No Arabic abstract
Using millimeter-very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714 from August 2008 to September 2013, we investigate variations in the core flux density and orientation of the sub-parsec scale jet i.e. position angle. The gamma-ray data obtained by the Fermi-LAT (Large Area Telescope) are used to investigate the high-energy flux variations over the same time period. For the first time in any blazar, we report a significant correlation between the gamma-ray flux variations and the position angle (PA) variations in the VLBI jet. The cross-correlation analysis also indicates a positive correlation such that the mm-VLBI core flux density variations are delayed with respect to the gamma-ray flux by 82$pm$32 days. This suggests that the high-energy emission is coming from a region located $geq$(3.8$pm$1.9) parsecs upstream of the mm-VLBI core (closer to the central black hole). These results imply that the observed inner jet morphology has a strong connection with the observed gamma-ray flares.
We present the results of a series of radio, optical, X-ray and gamma-ray observations of the BL Lac object S50716+714 carried out between April 2007 and January 2011. The multi-frequency observations were obtained using several ground and space based facilities. The intense optical monitoring of the source reveals faster repetitive variations superimposed on a long-term variability trend at a time scale of ~350 days. Episodes of fast variability recur on time scales of ~ 60-70 days. The intense and simultaneous activity at optical and gamma-ray frequencies favors the SSC mechanism for the production of the high-energy emission. Two major low-peaking radio flares were observed during this high optical/gamma-ray activity period. The radio flares are characterized by a rising and a decaying stage and are in agreement with the formation of a shock and its evolution. We found that the evolution of the radio flares requires a geometrical variation in addition to intrinsic variations of the source. Different estimates yield a robust and self-consistent lower limits of delta > 20 and equipartition magnetic field B_eq > 0.36 G. Causality arguments constrain the size of emission region theta < 0.004 mas. We found a significant correlation between flux variations at radio frequencies with those at optical and gamma-rays. The optical/GeV flux variations lead the radio variability by ~65 days. The longer time delays between low-peaking radio outbursts and optical flares imply that optical flares are the precursors of radio ones. An orphan X-ray flare challenges the simple, one-zone emission models, rendering them too simple. Here we also describe the spectral energy distribution modeling of the source from simultaneous data taken through different activity periods.
The analysis of $gamma$-ray flux variability along with the parsec-scale jet kinematics suggests that the high-energy radiation in the BL Lac object S5 0716+714 has a significant correlation with the mm-VLBI core flux density and with the local orientation of the inner jet flow. For the first time in any blazar, we report a significant correlation between the $gamma$-ray flux variations and the variations in the local orientation of the jet outflow (position angle). We find that the $gamma$-ray flux variations lead the 7~mm VLBI core flux variations by 82$pm$32~days, which suggests that the high-energy emission in S5 0716+714 is coming from a region located 3.8$pm$1.9~parsecs closer to the central black hole than the core seen on the mm-VLBI images. The results imply a strong physical and casual connection between $gamma$-ray emission and the inner jet morphology in the source.
The GeV observations by Fermi-LAT give us the opportunity to characterize the high-energy emission (100 MeV - 300 GeV) variability properties of the BL Lac object S5 0716+714. In this study, we performed flux and spectral analysis of more than 3 year long (August 2008 to April 2012) Fermi-LAT data of the source. During this period, the source exhibits two different modes of flux variability with characteristic timescales of ~75 and ~140 days, respectively. We also notice that the flux variations are characterized by a weak spectral hardening. The GeV spectrum of the source shows a clear deviation from a simple power law, and is better explained by a broken power law. Similar to other bright Fermi blazars, the break energy does not vary with the source flux during the different activity states. We discuss several possible scenarios to explain the observed spectral break.
We report results from a 1 week multi-wavelength campaign to monitor the BL Lac object S5 0716+714 (on December 9-16, 2009). In the radio bands the source shows rapid (~ (0.5-1.5) day) intra-day variability with peak amplitudes of up to ~ 10 %. The variability at 2.8 cm leads by about 1 day the variability at 6 cm and 11 cm. This time lag and more rapid variations suggests an intrinsic contribution to the sources intraday variability at 2.8 cm, while at 6 cm and 11 cm interstellar scintillation (ISS) seems to predominate. Large and quasi-sinusoidal variations of ~ 0.8 mag were detected in the V, R and I-bands. The X-ray data (0.2-10 keV) do not reveal significant variability on a 4 day time scale, favoring reprocessed inverse-Compton over synchrotron radiation in this band. The characteristic variability time scales in radio and optical bands are similar. A quasi-periodic variation (QPO) of 0.9 - 1.1 days in the optical data may be present, but if so it is marginal and limited to 2.2 cycles. Cross-correlations between radio and optical are discussed. The lack of a strong radio-optical correlation indicates different physical causes of variability (ISS at long radio wavelengths, source intrinsic origin in the optical), and is consistent with a high jet opacity and a compact synchrotron component peaking at ~= 100 GHz in an ongoing very prominent flux density outburst. For the campaign period, we construct a quasi-simultaneous spectral energy distribution (SED), including gamma-ray data from the FERMI satellite. We obtain lower limits for the relativistic Doppler-boosting of delta >= 12-26, which for a BL,Lac type object, is remarkably high.
We present the photometric observations of blazars S5 0716+714 and 3C 273 with high temporal resolution (30--60s) in the $I$ or $R$ bands. The observations were performed with a 1.02 m optical telescope from 2007 March 07 to 2012 May 16. The $F$-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, and $z$-transformed discrete correlation function (ZDCF) cross-correlation zero lag test are used to search for intra-day variability (IDV). Four and five reliable IDVs survive three tests for S5 0716+714 and 3C 273, respectively. IDVs are found for S5 0716+714 and 3C 273. A flare on 2008 May 08 has $Delta I approx$ 0.06$pm$0.01 mag in a duration of 0.54 hr for S5 0716+714. A flare on 2011 May 10 shows $Delta R approx$ 0.05$pm$0.01 mag in a duration of 0.40 hr for 3C 273. Sharp dips appear on 2011 May 9 for 3C 273, and show $Delta R approx$ 0.05$pm$0.01 mag. Under the assumptions that the IDV is tightly connected to black hole mass, $M_{bullet}$, and that the flare durations are representative of the minimum characteristic timescales, we can estimate upper bounds to $M_{bullet}$. In the case of the Kerr black holes, $M_{bullet} la 10^{8.91} M_{odot}$ and $M_{bullet} la 10^{9.02} M_{odot}$ are given for S5 0716+714 and 3C 273, respectively. These mass measurements are consistent with those measurements reported in the literatures. Also, we discuss the origins of optical variations found in this work.