Rapid Optical Variability in the BL Lac AO 0235+164
Abstract
CCD photometry data was obtained on the BL Lacertae object AO 0235+164 to search for rapid variability. Light curves and photometric data are presented for this source. Intraday variability was recorded for the source in both the B and V-bands. Microvariability was also observed on three out of six nights, and variations of about 0.1 mag in the B and V-bands occurred on timescales as short as 40 minutes. The minimum timescale for the variations has been used to place constraints on the size of the emitting region. Assuming that these variations are produced in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole, evidence is presented for relativistic beaming in this BL Lac object.
- Publication:
-
Irish Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- July 1995
- Bibcode:
- 1995IrAJ...22..171R