2012ApJ...756...13B -
Astrophys. J., 756, 13 (2012/September-1)
SMARTS optical and infrared monitoring of 12 gamma-ray bright blazars.
BONNING E., URRY C.M., BAILYN C., BUXTON M., CHATTERJEE R., COPPI P., FOSSATI G., ISLER J. and MARASCHI L.
Abstract (from CDS):
We present multiwavelength data for 12 blazars observed from 2008 to 2010 as part of an ongoing optical-infrared photometric monitoring project. Sources were selected to be bright, southern (δ < 20°) blazars observed by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. Light curves are presented for the 12 blazars in BVRJK at near-daily cadence. We find that optical and infrared fluxes are well correlated in all sources. Gamma-ray bright flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) in our sample have optical/infrared emission correlated with gamma-rays consistent with inverse Compton-scattering models. In FSRQs, variability amplitude increases toward IR wavelengths, consistent with the presence of a thermal accretion disk varying on significantly longer timescales than the jet. In BL Lac objects, variability is mainly constant, or increases toward shorter wavelength. FSRQs have redder optical-infrared colors when they are brighter, while BL Lac objects show no such trend. Several objects show complicated color-magnitude behavior: AO 0235+164 appears in two different states depending on its gamma-ray intensity. OJ 287 and 3C 279 show some hysteresis tracks in their color-magnitude diagrams. Individual flares may be achromatic or otherwise depart from the trend, suggesting different jet components becoming important at different times. We present a time-dependent spectral energy distribution of the bright FSRQ 3C 454.3 during its 2009 December flare, which is well fit by an external Compton model in the bright state, although day-to-day changes pose challenges to a simple one-zone model. All data from the SMARTS monitoring program are publicly available on our Web site.
Abstract Copyright:
∼
Journal keyword(s):
black hole physics - BL Lacertae objects: general - galaxies: active - galaxies: jets - quasars: general
Simbad objects:
15
Full paper
View the references in ADS
To bookmark this query, right click on this link: simbad:2012ApJ...756...13B and select 'bookmark this link' or equivalent in the popup menu