The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series (Jan 2024)
Multiband Optical Variability of the Blazar 3C 454.3 on Diverse Timescales
- Karan Dogra,
- Alok C. Gupta,
- C. M. Raiteri,
- M. Villata,
- Paul J. Wiita,
- S. O. Kurtanidze,
- S. G. Jorstad,
- R. Bachev,
- G. Damljanovic,
- C. Lorey,
- S. S. Savchenko,
- O. Vince,
- M. Abdelkareem,
- F. J. Aceituno,
- J. A. Acosta-Pulido,
- I. Agudo,
- G. Andreuzzi,
- S. A. Ata,
- G. V. Baida,
- L. Barbieri,
- D. A. Blinov,
- G. Bonnoli,
- G. A. Borman,
- M. I. Carnerero,
- D. Carosati,
- V. Casanova,
- W. P. Chen,
- Lang Cui,
- E. G. Elhosseiny,
- D. Elsaesser,
- J. Escudero,
- M. Feige,
- K. Gazeas,
- L. E. Gennadievna,
- T. S. Grishina,
- Minfeng Gu,
- V. A. Hagen-Thorn,
- F. Hemrich,
- H. Y. Hsiao,
- M. Ismail,
- R. Z. Ivanidze,
- M. D. Jovanovic,
- T. M. Kamel,
- G. N. Kimeridze,
- E. N. Kopatskaya,
- D. Kuberek,
- O. M. Kurtanidze,
- A. Kurtenkov,
- V. M. Larionov,
- L. V. Larionova,
- M. Liao,
- H. C. Lin,
- K. Mannheim,
- A. Marchini,
- C. Marinelli,
- A. P. Marscher,
- D. Morcuende,
- D. A. Morozova,
- S. V. Nazarov,
- M. G. Nikolashvili,
- D. Reinhart,
- J. O. Santos,
- A. Scherbantin,
- E. Semkov,
- E. V. Shishkina,
- L. A. Sigua,
- A. K. Singh,
- A. Sota,
- R. Steineke,
- M. Stojanovic,
- A. Strigachev,
- A. Takey,
- Amira A. Tawfeek,
- I. S. Troitskiy,
- Y. V. Troitskaya,
- An-Li Tsai,
- A. A. Vasilyev,
- K. Vrontaki,
- Zhongli Zhang,
- A. V. Zhovtan,
- N. Zottmann,
- Wenwen Zuo
Affiliations
- Karan Dogra
- ORCiD
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) , Manora Peak, Nainital 263001, India ; [email protected], [email protected]; Department of Applied Physics, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University , Bareilly 243006, India
- Alok C. Gupta
- ORCiD
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) , Manora Peak, Nainital 263001, India ; [email protected], [email protected]; Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 150 Science-1 Street, Urumqi 830011, People's Republic of China
- C. M. Raiteri
- ORCiD
- INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino , via Osservatorio 20, I-10025 Pino Torinese, Italy
- M. Villata
- ORCiD
- INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino , via Osservatorio 20, I-10025 Pino Torinese, Italy
- Paul J. Wiita
- ORCiD
- Department of Physics, The College of New Jersey , P.O. Box 7718, Ewing, NJ 08628, USA
- S. O. Kurtanidze
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia
- S. G. Jorstad
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University , 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA; Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- R. Bachev
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , 72 Tsarigradsko shosse Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
- G. Damljanovic
- ORCiD
- Astronomical Observatory , Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
- C. Lorey
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- S. S. Savchenko
- ORCiD
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia; Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences , 369167, Nizhnii Arkhyz, Russia; Pulkovo Observatory , St. Petersburg, 196140, Russia
- O. Vince
- ORCiD
- Astronomical Observatory , Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
- M. Abdelkareem
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- F. J. Aceituno
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- J. A. Acosta-Pulido
- ORCiD
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) , E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Universidad de La Laguna , Departamento de Astrofísica, E-38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- I. Agudo
- ORCiD
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- G. Andreuzzi
- ORCiD
- INAF , TNG Fundación Galileo Galilei, La Palma, E-38712, Spain
- S. A. Ata
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- G. V. Baida
- Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , P/O Nauchny 298409, Crimea †
- L. Barbieri
- Orciatico Astronomical Observatory , Orciatico (Pisa), Italy
- D. A. Blinov
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astrophysics , Foundation for Research and Technology—Hellas, Voutes, 70013 Heraklion, Greece; Department of Physics, University of Crete, 71003, Heraklion, Greece
- G. Bonnoli
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain; INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via E. Bianchi 46, 23807 Merate (LC), Italy
- G. A. Borman
- ORCiD
- Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , P/O Nauchny 298409, Russia †
- M. I. Carnerero
- ORCiD
- INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino , via Osservatorio 20, I-10025 Pino Torinese, Italy
- D. Carosati
- ORCiD
- INAF , TNG Fundación Galileo Galilei, La Palma, E-38712, Spain; EPT Observatories , Tijarafe, La Palma, E-38780, Spain
- V. Casanova
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- W. P. Chen
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy, National Central University , Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
- Lang Cui
- ORCiD
- Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 150 Science-1 Street, Urumqi 830011, People's Republic of China
- E. G. Elhosseiny
- ORCiD
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- D. Elsaesser
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany; Astroteilchenphysik , TU Dortmund, Otto-Hahn-Str. 4A, D-44227 Dortmund, Germany
- J. Escudero
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- M. Feige
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- K. Gazeas
- ORCiD
- Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , GR-15784 Zografos, Athens, Greece
- L. E. Gennadievna
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- T. S. Grishina
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- Minfeng Gu
- ORCiD
- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China
- V. A. Hagen-Thorn
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- F. Hemrich
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- H. Y. Hsiao
- Institute of Astronomy, National Central University , Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
- M. Ismail
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- R. Z. Ivanidze
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia
- M. D. Jovanovic
- ORCiD
- Astronomical Observatory , Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
- T. M. Kamel
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- G. N. Kimeridze
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia
- E. N. Kopatskaya
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- D. Kuberek
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- O. M. Kurtanidze
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia; Engelhardt Astronomical Observatory, Kazan Federal University , Tatarstan, Russia
- A. Kurtenkov
- Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , 72 Tsarigradsko shosse Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
- V. M. Larionov
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- L. V. Larionova
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- M. Liao
- ORCiD
- National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China; Chinese Academy of Sciences South America Center of Astronomy , National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China; Instituto de Estudios Astrofisicos, Facultad de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Universidad Diego Portales , Av. Ejército 441, Santiago, Chile
- H. C. Lin
- Institute of Astronomy, National Central University , Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan
- K. Mannheim
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany; Lehrstuhl für Astronomie, Universität Würzburg , D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- A. Marchini
- ORCiD
- University of Siena , Astronomical Observatory, Via Roma 56. 53100, Siena, Italy
- C. Marinelli
- ORCiD
- Dip. di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Universitá di Siena , Via Roma 56, 53100, Siena, Italy
- A. P. Marscher
- ORCiD
- Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University , 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- D. Morcuende
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- D. A. Morozova
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- S. V. Nazarov
- Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , P/O Nauchny 298409, Russia †
- M. G. Nikolashvili
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia
- D. Reinhart
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- J. O. Santos
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- A. Scherbantin
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany; Lehrstuhl für Astronomie, Universität Würzburg , D-97074 Würzburg, Germany
- E. Semkov
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , 72 Tsarigradsko shosse Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
- E. V. Shishkina
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- L. A. Sigua
- ORCiD
- Abastumani Observatory , Mt. Kanobili, 0301 Abastumani, Georgia
- A. K. Singh
- Department of Applied Physics, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University , Bareilly 243006, India
- A. Sota
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía , IAA-CSIC, Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada, Spain
- R. Steineke
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- M. Stojanovic
- ORCiD
- Astronomical Observatory , Volgina 7, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia
- A. Strigachev
- Institute of Astronomy and National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences , 72 Tsarigradsko shosse Blvd., 1784 Sofia, Bulgaria
- A. Takey
- ORCiD
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- Amira A. Tawfeek
- ORCiD
- National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) , 11421 Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
- I. S. Troitskiy
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- Y. V. Troitskaya
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- An-Li Tsai
- ORCiD
- Institute of Astronomy, National Central University , Taoyuan 32001, Taiwan; Department of Physics, National Sun Yat-sen University , Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
- A. A. Vasilyev
- Astronomical Institute, Saint Petersburg State University , 7/9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
- K. Vrontaki
- ORCiD
- Section of Astrophysics, Astronomy and Mechanics, Department of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens , GR-15784 Zografos, Athens, Greece
- Zhongli Zhang
- ORCiD
- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China; Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy and Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences, A20 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
- A. V. Zhovtan
- Crimean Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences , P/O Nauchny 298409, Crimea †
- N. Zottmann
- Hans-Haffner-Sternwarte, Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG , Friedrich-Koenig-Gymnasium, D-97082 Würzburg, Germany
- Wenwen Zuo
- ORCiD
- Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, People's Republic of China
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/ad8e3d
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 276,
no. 1
p. 1
Abstract
Due to its peculiar and highly variable nature, the blazar 3C 454.3 has been extensively monitored by the WEBT team. Here, we present for the first time these long-term optical flux and color variability results using data acquired in B , V , R , and I bands over a time span of about two decades. We include data from WEBT collaborators and public archives such as SMARTS, Steward Observatory, and Zwicky Transient Facility. The data are binned and segmented to study the source over this long term when more regular sampling was available. During our study, the long-term spectral variability reveals a redder-when-brighter trend, which, however, stabilizes at a particular brightness cutoff of ∼14.5 mag in the I band, after which it saturates and evolves into a complex state. This trend indicates increasing dominance of jet emission over accretion disk (AD) emission until jet emission completely dominates. Plots of the variation in spectral index (following F _ν ∝ ν ^− ^α ) reveal a bimodal distribution using a one-day binning. These correlate with two extreme phases of 3C 454.3, an outburst or high-flux state and a quiescent or low-flux state, which are respectively jet- and AD-dominated. We have also conducted intraday variability studies of nine light curves and found that six of them are variable. Discrete correlation function analysis between different pairs of optical wave bands peaks at zero lags, indicating cospatial emission in different optical bands.
Keywords
- Active galactic nuclei
- Blazars
- Flat-spectrum radio quasars
- Markov chain Monte Carlo
- Relativistic jets
- Supermassive black holes
