Blazars are among the most variable objects in the universe. They feature energetic jets of plasma that launch from the cores of these active galactic nuclei (AGN), triggering activity from radio up to gamma-ray energies. Spatial localization of the
region of their MeV/GeV emission is a key question in understanding the blazar phenomenon. The flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 1502+106 has exhibited extreme and correlated, radio and high-energy activity that triggered intense monitoring by the Fermi-GST AGN Multi-frequency Monitoring Alliance (F-GAMMA) program and the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA) down to $lambda$3 mm (or 86 GHz), enabling the sharpest view to date towards this extreme object. Here, we report on preliminary results of our study of the gamma-ray loud blazar PKS 1502+106, combining VLBI and single dish data. We deduce the critical aspect angle towards the source to be $theta_{rm c} = 2.6^{circ}$, calculate the apparent and intrinsic opening angles and constrain the distance of the 86 GHz core from the base of the conical jet, directly from mm-VLBI but also through a single dish relative timing analysis. Finally, we conclude that gamma rays from PKS 1502+106 originate from a region between ~1-16 pc away from the base of the hypothesized conical jet, well beyond the bulk of broad-line region (BLR) material of the source.
We studied the radio emission from four radio-loud and gamma-ray-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies. The goal was to investigate whether a relativistic jet is operating at the source, and quantify its characteristics. We relied on the most systemati
c monitoring of such system in the cm and mm radio bands which is conducted with the Effelsberg 100 m and IRAM 30 m telescopes and covers the longest time-baselines and the most radio frequencies to date. We extract variability parameters and compute variability brightness temperatures and Doppler factors. The jet powers were computed from the light curves to estimate the energy output. The dynamics of radio spectral energy distributions were examined to understand the mechanism causing the variability. All the sources display intensive variability that occurs at a pace faster than what is commonly seen in blazars. The flaring events show intensive spectral evolution indicative of shock evolution. The brightness temperatures and Doppler factors are moderate, implying a mildly relativistic jet. The computed jet powers show very energetic flows. The radio polarisation in one case clearly implies a quiescent jet underlying the recursive flaring activity. Despite the generally lower flux densities, the sources appear to show all typical characteristics seen in blazars that are powered by relativistic jets.
Blazars are among the most powerful extragalactic objects, as a sub-class of active galactic nuclei. They launch relativistic jets and their emitted radiation shows strong variability across the entire electro-magnetic spectrum. The mechanisms produc
ing the variability are still controversial and different models have been proposed to explain the observed variations in multi-frequency blazar light curves.We investigate the capabilities of the classical shock-in-jet model to explain and reconstruct the observed evolution of flares in the turnover frequency turnover flux density plane and their frequency-dependent light curve parameters. With a detailed parameter space study we provide the framework for future, detailed comparisons of observed flare signatures with the shock-in-jet scenario. Based on the shock model we compute synthetic single-dish light curves at different radio frequencies (2.6 to 345 GHz) and for different physical conditions in a conical jet (e.g. magnetic field geometry and Doppler factor). From those we extract the slopes of the different energy loss stages within the $ u_mathrm{m}$-$S_mathrm{m}$ plane and deduce the frequency-dependence of different light curve parameters such as flare amplitude, time scale and cross-band delays. The evolution of the Doppler factor along the jet has the largest influence on the evolution of the flare and on the frequency-dependent light curve parameters. The synchrotron stage can be hidden in the Compton or in the adiabatic stage, depending mainly on the evolution of the Doppler factor, which makes it difficult to detect its signature in observations. In addition, we show that the time lags between different frequencies can be used as an efficient tool to better constrain the physical properties of these objects.
The exact location of the gamma-ray emitting region in blazars is still controversial. In order to attack this problem we present first results of a cross-correlation analysis between radio (11 cm to 0.8 mm wavelength, F-GAMMA program) and gamma-ray
(0.1-300 GeV) ~ 3.5 year light curves of 54 Fermi-bright blazars. We perform a source stacking analysis and estimate significances and chance correlations using mixed source correlations. Our results reveal: (i) the first highly significant multi-band radio and gamma-ray correlations (radio lagging gamma rays) when averaging over the whole sample, (ii) average time delays (source frame: 76+/-23 to 7+/-9 days), systematically decreasing from cm to mm/sub-mm bands with a frequency dependence tau_r,gamma (nu) ~ nu^-1, in good agreement with jet opacity dominated by synchrotron self-absorption, (iii) a bulk gamma-ray production region typically located within/upstream of the 3 mm core region (tau_3mm,gamma=12+/-8 days), (iv) mean distances between the region of gamma-ray peak emission and the radio tau=1 photosphere decreasing from 9.8+/-3.0 pc (11 cm) to 0.9+/-1.1 pc (2 mm) and 1.4+/-0.8 pc (0.8 mm), (v) 3 mm/gamma-ray correlations in 9 individual sources at a significance level where one is expected by chance (probability: 4 times 10^-6), (vi) opacity and time lag core shift estimates for quasar 3C 454.3 providing a lower limit for the distance of the bulk gamma-ray production region from the supermassive black hole (SMBH) of ~ 0.8-1.6 pc, i.e. at the outer edge of the Broad Line Region (BLR) or beyond. A 3 mm tau=1 surface at ~ 2-3 pc from the jet-base (i.e. well outside the canonical BLR) finally suggests that BLR material extends to several pc distances from the SMBH.
Radio emission in blazars -- the aligned subset of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) -- is produced by synchrotron electrons moving relativistically in their jets magnetic field. Under the assumption of some degree of uniformity of the field, the emission
can be highly polarized -- linearly and circularly. In the radio regime, the observed variability is in most of the cases attributed to flaring events undergoing opacity evolution, i.e. transitions from optically thick to thin emission (or vice versa). These transistions have a specific signature in the polarization parameter space (angle and magnitude) which can be traced with high cadence polarization monitoring and provide us with a unique probe of the microphysics of the emitting region. Here we present the full Stokes analysis of radio emission from blazars observed in the framework of the F-GAMMA program and discuss the case study of PKS,1510$-$089 which has shown a prominent polarization event around MJD 55900.
We present a gamma-ray photon flux and spectral variability study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 273 over a rapid flaring activity period between September 2009 to April 2010. Five major flares are observed in the source during this period. The
most rapid flare observed in the source has a flux doubling time of 1.1 hr. The rapid gamma-ray flares allow us to constrain the location and size of the gamma-ray emission region in the source. The gamma gamma-opacity constrains the Doppler factor, $delta_{gamma} geq$ 10 for the highest energy (15 GeV) photon observed by the {it Fermi}-Large Area Telescope (LAT). Causality arguments constrain the size of the emission region to 1.6$times 10^{15}$ cm. The gamma-ray spectra measured over this period show clear deviations from a simple power law with a break in 1-2 GeV energy range. We discuss possible explanations for the origin of the gamma-ray spectral breaks. Our study suggests that the gamma-ray emission region in 3C 273 is located within the broad line region ($<$1.6 pc). The spectral behavior and temporal characteristics of the individual flares indicate the presence of multiple shock scenarios at the base of the jet.
The detection of gamma rays from a small number of Narrow Line Seyfert 1 galaxies by the LAT instrument onboard Fermi seriously challenged our understanding of AGN physics. Among the most important findings associated with their discovery has been th
e realisation that smaller-mass black holes seem to be hosted by these systems. Immediately after their discovery a radio multi- frequency monitoring campaign was initiated to understand their jet radio emission. Here the first results of the campaign are presented. The light curves and some first variability analyses are discussed, showing that the brightness temperatures and Doppler factors are moderate. The phenomenologies are typically blazar-like. The frequency domain on the other hand indicates intense spectral evolution and the variability patterns indicate mechanisms similar to those acting in the jets of BL Lacs and FSRQs. Finally, the linear polarisation also reveals the presence of a quiescent, optically thin jet in certain cases.
Densely time sampled multi-frequency flux measurements of the extreme BL Lac object S5 0716+714 over the past three years allow us to study its broad-band variability, and the detailed underlying physics, with emphasis on the location and size of the
emitting regions and the evolution with time. We study the characteristics of some prominent mm-/gamma-ray flares in the context of the shock-in-jet model and investigate the location of the high energy emission region. The rapid rise and decay of the radio flares is in agreement with the formation of a shock and its evolution, if a geometrical variation is included in addition to intrinsic variations of the source. We find evidence for a correlation between flux variations at gamma-ray and radio frequencies. A two month time-delay between gamma-ray and radio flares indicates a non-cospatial origin of gamma-rays and radio flux variations in S5 0716+714.
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 base
d 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.
So far, no systematic long-term blazar monitoring programs and detailed variability studies exist at sub-mm wavelengths. Here, we present a new sub-mm blazar monitoring program using the APEX 12-m telescope. A sample of about 40 gamma-ray blazars has
been monitored since 2007/2008 with the LABOCA bolometer camera at 345 GHz. First light curves, preliminary variability results and a first comparison with the longer cm/mm bands (F-GAMMA program) are presented, demonstrating the extreme variability characteristics of blazars at such short wavelengths.
