The Multifrequency Spectral Evolution of Blazar 3C 345 during the 1991 Outburst
Abstract
The blazar 3C 345 underwent a 2.5 mag optical outburst between 1990 November and 1991 May. We have obtained 10 nearly simultaneous multifrequency spectra during the course of the outburst in order to study the multifrequency spectral variations of 3C 345 as a function of time. Although our observations were not sampled frequently enough to completely resolve the variations in every frequency band, the general rise and decline of the outburst were seen in the UV through radio with differing rise times. Simulations of an electron distribution injected into a tangled magnetic field show a relationship between frequency and characteristic timescale that was also observed in the radio variations of 3C 345. The two X-ray observations made during the monitoring period showed no evidence of variability. The multifrequency spectrum was modeled with two major components: a relativistic jet and a relativistic thermal accretion disk. Models calculated for each spectrum indicate that the outburst can be explained in terms of these models by varying the high-energy cutoff of the injected electron distribution in the jet model, while also varying the mass accretion rate in the disk model. There is marginal evidence that the inferred accretion rate varies with the jet luminosity.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- February 1994
- DOI:
- 10.1086/173750
- Bibcode:
- 1994ApJ...422..570W
- Keywords:
-
- Blazars;
- Infrared Astronomy;
- Infrared Spectra;
- Light (Visible Radiation);
- Quasars;
- Radio Astronomy;
- Radio Spectra;
- Ultraviolet Astronomy;
- Ultraviolet Spectra;
- X Ray Astronomy;
- X Ray Spectra;
- Accretion Disks;
- Astronomical Models;
- Electron Distribution;
- Mathematical Models;
- Radio Jets (Astronomy);
- Astronomy;
- GALAXIES: QUASARS: INDIVIDUAL ALPHANUMERIC: 3C 345;
- RADIO CONTINUUM: GALAXIES;
- ULTRAVIOLET: GALAXIES;
- X-RAYS: GALAXIES