.0, ΔH = 0.9, and ΔK = 0.86. The color indices are J − H = 0.82, J − K = 1.96, and H − K = 1.13. Analysis with the discrete correlation function (DCF) method indicates that the variability between any two infrared bands is correlated without any time lag. The relation between the color index and brightness is also investigated and the result indicates that the spectrum steepens when the source first dims, while it flattens after the source has dimmed to a some extent, suggesting that the emission of 3C 273 at near-IR consists of at least two components. Some discussions are presented.     

Optical positions of 3C 273

We have measured an optical position of 3C 273 in the AGK3 system using the 40cm astrograph of Shanghai Observatory. Combining with others' observations, we have derived a “proper motion”. A comparison with other results is made.     

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.     

3C273的光学光变周期

收录了类星体3C273约110年的光学资料，并在此基础上讨论了光变周期性.当用两种不同方法(Jurkevich方法及DCF(离散相关系数)法)分析时，发现光变曲线中存在周期为2.0年、(13.65±0.20)及(22.5±2.0)年的周期性.同时也讨论了这种周期的可能机制.     

Soft-thresholding technique and restoration of 3C273 jet

We show that it can be possible to obtain lower limits on the jet Lorentz factors in superluminal very high energy (VHE) -ray blazars (e.g. Mrk, 421) which are more restrict than that ones derived only from the observations of superluminal motion. To do that we need to define some parameters of the blazars (i.e. accretion disk luminosity, disk inner radius, or disk temperature at the inner radius) which can be fixed in some sources based on the optical-UV observations. Moreover the knowledge is required on: (a) the variability time scale of radiation emitted from the shock (blob) region; (b) the maximum energy of emitted -rays; (c) and the value of an apparent speed of the shock from measurements of superluminal motion in the source. Based on the available observations of Mrk 421 and QSO 1633+382 we put constraints on the jet Lorentz factor in these sources as a function of their disk inner radius.     

Re-Analysis of QPO in 3C 273 Light Curve

We have developed analysis tools to search for quasi periodic oscillations in light curves from active galactic nuclei, using the following time series techniques: Wavelets, periodogram, Lomb–Scargle periodogram, structure function and multi-harmonic analysis of variance. The analysis tools incorporate different noise models with significant levels for all the techniques that is an improvement over the previous work. By looking for consistently high significance, we make the detection of periodicities more robust. We apply this tool to a previously reported QPO (Espaillat et al. 2008) in the X-ray light curve of 3C 273 with a periodicity of ~3300 s and find that the significance is only 74% in the wavelet and fails to show up above 95% significance in the periodogram and multi-harmonic analysis of variance.     

Kinematics of the active region of the quasar 3C 345

The fine structure of the quasar 3C 345 in polarized emission at 7 mm and 2 cm has been investigated. The kinematics is shown to correspond to an anticentrifuge: the thermal plasma of the surrounding space accretes onto the disk, flows to the center, and is ejected in the form of a rotating bipolar outflow that carries away the excess angular momentum as it accumulates. The bipolar outflow consists of a high-velocity central jet surrounded by a low-velocity component. The low-velocity flows are the rotating hollow tubes ejected from the peripheral part of the disk with a diameter ～Ø₁ = 2.2 pc and from the region Ø₂ = 1 pc. The high-velocity jet with a diameter Ø₃ = 0.2 pc is ejected from the central part of the disk, while the remnant falls onto the forming central body. The ejection velocity of the high-velocity flow is v ? 0.06c. At a distance up to ～1 pc, the jet accelerates to an apparent velocity v ～ 8c. Further out, uniform motion is observed within ～2 pc following which deceleration occurs. The jet structure corresponding to a conical diverging helix with an increasing pitch is determined by gasdynamic instability. The counterjet structure is a mirror reflection of the nearby part of the jet. The brightness temperature of the fragment of the high-velocity flow at the exit from the counterjet nozzle is T _b ≈ (10¹²?10¹³) K. The disk inclined at an angle of 60° to the plane of the sky shadows the jet ejector region. Ring currents observed in the tangential directions as parallel chains of components are excited in the rotating flows. The magnetic fields of the rotating bipolar outflow and the disk are aligned and oriented along the rotation axis. The translational motions of the jet and counterjet are parallel and antiparallel to the magnetic field, which determines their acceleration or deceleration. The quasar core is surrounded by a thermal plasma. The sizes of the HII region reach ～30 pc. The electron density decreases with increasing distance from the center from N _e ≈ 10⁸ to ≈10⁵ cm^?3. The observed emission from the jet fragments at the exit from the nozzle is partially absorbed by the thermal plasma, is refracted with increasing distance—moves with an apparent superluminal velocity, and decelerates as it goes outside the HII region.     

Combined-array images of quasar 3C 286 at 18 cm wavelength

MERLIN, VLBI and MERLIN+VLBI images of QSO 3C286 at wave-length 18cm are presented. Low-brightness features in the MERLIN image are just resolved in the MERLIN+VLBI image. But some vestiges still remain. The extension of the central part of the MERLIN+VLBI image is longer than that of the VLBI image. Even though the dynamic range of the MERLIN+VLBI image is better than 1000:1, the counter jet is not found. Several models are used to interpret the observed structures.     

3C 254: MERLIN observations of a highly asymmetric quasar

Multifrequency, high-resolution radio observations of the quasar 3C 254 using the Multi-Element Radio-linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) are presented. The quasar has a highly asymmetric radio structure, with the eastern component of the double-lobed structure being much closer to the nucleus and significantly less polarized than the western one. However, the two lobes are more symmetric in their total flux densities. The observations show the detailed structure of the hotspots which are very different on opposite sides of the radio core, reveal no radio jet and suggest that the oppositely directed jets may be intrinsically asymmetric.     

Chaotic Feature in the Light Curve of 3C 273

Some nonlinear dynamical techniques, including state-space reconstruction and correlation integral, are used to analyze the light curve of 3C 273. The result is compared with a chaotic model. The similarities between them suggest there is a low-dimension chaotic attractor in the light curve of 3C 273.