scholarly journals The Environment of OJ 287: Nearby Galaxies and a Long Optical Jet?

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 47-48
Author(s):  
A. Sillanpää ◽  
L. Takalo ◽  
K. Nilsson ◽  
T. Pursimo ◽  
P. Teerikorpi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Trigger Mechanism ◽  
Galaxy Clustering ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Close Interaction ◽  
Relativistic Jet ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Nearby Galaxies ◽  
Bl Lacs

A widely accepted model for BL Lac objects is that they are radio galaxies with a relativistic jet pointing almost directly towards us. But we need a clear trigger mechanism for these jets. One possibility is the close interaction between the BL Lac host and the closeby galaxies (e.g. Heckman et al. 1986). This interaction has been seen many times in the case of quasars (Hutchings et al. 1989) but not so much is known about the close surroundings of the BL Lac objects although there has been some pioneer work like Stickel et al. (1993). The problem has usually been that the images are not deep enough and that the seeing has not been so good. To clarify the situation we have started an observing program to get very deep images in the sub-arcsecond seeing conditions from the whole 1 Jy sample (Stickel et al. 1991) of BL Lac objects. The aims of this study are: 1. to search for very close companions to the BL Lacs, 2. to study the large scale galaxy clustering around the BL Lacs and 3. to study the BL Lac hosts themselves.

scholarly journals The estimation of γ-ray Doppler factor for Fermi/LAT-detected blazars

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyuan Pei ◽  
Junhui Fan ◽  
Jianghe Yang ◽  
Denis Bastieri
Keyword(s):  
Lower Limit ◽  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Relativistic Effects ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Relativistic Jet ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Doppler Factor ◽  
Bl Lacs ◽  
Extreme Observation

Abstract Blazars are a subclass of active galactic nuclei with extreme observation properties, which is caused by the beaming effect, expressed by a Doppler factor ( $\delta$ ), in a relativistic jet. Doppler factor is an important parameter in the blazars paradigm to indicate all of the observation properties, and many methods were proposed to estimate its value. In this paper, we present a method following Mattox et al. to calculate the lower limit on $\gamma$ -ray Doppler factor ( $\delta_{\gamma}$ ) for 809 selected Fermi/LAT-detected $\gamma$ -ray blazars by adopting the available $\gamma$ -ray and X-ray data. Our sample included 342 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and 467 BL Lac objects (BL Lacs), out of which 507 sources are compiled with available radio core-dominance parameter (R) from our previous study. Our calculation shows that the average values of the lower limit on $\delta_{\gamma}$ for FSRQs and BL Lacs are $\left\langle\delta_{\gamma}|_{\textrm{FSRQ}}\right\rangle = 6.87 \pm 4.07$ and $\left\langle\delta_{\gamma}|_{\textrm{BL\ Lac}}\right\rangle=4.31 \pm 2.97$ , respectively. We compare and discuss our results with those from the literature. We found that the derived lower limit on $\delta_{\gamma}$ for some sources is higher than that from the radio estimation, which could be possibly explained by the jet bending within those blazars. Our results also suggest that the $\gamma$ -ray and radio regions perhaps share the same relativistic effects. The $\gamma$ -ray Doppler factor has been found to be correlated with both the $\gamma$ -ray luminosity and core-dominance parameter, implying that the jet is possibly continuous in the $\gamma$ -ray bands, and R is perhaps an indicator for a beaming effect.

scholarly journals The Environments of Radio Galaxies

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 323-324
Author(s):  
J.E. Pesce ◽  
R. Falomo ◽  
G. Fasano ◽  
R. Scarpa
Keyword(s):  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Type I ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Relativistic Jet ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Galaxy Environment

In the unified schemes of AGNs BL Lac objects are believed to be Fanaroff-Riley (FR) type I radio galaxies with a relativistic jet aligned to the observer's line of sight (e.g. Urry & Padovani 1995). Kollgaard et al. (1992) and Owen et al. (1995) suggest some FR II sources can also be BL Lac parents. Clearly, isotropic properties such as the galaxy environment of both beamed and unbeamed objects should be identical.

scholarly journals Arcsecond Scale Polarization of BL Lac Objects

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 55-56
Author(s):  
C. Stanghellini ◽  
P. Cassaro ◽  
M. Bondi ◽  
D. Dallacasa ◽  
R. Della Ceca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galactic Nuclei ◽  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Radio Spectrum ◽  
Line Of Sight ◽  
Parent Population ◽  
Rapid Variability ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Relativistic Jet ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Optical Continuum

BL Lac objects are an enigmatic class of active galactic nuclei. They are characterized by high luminosity, a flat radio spectrum that steepens at higher energies, relatively high optical and radio polarization, rapid variability and an optical continuum with weak or absent emission lines (see Urry and Padovani, 1995 for a recent review).These properties have been interpreted in terms of a relativistic jet closely aligned to the line of sight (Blandford and Rees, 1978, Ghisellini et al., 1993). This model, known as the beaming model, implies that there must be a so called “parent population” of radio sources intrinsically identical to BL Lac objects, but with the jets oriented at large angles to the line of sight. Browne (1983) was the first to propose the low luminosity FR I radio galaxies as the most likely candidates for the “parent population” of the core dominated BL Lac objects. An outcome of the beaming model is that all the properties not depending on orientation should be shared by the BL Lac objects and the FR I radio galaxies.

scholarly journals A BL Lacertae object at a cosmic age of 800 Myr

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ekaterina Koptelova ◽  
Chorng-Yuan Hwang
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Radio Continuum ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Bl Lacertae ◽  
Relativistic Jet ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Age Of The Universe ◽  
Stellar Masses ◽  
Bl Lacs

Abstract BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) and flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), known as blazars, are low- and high-luminosity radio-loud Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs) with relativistic jets pointed towards Earth (1). Evolving from FSRQs (2,3), BL Lac objects host ~109 Msun supermassive black holes (SMBHs, where Msun is the mass of the Sun) and reside preferentially in giant elliptical galaxies of stellar masses 1011-1012Msun (4-7). The known BL Lacs are relatively nearby objects found below redshift 3.6 (3,8,9). Here, we report the discovery of a BL Lac object, FIRST J233153.20+112952.11 (hereafter J2331+11), at a redshift of 6.57 corresponding to an age of the Universe of ~800 Myr. As the typical BL Lac, J2331+11 is a compact radio source with the flat power-law radio continuum, no emission lines in its near-infrared spectrum, and significant variability. The optical-to-radio continuum of J2331+11 is entirely dominated by the synchrotron emission of a relativistic jet. J2331+11 provides evidence for the shorter formation timescale of massive SMBHs with jets and bulge-dominated galaxies than that expected from the Eddington-limited growth of SMBHs and hierarchical galaxy formation. The rapid formation of BL Lacs at early cosmic epochs should have taken place in the densest regions of the early Universe.

scholarly journals The Unification of Radio-Loud AGN

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 379-380
Author(s):  
C. M. Urry ◽  
Paolo Padovani
Keyword(s):  
Uv Light ◽  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
High Luminosity ◽  
Relativistic Jets ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Relativistic Beaming ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Bl Lacs

In a recent review paper we summarized the current status of unification of radio-loud AGN (Urry & Padovani 1995 PASP 107, 803), connecting high-luminosity (FR II) radio galaxies with quasars, and low-luminosity (FR I) radio galaxies with BL Lac objects. Unified schemes are motivated by the knowledge that AGN appearance depends strongly on orientation (Fig. 1): optical/UV light from the centers of many AGN is obscured by circumnuclear matter, and in radio-loud AGN, bipolar relativistic jets beam light along the jet axes. Understanding these radiation anisotropics allows us to unify apparently distinct classes of AGN that differ primarily because of orientation.Our review described the classification and general properties of AGN and summarized the evidence for anisotropic emission caused by circumnuclear obscuration and relativistic beaming. We outlined the evidence, both observed isotropic properties and statistical arguments, for connecting FR IIs with quasars and FR Is with BL Lacs. The population statistics (with beaming) are in accordance with available data and suggest γ ≃ 5 for low-luminosity AGN and γ ≃ 10 for high-luminosity AGN. The distinctions between X-ray-selected and radio-selected BL Lac objects, and between BL Lacs and flat-spectrum variable quasars, still not understood, provide clues to the underlying physics of blazars. Our review discussed several possible problems and complications, and concluded with a list of the ten questions we believe are the most pressing in this field.

scholarly journals Distortion Effects in BL Lac Radio Jets

1996 ◽  
Vol 175 ◽  
pp. 477-478 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Sol ◽  
S. Appl ◽  
L. Vicente
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Lorentz Factor ◽  
Radio Sources ◽  
Misalignment Angle ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Radio Structure ◽  
Radio Jets ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Bl Lacs

BL Lac objects often show a quite distorted radio morphology. Almost 75% of the BL Lacs for which the information is available show an apparent misalignment angle ΔPA between the VLBI jet and the large scale radio structure larger than 45 degrees. This can be explained by strong enhancement of slight bending due to projection effects, especially if BL Lacs are the most highly beamed sources. However we recently performed a statistical analysis of misalignment angle histograms for 155 extragalactic radio sources of different types and found that the intrinsic distortion is significantly more important in BL Lacs than in quasars and even CSS sources. Indeed the best fits of the δPA histograms by a simple bend model correspond to γɸ = 123° for BL Lacs, 37° for quasars and 36° for CSS sources, where ɸ and γ are the jet typical intrinsic bend and Lorentz factor within a given class of sources (Appl et al, 1995). If, as currently thought, jets in BL Lacs have smaller Lorentz factors than in quasars, high intrinsic bending and misalignment appear to be the rule in BL Lac sources.

VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF RELATIVISTIC OUTFLOWS IN LOW- AND INTERMEDIATE-FREQUENCY-PEAKED BL LAC OBJECTS

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 1460178
Author(s):  
◽  
HEIKE PROKOPH
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Intermediate Frequency ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Bl Lacertae ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Bl Lacs ◽  
Gamma Ray Telescopes ◽  
Very High

The majority of blazars detected at very high energies (VHE; E > 100 GeV) are high-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects (HBLs). Low- and intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacs (LBLs/IBLs with synchrotron-peak frequencies in the infrared and optical regime) are generally more powerful, more luminous, and have a richer jet environment than HBLs. However, only a handful of these IBL and LBLs have been detected by ground-based gamma-ray telescopes, typically during high-flux states. The VERITAS array has been monitoring five known VHE LBLs/IBLs since 2009: 3C 66A, W Comae, PKS 1424+240, S5 0716+714 and BL Lacertae, with typical exposures of 5-10 hours per year. The results of these long-term observations are presented, including a bright, subhour-scale VHE flare of BL Lacertae in June 2011, the first low-state detections of 3C 66A and W Comae, and the detection and characterization of the IBL B2 1215+30.

scholarly journals Low-luminosity BL Lac Objects and Flat-spectrum Radio Galaxies

1998 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 171-172
Author(s):  
M. Bondi ◽  
D. Dallacasa ◽  
M. J. M. Marchã ◽  
C. Stanghellini
Keyword(s):  
Radio Galaxies ◽  
Radio Luminosity ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
First Results

AbstractWe present first results from a new sample of low radio luminosity flat spectrum radio galaxies.

scholarly journals Cm-Wavelength Flux Variability: Constraints on AGN Modeling

1994 ◽  
Vol 159 ◽  
pp. 497-497
Author(s):  
M.F. Aller ◽  
H.D. Aller ◽  
P.A. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Flux Density ◽  
Linear Polarization ◽  
Total Flux ◽  
Bl Lac Objects ◽  
Bl Lacertae ◽  
Flux Variability ◽  
Bl Lac ◽  
Bl Lacs

To study whether the radio properties of BL Lacertae type objects and QSOs differ, we initiated a program in 1979 to monitor the total flux density and linear polarization at 14.5, 8.0 and 4.8 GHz of the strongest then known BL Lac objects which met the Hewitt-Burbidge criteria (Ledden, private communications) plus 3 subsequently identified high declination BL Lacs (Biermann et al. 1981). Results based on the behavior of the 45 brightest sample members are compared here with the properties of the QSOs in the flux-limited Pearson-Readhead sample (Pearson and Readhead 1988).

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