Intraday optical variability of BL Lacertae
Abstract
We monitored BL Lacertae simultaneously in the optical B, V, R and I bands for 13 nights during the period 2012-2016. The variations were well correlated in all bands and the source showed significant intraday variability (IDV). We also studied its optical flux and colour behaviour, and searched for inter-band time lags. A strong bluer-when-brighter chromatism was found on the intra-night time-scale. The spectral changes are not sensitive to the host galaxy contribution. Cross-correlation analysis revealed possible time delay of about 10 min between variations in the V and R bands. We interpreted the observed flares in terms of the model consisting of individual synchrotron pulses.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- August 2017
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/stx1055
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1706.07183
- Bibcode:
- 2017MNRAS.469.3588M
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: active;
- BL Lacertae objects: individual: BL Lacertae;
- galaxies: photometry;
- galaxies: active - BL Lacertae objects: individual: BL Lacertae;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
- E-Print:
- 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted by MNRAS