Search

The monitoring results of the blazar B1308+326 in the optical and radio bands in 2011–2018 are presented and analyzed. An optical flare of the object associated with the passage of revealed superluminal components through the radio core, coinciding in time with a γ-ray outburst, as well as outbursts at 43 GHz, were detected. The photometric variability is explained by a variable component with a constant at average power-law relative energy distribution in the spectrum (Fν ~ ν–1.6). This fact, as well as the high observed degree of polarization (up to 40%), indicates its synchrotron nature. Separate sources of polarized radiation with a high degree of polarization and a direction either parallel or perpendicular to the direction of the jet are distinguished, which gives information about the magnetic field’s direction in the jet during outbursts and allows us to make a conclusion for their appearance: the passage of a shock wave over the jet or the appearance of radiating electronic ensembles.

The results of multicolor photometric and polarization observations of the blazar 4C 38.41 (Q 1633+382) performed at St. Petersburg State University, the Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Boston University, and Steward Observatory in 2006–2017 are analyzed. Separate variable sources responsible for the observed activity are distinguished, whose power-lawspectra and high degree of polarization confirm their synchrotron nature. The observed color variability of the object (redder when brighter) can be explained by an increase in the contribution to the total emission of a red component with variable flux and a constant relative spectral energy distribution. A close correlation between the optical and gamma-ray light curves is identified, suggesting the same location of the variable sources responsible for the radiation in these bands.

The optical polarization plane of some blazars occasionally exhibits smooth hundred degree long rotations. Multiple theoretical models have been proposed to explain the nature of such events. A deterministic origin of these rotations, however, remains uncertain. We aim to find repeating patterns of flares in gamma-ray light curves of blazars, which accompany optical polarization plane rotations. Such patterns have been predicted to occur by one of the models explaining this phenomenon. For the blazar 3C 279, where multiple polarization plane rotations have been reported in the literature, we obtain the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray light curve and analyze its intervals adjacent to polarization plane rotations. We find a complex characteristic pattern of flares in the gamma-ray light curve that is repeated during periods adjacent to three large amplitude EVPA rotation events in 3C 279. We discover a "hidden EVPA rotation", which can only be seen in the relative Stokes parameters plane and that occurred simultaneously with the fourth repetition of the pattern. This finding strongly favors the hypothesis of emission features propagating in the jet as the reason of optical polarization plane rotations. Furthermore, it is compatible with the hypothesis of a sheath in the jet comprised of more slowly propagating emission features., Accepted to MNRAS; Press release http://users.physics.uoc.gr/~blinov/3c279.html

We present the results the photometric observations of the Type IIP supernova SN 2012aw obtained for the time interval from 7 till 371 days after the explosion. Using the previously published values of the photospheric velocities we've computed the hydrodynamic model which simultaneously reproduced the photometry observations and velocity measurements. The model was calculated with the multi-energy group radiation hydrodynamics code STELLA. We found the parameters of the pre-supernova: radius $R = 500 R_\odot$, nickel mass $M(^{56}$Ni$)$ $\sim 0.06 M_\odot$, pre-supernova mass $25 M_\odot$, mass of ejected envelope $23.6 M_\odot$, explosion energy $E \sim 2 \times 10^{51}$ erg. The model progenitor mass $M=25 M_\odot$ significantly exceeds the upper limit mass $M=17 M_\odot$, obtained from analysis the pre-SNe observations. This result confirms once more that the 'Red Supergiant Problem' must be resolved by stellar evolution and supernova explosion theories in interaction with observations., 7 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS

We study the multi-wavelength variability of the blazar Mrk 421 at minutes to days timescales using simultaneous data at $\gamma$-rays from Fermi, 0.7-20 keV energies from AstroSat, and optical and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths from ground-based observatories. We compute the shortest variability timescales at all of the above wavebands and find its value to be ~1.1 ks at the hard X-ray energies and increasingly longer at soft X-rays, optical and NIR wavelengths as well as at the GeV energies. We estimate the value of the magnetic field to be 0.5 Gauss and the maximum Lorentz factor of the emitting electrons ~1.6 x $10^5$ assuming that synchrotron radiation cooling drives the shortest variability timescale. Blazars vary at a large range of timescales often from minutes to years. These results, as obtained here from the very short end of the range of variability timescales of blazars, are a confirmation of the leptonic scenario and in particular the synchrotron origin of the X-ray emission from Mrk 421 by relativistic electrons of Lorentz factor as high as $10^5$. This particular mode of confirmation has been possible using minutes to days timescale variability data obtained from AstroSat and simultaneous multi-wavelength observations., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy

We report on quasi-periodic variability found in two blazars included in the Steward Observatory Blazar Monitoring data sample: the BL Lac object 3C 66A and the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar B2 1633+38. We collect optical photometric and polarimetric data in V and R bands of these sources from different observatories: St. Petersburg University, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, WEBT-GASP, Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey, Steward Observatory, STELLA Robotic Observatory and Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope. In addition, an analysis of the $\gamma$-ray light curves from $\textit{Fermi}$-LAT is included. Three methods are used to search for any periodic behaviour in the data: the Z-transform Discrete Correlation Function, the Lomb-Scargle periodogram and the Weighted Wavelet Z-transform. We find evidences of possible quasi-periodic variability in the optical photometric data of both sources with periods of $\sim$3 years for 3C 66A and $\sim$1.9 years for B2 1633+38, with significances between 3$\sigma$ and 5$\sigma$. Only B2 1633+38 shows evidence of this behaviour in the optical polarized data set at a confidence level of 2$\sigma$-4$\sigma$. This is the first reported evidence of quasi-periodic behaviour in the optical light curve of B2 1633+38. Also a hint of quasi-periodic behaviour is found in the $\gamma$-ray light curve of B2 1633+38 with a confidence level $\geqslant$2$\sigma$, while no periodicity is observed for 3C 66A in this energy range. We propose different jet emission models that could explain the quasi-periodic variability and the differences found between these two sources., Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS

The quasar 3C 454.3 is a blazar known for its rapid and violent outbursts seen across the electromagnetic spectrum. Using gamma-ray, X-ray, multi-band optical, and very long baseline interferometric data we investigate the nature of two such events that occurred in 2013 and 2014 accompanied by strong variations in optical polarization, including a 230 degree electric vector position angle (EVPA) rotation. Our results suggest that a single disturbance was responsible for both flaring events. We interpret the disturbance as a shock propagating down the jet. Under this interpretation the 2013-flare originated most likely due to changes in the viewing angle caused by perhaps a bent or helical trajectory of the shock upstream of the radio core. The 2014-flare and optical polarization behavior are the result of the shock exiting the 43 GHz radio core, suggesting that shock crossings are one of the possible mechanisms for EVPA rotations., Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, 2 Tables, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal

Astronomy and astrophysics 647, A163 (2021). doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039687, Context. QSO B1420+326 is a blazar classified as a flat-spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ). At the beginning of the year 2020, it was found to be in an enhanced flux state and an extensive multiwavelength campaign allowed us to trace the evolution of the flare.Aims. We search for very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from QSO B1420+326 during this flaring state. We aim to characterize and model the broadband emission of the source over different phases of the flare.Methods. The source was observed with a number of instruments in radio, near-infrared, optical (including polarimetry and spectroscopy), ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands. We use dedicated optical spectroscopy results to estimate the accretion disk and the dust torus luminosity. We performed spectral energy distribution modeling in the framework of combined synchrotron-self-Compton and external Compton scenario in which the electron energy distribution is partially determined from acceleration and cooling processes.Results. During the enhanced state, the flux of both SED components of QSO B1420+326 drastically increased and the peaks were shifted to higher energies. Follow-up observations with the MAGIC telescopes led to the detection of VHE gamma-ray emission from this source, making it one of only a handful of FSRQs known in this energy range. Modeling allows us to constrain the evolution of the magnetic field and electron energy distribution in the emission region. The gamma-ray flare was accompanied by a rotation of the optical polarization vector during a low -polarization state. Also, a new superluminal radio knot contemporaneously appeared in the radio image of the jet. The optical spectroscopy shows a prominent FeII bump with flux evolving together with the continuum emission and a MgII line with varying equivalent width.Key words: gamma rays: galaxies / galaxies: jets / radiation mechanisms: non-thermal / quasars: individual: QSO B1420+326��� Corresponding authors; contact.magic@mpp.mpg.de��� Deceased., Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

In an effort to locate the sites of emission at different frequencies and physical processes causing variability in blazar jets, we have obtained high time-resolution observations of BL Lacertae over a wide wavelength range: with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) at 6000–10000 Å with 2 minute cadence; with the Neil Gehrels Swift satellite at optical, UV, and X-ray bands; with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array at hard X-ray bands; with the Fermi Large Area Telescope at γ-ray energies; and with the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope for measurement of the optical flux density and polarization. All light curves are correlated, with similar structure on timescales from hours to days. The shortest timescale of variability at optical frequencies observed with TESS is ∼0.5 hr. The most common timescale is 13 ± 1 hr, comparable with the minimum timescale of X-ray variability, 14.5 hr. The multiwavelength variability properties cannot be explained by a change solely in the Doppler factor of the emitting plasma. The polarization behavior implies that there are both ordered and turbulent components to the magnetic field in the jet. Correlation analysis indicates that the X-ray variations lag behind the γ-ray and optical light curves by up to ∼0.4 day. The timescales of variability, cross-frequency lags, and polarization properties can be explained by turbulent plasma that is energized by a shock in the jet and subsequently loses energy to synchrotron and inverse Compton radiation in a magnetic field of strength ∼3 G.

We present the results of our UBVRI photometry for the type II-P supernova SN 2017eaw in NGC6946 obtained fromMay 14 to December 7, 2017, at several telescopes, including the 2.5-m telescope at the CaucasusHigh-Altitude Observatory of the SAIMSU. The dates andmagnitudes atmaximumlight and the light-curve parameters have been determined. The color evolution, extinction, and peak luminosity of SN 2017eaw are discussed. The results of our preliminary radiation–gasdynamic simulations of its light curves with the STELLA code describe satisfactorily the UBVRI observational data.

The results of photometric (BV RIJHK) and polarimetric (R)monitoring of the blazar 3C 66A performed at the St. Petersburg State University and the Central AstronomicalObservatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2007–2015, radio observations performed by the Boston University team with the Very Long Baseline Array at 43 GHz, and a gamma-ray light curve based on observations with the Fermi SpaceObservatory are presented. Color variations of the object are studied. Changes in the optical spectral energy distribution are observed at some times, indicating the appearance and disappearance of individual variable sources. A variable source with a degree of polarization of 36% is identified, which is responsible for the polarization variations observed during one episode. The correlations between the variations in the different spectral ranges indicate that the optical and gamma-ray radiation originates near the radio core detected at 43 GHz. The presence of five superluminal components emerging from the core is detected.

We report on long-term multiwavelength monitoring of blazar Mrk 421 by the GLAST-AGILE Support Program of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (GASP-WEBT) collaboration and Steward Observatory, and by the Swift and Fermi satellites. We study the source behaviour in the period 2007-2015, characterized by several extreme flares. The ratio between the optical, X-ray and γ-ray fluxes is very variable. The γ-ray flux variations show a fair correlation with the optical ones starting from 2012. We analyse spectropolarimetric data and find wavelength-dependence of the polarization degree (P), which is compatible with the presence of the host galaxy, and no wavelength dependence of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA). Optical polarimetry shows a lack of simple correlation between P and flux and wide rotations of the EVPA. We build broad-band spectral energy distributions with simultaneous near-infrared and optical data from the GASP-WEBT and ultraviolet and X-ray data from the Swift satellite. They show strong variability in both flux and X-ray spectral shape and suggest a shift of the synchrotron peak up to a factor of ~50 in frequency. The interpretation of the flux and spectral variability is compatible with jet models including at least two emitting regions that can change their orientation with respect to the line of sight.© 2017 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society., The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by Shota Rustaveli NSF under contract FR/577/6-320/13. The research at BU was supported in part by US National Science Foundation grant AST-1615796 and NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grant NNX14AQ58G. This study makes use of 43 GHz VLBA data from the VLBA-BU Blazar Monitoring Program (VLBA-BUBLAZAR; http://www.bu.edu/blazars/VLBAproject.html), funded by NASA through the Fermi Guest Investigator Program. The PRISM camera at the Lowell Observatory was developed by K. Janes et al. at the BU and Lowell Observatory, with funding from the NSF, BU and Lowell Observatory. This research has made use of data from the MOJAVE data base, which is maintained by the MOJAVE team (Lister et al. 2009). The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949 and St. Petersburg University research grant 6.38.335.2015. This paper is partly based on observations carried out at the German Spanish Calar Alto Observatory, which is jointly operated by the MPIA and the IAA-CSIC. IA research is supported by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO). Acquisition of the MAPCAT data was supported in part by MINECO through grants AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P and AYA2016-80889-P, and by the Regional Government of Andalucia through grant P09-FQM-4784. This research was partially supported by the Scientific Research Fund of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences under grants DO 02-137 (BIn-13/09) and DN 08/1. The Skinakas Observatory is a collaborative project of the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extrater-restrische Physik. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge the observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgaria Academy of Sciences, via the bilateral joint research project 'Observations of ICRF radio-sources visible in optical domain' (the head is Dr G. Damljanovic). This work is a part of the Projects No 176011 ('Dynamics and kinematics of celestial bodies and systems'), No 176004 ('Stellar physics') and No 176021 ('Visible and invisible matter in nearby galaxies: theory and observations') supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. The Serbian station is the Astronomical Station Vidojevica (ASV) with the 60-cm ASV telescope (and from this year, the 1.4-m ASV one). This research was supported partly by funds of the project RD-08-81 of the Shumen University.

We present the results of flux density, spectral index, and polarization intra-night monitoring studies of a sample of eight optically bright blazars, carried out by employing several small to moderate aperture (0.4\,m to 1.5\,m diameter) telescopes fitted with CCDs and polarimeters located in Europe, India, and Japan. The duty cycle of flux variability for the targets is found to be $\sim 45$ percent, similar to that reported in earlier studies. The computed two-point spectral indices are found to be between 0.65 to 1.87 for our sample, comprised of low- and intermediate frequency peaked blazars, with one exception; they are also found to be statistically variable for about half the instances where `confirmed' variability is detected in flux density. In the analysis of the spectral evolution of the targets on hourly timescale, a counter-clockwise loop (soft-lagging) is noted in the flux-spectral index plane on two occasions, and in one case a clear spectral flattening with the decreasing flux is observed. In our data set, we also observe a variety of flux-polarization degree variability patterns, including instances with a relatively straightforward anti-correlation, correlation, or counter-clockwise looping. These changes are typically reflected in the flux-polarization angle plane: the anti-correlation between the flux and polarization degree is accompanied by an anti-correlation between the polarization angle and flux, while the counter-clockwise flux-PD looping behaviour is accompanied by a clockwise looping in the flux-polarization angle representation. We discuss our findings in the framework of the internal shock scenario for blazar sources., MNRAS accepted

The object 4C 71.07 is a high-redshift blazar whose spectral energy distribution shows a prominent big blue bump and a strong Compton dominance. We present the results of a 2- yr multiwavelength campaign led by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) to study both the quasar core and the beamed jet of this source. The WEBT data are complemented by ultraviolet and X-ray data from Swift, and by γ-ray data by Fermi. The big blue bump is modelled by using optical and near-infrared mean spectra obtained during the campaign, together with optical and ultraviolet quasar templates. We give prescriptions to correct the source photometry in the various bands for the thermal contribution, in order to derive the non-thermal jet flux. The role of the intergalactic medium absorption is analysed in both the ultraviolet and X-ray bands.We provide opacity values to deabsorb ultraviolet data, and derive a best-guess value for the hydrogen column density of Nbest H = 6.3 × 10 cmthrough the analysis of X-ray spectra.We estimate the disc and jet bolometric luminosities, accretion rate, and black hole mass. Light curves do not show persistent correlations among flux changes at different frequencies. We study the polarimetric behaviour and find no correlation between polarization degree and flux, even when correcting for the dilution effect of the big blue bump. Similarly, wide rotations of the electric vector polarization angle do not seem to be connected with the source activity.© 2019 The Author(s)., We acknowledge financial contribution from the agreement ASI-INAF n.2017-14-H.0 and from the contract PRIN-SKA-CTA-INAF 2016. PR and SV acknowledge contract ASI-INAF I/004/11/0. We acknowledge support by Bulgarian National Science Programme 'Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students 2019', Bulgarian National Science Fund under grant DN18-10/2017 and National RI Roadmap Projects DO1-157/28.08.2018 and DO1-153/28.08.2018 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge the observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences via bilateral joint research project 'Study of ICRF radio-sources and fast variable astronomical objects' (head -G.Damljanovic). This work is a part of the Projects No. 176011 ('Dynamics and Kinematics of Celestial Bodies and Systems'), No. 176004 ('Stellar Physics'), and No. 176021 ('Visible and Invisible Matter in Nearby Galaxies: Theory and Observations') supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. This research was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of theMinistry of Education and Science under grants DN 08-1/2016, DN 18-13/2017, and KP-06-H28/3 (2018). The Skinakas Observatory is a collaborative project of the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology -Hellas, and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik. The St Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant no. 17-12-01029. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract FR/217950/16. This work was partly supported by the National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria under grant DN 08-20/2016, and by funds of the project RD-08-37/2019 of the University of Shumen. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of the Aosta Valley (OAVdA) is managed by the Fondazione Clement Fillietroz-ONLUS, which is supported by the Regional Government of the Aosta Valley, the Town Municipality of Nus and the Unite des Communes valdotaines Mont-Emilius'. The research at the OAVdA was partially funded by two 'Research and Education' grants from Fondazione CRT

We present a multiwavelength study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013-2017. We use radio-to-optical data obtained by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope, 15 GHz data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, 91 and 103 GHz data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, near-infrared data from the Rapid Eye Monitor telescope, as well as data from the Swift (optical-UV and X-rays) and Fermi (γ -rays) satellites to study flux and spectral variability and the correlation between flux changes at different wavelengths. Unprecedented γ -ray flaring activity was observed during 2016 November-2017 February, with four major outbursts. A peak flux of (2158 ± 63) × 10−8 ph cm−2 s−1, corresponding to a luminosity of (2.2 ± 0.1) × 1050 erg s−1, was reached on 2016 December 28. These four γ -ray outbursts have corresponding events in the near-infrared, optical, and UV bands, with the peaks observed at the same time. A general agreement between X-ray and γ -ray activity is found. The γ -ray flux variations show a general, strong correlation with the optical ones with no time lag between the two bands and a comparable variability amplitude. This γ -ray/optical relationship is in agreement with the geometrical model that has successfully explained the low-energy flux and spectral behaviour, suggesting that the long-term flux variations are mainly due to changes in the Doppler factor produced by variations of the viewing angle of the emitting regions. The difference in behaviour between radio and higher energy emission would be ascribed to different viewing angles of the jet regions producing their emission. © 2019 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society, The data collected by the WEBT collaboration are stored in the WEBT archive at the Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino INAF (http://www.oato.inaf.it/blazars/webt/); for questions regarding their availability, contact the WEBT President Massimo Villata(massimo.villata@inaf.it).We acknowledge financial contribution from the agreementASI-INAFn. 2017-14-H.0 and from the contract PRIN-SKA-CTA-INAF 2016. This research was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science under grants DN 08-1/2016, DN 18-13/2017, and KP-06-H28/3 (2018). The Skinakas Observatory is a collaborative project of the University of Crete, the Foundation for Research and Technology -Hellas, and the Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract FR/217554/16. The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. GD and OV gratefully acknowledge the observing grant support from the Institute of Astronomy and Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, via bilateral joint research project 'Study of ICRF radio-sources and fast variable astronomical objects' (head -G.Damljanovic). This work is a part of the Projects No. 176011 ('Dynamics and Kinematics of Celestial Bodies and Systems'), No. 176004 ('Stellar Physics'), and No. 176021 ('Visible and Invisible Matter in Nearby Galaxies: Theory and Observations') supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. JE is indebted to DGAPA (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de M ' exico) for financial support, PAPIIT project IN114917. The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. Data from the Steward Observatory blazar monitoring project were used. This program is supported by NASA/Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX12AO93G and NNX15AU81G. We acknowledge support by Bulgarian National Science Programme 'Young Scientists and Postdoctoral Students 2019', Bulgarian National Science Fund under grant DN18-10/2017 and National RI Roadmap Projects DO1-157/28.08.2018 and DO1-153/28.08.2018 of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria. This publication makes use of data obtained at Mets ahovi Radio Observatory, operated by Aalto University in Finland. The Astronomical Observatory of the Autonomous Region of theAostaValley (OAVdA) is managed by the Fondazione Clment Fillietroz-ONLUS, which is supported by the Regional Government of the Aosta Valley, the TownMunicipality of Nus and the 'Unit des Communes valdtaines Mont-milius'. The research at the OAVdA was partially funded by two 'Research and Education' grants from Fondazione CRT. RR acknowledges support from CONICYT project Basal AFB-170002. MM and TM acknowledge support through the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University. The Fermi LAT Collaboration acknowledges generous ongoing support from a number of agencies and institutes that have supported both the development and the operation of the LAT as well as scientific data analysis. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy in the United States, the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Particules in France, the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Japan, and the K. A. Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish National Space Board in Sweden. Additional support for science analysis during the operations phase is gratefully acknowledged from the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in France. This work performed in part under DOE Contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. The OVRO 40-m monitoring program is supported in part by NASA grants NNX08AW31G, NNX11A043G, and NNX14AQ89G, and NSF grants AST-0808050 and AST-1109911. We thank the Swift team for making these observations possible, the duty scientists, and science planners. This research has made use of the NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database (NED) which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. FD thanks S. Covino for his help with the REM data reduction. This research has made use of data obtained from the high-energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center (HEASARC) provided by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

The quasar 3C454.3 underwent a uniquely-structured multi-frequency outburst in June 2016. The blazar was observed in the optical $R$ band by several ground-based telescopes in photometric and polarimetric modes, at $\gamma$-ray frequencies by the \emph{Fermi}\ Large Area Telescope, and at 43 GHz with the Very Long Baseline Array. The maximum flux density was observed on 2016 June 24 at both optical and $\gamma$-ray frequencies, reaching $S^\mathrm{max}_\mathrm{opt}=18.91\pm0.08$ mJy and $S_\gamma^\mathrm{max} =22.20\pm0.18\times10^{-6}$ ph cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, respectively. The June 2016 outburst possessed a precipitous decay at both $\gamma$-ray and optical frequencies, with the source decreasing in flux density by a factor of 4 over a 24-hour period in $R$ band. Intraday variability was observed throughout the outburst, with flux density changes between 1 and 5 mJy over the course of a night. The precipitous decay featured statistically significant quasi-periodic micro-variability oscillations with an amplitude of $\sim 2$-$3\%$ about the mean trend and a characteristic period of 36 minutes. The optical degree of polarization jumped from $\sim3\%$ to nearly 20\% during the outburst, while the position angle varied by $\sim120\degr$. A knot was ejected from the 43 GHz core on 2016 Feb 25, moving at an apparent speed $v_\mathrm{app}=20.3c\pm0.8c$. From the observed minimum timescale of variability $\tau_\mathrm{opt}^\mathrm{min}\approx2$ hr and derived Doppler factor $\delta=22.6$, we find a size of the emission region $r\lesssim2.6\times10^{15}$ cm. If the quasi-periodic micro-variability oscillations are caused by periodic variations of the Doppler factor of emission from a turbulent vortex, we derive a rotational speed of the vortex $\sim0.2c$., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables, accepted to the Astrophysical Journal 2019 March 9

We report on a multiband variability and correlation study of the TeV blazar Mrk 421 during an exceptional flaring activity observed from 2013 April 11 to 19. The study uses, among others, data from GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), Swift, Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR), Fermi Large Area Telescope, Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS), and Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC). The large blazar activity and the 43 hr of simultaneous NuSTAR and MAGIC/VERITAS observations permitted variability studies on 15 minute time bins over three X-ray bands (3-7 keV, 7-30 keV, and 30-80 keV) and three very-high-energy (VHE; >0.1 TeV) gamma-ray bands (0.2-0.4 TeV, 0.4-0.8 TeV, and >0.8 TeV). We detected substantial flux variations on multi-hour and sub-hour timescales in all of the X-ray and VHE gamma-ray bands. The characteristics of the sub-hour flux variations are essentially energy independent, while the multi-hour flux variations can have a strong dependence on the energy of the X-rays and the VHE gamma-rays. The three VHE bands and the three X-ray bands are positively correlated with no time lag, but the strength and characteristics of the correlation change substantially over time and across energy bands. Our findings favor multi-zone scenarios for explaining the achromatic/chromatic variability of the fast/slow components of the light curves, as well as the changes in the flux-flux correlation on day-long timescales. We interpret these results within a magnetic reconnection scenario, where the multi-hour flux variations are dominated by the combined emission from various plasmoids of different sizes and velocities, while the sub-hour flux variations are dominated by the emission from a single small plasmoid moving across the magnetic reconnection layer. © 2020. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved., The financial support of the German BMBF and MPG, the Italian INFN and INAF, the Swiss National Fund SNF, the ERDF under the Spanish MINECO (FPA2017-87859-P, FPA2017-85668-P, FPA2017-82729-C6-2-R, FPA2017-827 29-C6-6-R, FPA2017-82729-C6-5-R, AYA2015-71042-P, AYA2016-76012-C3-1-P, ESP2017-87055-C2-2-P, and FPA 201790566REDC), the Indian Department of Atomic Energy, the Japanese JSPS and MEXT, the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, National RI Roadmap Project DO-1153/28.08.2018 and the Academy of Finland grant No. 320045 is gratefully acknowledged. This work was also supported by the Spanish Centro de Excelencia "Severo Ochoa" SEV-20160588 and SEV-2015-0548, and Unidad de Excelencia "Maria de Maeztu" MDM-2014-0369, by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ) Project IP-2016-06-9782 and the University of Rijeka Project 13.12.1.3.02, by the DFG Collaborative Research Centers SFB823/C4 and SFB876/C3, the Polish National Research Centre grant UMO-2016/22/M/ST9/00382, and by the Brazilian MCTIC, CNPq and FAPERJ. The Fermi-LAT.Collaboration acknowledges generous ongoing support from a number of agencies and institutes that have supported both the development and the operation of the LAT as well as scientific data analysis. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy in the United States, the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Particules in France, the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Japan, and the K..A..Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council, and the Swedish National Space Board in Sweden. Additional support for science analysis during the operations phase is gratefully acknowledged from the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in France. This work made use of data from the NuSTAR mission, a project led by the California Institute of Technology, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We thank the NuSTAR Operations, Software, and Calibration teams for support with the execution and analysis of these observations. This research has made use of the NuSTAR Data Analysis Software (NuSTARDAS) jointly developed by the ASI Science Data Center (ASDC; Italy) and the California Institute of Technology (USA). D.P. and A.B. are grateful to Amy Furniss and Wystan Benbow for providing the VERITAS VHE gamma-ray fluxes and for useful discussions about them. M.P. acknowledges support from the Lyman Jr. Spitzer Postdoctoral Fellowship and NASA Fermi grant No. 80NSSC18K1745., and J.F. is partially supported by NASA under contract S-15633Y. M.B. acknowledges support from NASA Headquarters under the NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Program (grant NNX14AQ07H) and the black hole Initiative at Harvard University, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (grant GBMF8273) and in part by the John Templeton Foundation. This research was partially supported by the Bulgarian National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science under grants DN 18-13/2017, DN 18-10/2017, KP06-H28/3 (2018), and KP-06-PN38/1 (2019), as well as for the Spanish MIMECO (AYA2016-80889-P, RYC-2013-14511) and the IAA-CSIC "Severo Ochoa" program SEV2017-0709. The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support of the project FR/638/6-320/12 by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract 31/77. T.G. acknowledges support from Istanbul University (Project numbers 49429 and 48285), Bilim Akademisi (BAGEP program), and TUBITAK (project numbers 13AT100-431, 13AT100-466, and 13AT60-430). The Boston University effort was supported in part by NASA grants NNX12AO90G and NNX14AQ58G. Data from the Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project were used in this paper. This program is supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09 AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX15AU81G. The OVRO 40 m monitoring program is supported in part by NASA grants NNX08AW31G and NNX11A043G and NSF grants AST-0808050 and AST-1109911. The Metsahovi team acknowledges the support from the Academy of Finland to our observing projects (numbers 212656, 210338, 121148, and others). W.M. acknowledges support from CONICYT project Basal AFB-170002.

Context. The BL Lac object S5 0716+714, a highly variable blazar, underwent an impressive outburst in January 2015 (Phase A), followed by minor activity in February (Phase B). The MAGIC observations were triggered by the optical flux observed in Phase A, corresponding to the brightest ever reported state of the source in the R-band. Aims.The comprehensive dataset collected is investigated in order to shed light on the mechanism of the broadband emission. Methods. Multi-wavelength light curves have been studied together with the broadband spectral energy distributions (SEDs). The sample includes data from Effelsberg, OVRO, Metsähovi, VLBI, CARMA, IRAM, SMA, Swift-UVOT, KVA, Tuorla, Steward, RINGO3, KANATA, AZT-8+ST7, Perkins, LX-200, Swift-XRT, NuSTAR, Fermi-LAT and MAGIC. Results. The flaring state of Phase A was detected in all the energy bands, providing for the first time a multi-wavelength sample of simultaneous data from the radio band to the very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV). In the constructed SED, the Swift-XRT+NuSTAR data constrain the transition between the synchrotron and inverse Compton components very accurately, while the second peak is constrained from 0.1 GeV to 600 GeV by Fermi+MAGIC data. The broadband SED cannot be described with a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton model as it severely underestimates the optical flux in order to reproduce the X-ray to -ray data. Instead we use a two-zone model. The electric vector position angle (EVPA) shows an unprecedented fast rotation. An estimation of the redshift of the source by combined high-energy (HE, 0.1 GeV < E < 100 GeV) and VHE data provides a value of z = 0:31 ± 0:02 ± 0:05, confirming the literature value. Conclusions. The data show the VHE emission originating in the entrance and exit of a superluminal knot in and out of a recollimation shock in the inner jet. A shock-shock interaction in the jet seems responsible for the observed flares and EVPA swing. This scenario is also consistent with the SED modeling. © ESO 2018., We would like to thank the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias for the excellent working conditions at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos in La Palma. The financial support of the German BMBF and MPG, the Italian INFN and INAF, the Swiss National Fund SNF, the ERDF under the Spanish MINECO (FPA2015-69818-P, FPA2012-36668, FPA2015-68378-P, FPA2015-69210-C6-2-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-4-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-6-R, AYA2015-71042-P, AYA2016-76012-C3-1-P, ESP2015-71662-C2-2-P, CSD2009-00064), and the Japanese JSPS and MEXT is gratefully acknowledged. This work was also supported by the Spanish Centro de Excelencia "Severo Ochoa" SEV-2012-0234 and SEV-2015-0548, and Unidad de Excelencia "Maria de Maeztu" MDM-2014-0369, by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ) Project IP-2016-06-9782 and the University of Rijeka Project 13.12.1.3.02, by the DFG Collaborative Research Centers SFB823/C4 and SFB876/C3, the Polish National Research Centre grant UMO-2016/22/M/ST9/00382 and by the Brazilian MCTIC, CNPq and FAPERJ. The Fermi-LAT Collaboration acknowledges generous ongoing support from a number of agencies and institutes that have supported both the development and the operation of the LAT as well as scientific data analysis. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy in the United States, the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Particules in France, the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Japan, and the K. A. Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish National Space Board in Sweden. Additional support for science analysis during the operations phase is gratefully acknowledged from the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in France. This research was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by Universities Space Research Association through a contract with NASA. We thank the Swift team duty scientists and science planners., The Metsahovi team acknowledges the support from the Academy of Finland to our observing projects (numbers 212656, 210338, 121148, and others). The VLBA is an instrument of the Long Baseline Observatory. The Long Baseline Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated by Associated Universities, Inc. The Sub-millimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. The OVRO 40-m monitoring program is supported in part by NASA grants NNX08AW31G, NNX11A043G and NNX14AQ89G, and NSF grants AST-0808050 and AST-1109911. The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. The BU group acknowledges support by NASA under Fermi Guest Investigator grant NNX14AQ58G and by NSF under grant AST-1615796. Part of this work was done with funding by the UK Space Agency. The VLBA is an instrument of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The PRISM (Perkins Re-Imaging SysteM) camera at Lowell Observatory was developed by K. Janes et al. at BU and Lowell Observatory, with funding from the NSF, BU, and Lowell Observatory. This paper makes use of data obtained with the 100m Effelsberg radio-telescope, which is operated by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Radioastronomy (MPIfR) in Bonn (Germany). Part of this work is based on archival data, software or online services provided by the ASI Science Data Center (ASDC). PYRAF is a product of the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by AURA for NASA. This paper is partly based on observations carried out with the IRAM 30 m. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany) and IGN (Spain). IA acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain. The research at the IAA-CSIC was supported in part by the MINECO through grants AYA2016-80889-P, AYA2013-40825-P, and AYA2010-14844, and by the regional government of Andalucia through grant P09-FQM-4784. The Liverpool Telescope is operated by JMU with financial support from the UK-STFC.

We present a multi-wavelength spectral and temporal analysis of the blazar OJ 287 during its recent activity between December 2015 -- May 2016, showing strong variability in the near-infrared (NIR) to X-ray energies with detection at $\gamma$-ray energies as well. Most of the optical flux variations exhibit strong changes in polarization angle and degree. All the inter-band time lags are consistent with simultaneous emissions. Interestingly, on days with excellent data coverage in the NIR--UV bands, the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) show signatures of bumps in the visible--UV bands, never seen before in this source. The optical bump can be explained as accretion-disk emission associated with the primary black hole of mass $\sim \rm 1.8 \times10^{10} M_{\odot}$ while the little bump feature in the optical-UV appears consistent with line emission. Further, the broadband SEDs extracted during the first flare and during a quiescent period during this span show very different $\gamma$-ray spectra compared to previously observed flare or quiescent spectra. The probable thermal bump in the visible seems to have been clearly present since May 2013, as found by examining all available NIR-optical observations, and favors the binary super-massive black hole model. The simultaneous multi-wavelength variability and relatively weak $\gamma$-ray emission that shows a shift in the SED peak is consistent with $\gamma$-ray emission originating from inverse Compton scattering of photons from the line emission that apparently contributes to the little blue bump., Comment: 24 pages, 6 figures, 2 tables, MNRAS in press

We use a combination of high-resolution very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) radio and multiwavelength flux density and polarization observations to constrain the physics of the dissipation mechanism powering the broadband flares in 3C 279 during an episode of extreme flaring activity in 2013-2014. Six bright flares superimposed on a long-term outburst are detected at γ-ray energies. Four of the flares have optical and radio counterparts. The two modes of flaring activity (faster flares sitting on top of a long-term outburst) present at radio, optical, and γ-ray frequencies are missing in X-rays. X-ray counterparts are only observed for two flares. The first three flares are accompanied by ejection of a new VLBI component (NC2), suggesting the 43 GHz VLBI core as the site of energy dissipation. Another new component, NC3, is ejected after the last three flares, which suggests that the emission is produced upstream from the core (closer to the black hole). The study therefore indicates multiple sites of energy dissipation in the source. An anticorrelation is detected between the optical percentage polarization (PP) and optical/γ-ray flux variations, while the PP has a positive correlation with optical/γ-ray spectral indices. Given that the mean polarization is inversely proportional to the number of cells in the emission region, the PP versus optical/γ-ray anticorrelation could be due to more active cells during the outburst than at other times. In addition to the turbulent component, our analysis suggests the presence of a combined turbulent and ordered magnetic field, with the ordered component transverse to the jet axis.© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved., The Fermi/LAT Collaboration acknowledges generous ongoing support from a number of agencies and institutes that have supported both the development and the operation of the LAT, as well as scientific data analysis. These include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Department of Energy in the United States; the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Institut National de Physique Nucleaire et de Physique des Particules in France; the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana and the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare in Italy; the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in Japan; and the K. A. Wallenberg Foundation, Swedish Research Council, and Swedish National Space Board in Sweden. Additional support for science analysis during the operations phase is gratefully acknowledged from the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica in Italy and the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales in France. This work was performed in part under DOE Contract DE-AC02-76SF00515. This research was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by the Universities Space Research Association through a contract with NASA. This study makes use of 43 GHz VLBA data from the VLBA-BU Blazar Monitoring Program (VLBA-BU-BLAZAR;. http://www.bu.edu/blazars/VLBAproject.html), funded by NASA through the Fermi Guest Investigator Program. The VLBA is an instrument of the Long Baseline Observatory. The Long Baseline Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated by Associated Universities, Inc. The BU group acknowledges support from US National Science Foundation grant AST-1615796. The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. This research was supported by an appointment to the NASA Postdoctoral Program at the Goddard Space Flight Center, administered by the Universities Space Research Association through a contract with NASA. KS is supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant 16-12-10481. The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. This research has made use of data from the OVRO 40 m monitoring program (Richards et al. 2011), which is supported in part by NASA grants NNX08AW31G, NNX11A043G, and NNX14AQ89G and NSF grants AST-0808050 and AST-1109911. IA acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Ministerio de Economia, Industria, y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain. Acquisition and reduction of the POLAMI data was supported in part by MINECO through grants AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P, and AYA2016-80889-P and by the Regional Government of Andalucia through grant P09-FQM-4784. The POLAMI observations were carried out at the IRAM 30 m telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany), and IGN (Spain). BR acknowledges the help of Roopesh Ojha, Marcello Giroletti, and Dave Thompson for fruitful discussions and comments that improved the manuscript.

The very high energy (VHE ¿ 100 GeV) -ray MAGIC observations of the blazar S4 0954+65, were triggered by an exceptionally high flux state of emission in the optical. This blazar has a disputed redshift of z = 0.368 or z ¿ 0.45 and an uncertain classification among blazar subclasses. The exceptional source state described here makes for an excellent opportunity to understand physical processes in the jet of S4 0954+65 and thus contribute to its classification. Methods. We investigated the multiwavelength (MWL) light curve and spectral energy distribution (SED) of the S4 0954+65 blazar during an enhanced state in February 2015 and have put it in context with possible emission scenarios. We collected photometric data in radio, optical, X-ray, and ¿-ray. We studied both the optical polarization and the inner parsec-scale jet behavior with 43 GHz data. Results. Observations with the MAGIC telescopes led to the first detection of S4 0954+65 at VHE. Simultaneous data with Fermi-LAT at high energy ¿-ray(HE, 100 MeV < E < 100 GeV) also show a period of increased activity. Imaging at 43 GHz reveals the emergence of a new feature in the radio jet in coincidence with the VHE flare. Simultaneous monitoring of the optical polarization angle reveals a rotation of approximately 100. Conclusions. The high emission state during the flare allows us to compile the simultaneous broadband SED and to characterize it in the scope of blazar jet emission models. The broadband spectrum can be modeled with an emission mechanism commonly invoked for flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs), that is, inverse Compton scattering on an external soft photon field from the dust torus, also known as external Compton. The light curve and SED phenomenology is consistent with an interpretation of a blob propagating through a helical structured magnetic field and eventually crossing a standing shock in the jet, a scenario typically applied to FSRQs and low-frequency peaked BL Lac objects (LBL). © ESO 2018., The financial support of the German BMBF and MPG, the Italian INFN and INAF, the Swiss National Fund SNF, the ERDF under the Spanish MINECO (FPA2015-69818-P, FPA2012-36668, FPA2015-68378-P, FPA2015-69210-C6-2-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-4-R, FPA2015-69210-C6-6-R, AYA2015-71042-P, AYA2016-76012-C3-1-P, ESP2015-71662-C2-2-P, CSD2009-00064), and the Japanese JSPS and MEXT is gratefully acknowledged. This work was also supported by the Spanish Centro de Excelencia “Severo Ochoa” SEV-2012-0234 and SEV-2015-0548, and Unidad de Excelencia “María de Maeztu” MDM-2014-0369, by the Croatian Science Foundation (HrZZ) Project IP-2016-06-9782 and the University of Rijeka Project 13.12.1.3.02, by the DFG Collaborative Research Centers SFB823/C4 and SFB876/C3, the Polish National Research Centre grant UMO-2016/22/M/ST9/00382 and by the Brazilian MCTIC, CNPq, and FAPERJ. IA acknowledges support by a Ramón y Cajal grant of the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain. The research at the IAA–CSIC was supported in part by the MINECO through grants AYA2016–80889–P, AYA2013–40825–P, and AYA2010–14844, and by the regional government of Andalucía through grant P09–FQM–4784.

Blazar CTA 102 underwent exceptional optical and high-energy outbursts in 2012 and 2016–2017. We analyze its behaviour during these events, focusing on polarimetry as a tool that allows us to trace changes in the physical conditions and geometric configuration of the emission source close to the central black hole. We also use Fermi γ -ray data in conjunction with optical photometry in an effort to localize the origin of the outbursts.

Blazar emission is dominated by non-thermal radiation from a relativistic jet pointing toward us, therefore undergoing Doppler beaming. This is responsible for flux enhancement and contraction of the variability time scales, so that most blazars appear as luminous sources characterized by noticeable and fast flux changes at all frequencies. The mechanisms producing their unpredictable variability are debated and include injection, acceleration and cooling of particles, with possible intervention of shock waves or turbulence. Changes in the viewing angle of the emitting knots or jet regions have also been suggested to explain flaring events or specific properties such as intraday variability, quasi-periodicities, or the delay of radio flux variations relative to optical changes. However, such a geometric interpretation has not been universally accepted because alternative explanations based on changes of physical conditions can also work in many cases. Here we report the results of optical-to-radio monitoring of the blazar CTA 102 by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope Collaboration and show that the observed long-term flux and spectral variability is best explained by an inhomogeneous, curved jet that undergoes orientation changes. We propose that magnetohydrodynamic instabilities or rotation of a twisted jet cause different jet regions to change their orientation and hence their relative Doppler factors. In particular, the recent extreme optical outburst (six magnitudes) occurred when the corresponding jet emitting region acquired a minimum viewing angle., Comment: 31 pages, 11 figures. This is the accepted version (before Nature editing) of the paper published by Nature, online version at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature24623, Nature 2017/12/04/online

In 2015 July 29 - September 1 the satellite XMM-Newton pointed at the BL Lac object PG 1553+133 six times, collecting data for 218 hours. During one of these epochs, simultaneous observations by the Swift satellite were requested to compare the results of the X-ray and optical-UV instruments. Optical, near-infrared and radio monitoring was carried out by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration for the whole observing season. We here present the results of the analysis of all these data, together with an investigation of the source photometric and polarimetric behaviour over the last three years. The 2015 EPIC spectra show slight curvature and the corresponding light curves display fast X-ray variability with a time scale of the order of 1 hour. In contrast to previous results, during the brightest X-ray states detected in 2015 the simple log-parabolic model that best-fits the XMM-Newton data also reproduces reasonably well the whole synchrotron bump, suggesting a peak in the near-UV band. We found evidence of a wide rotation of the polarization angle in 2014, when the polarization degree was variable, but the flux remained almost constant. This is difficult to interpret with deterministic jet emission models, while it can be easily reproduced by assuming some turbulence of the magnetic field., Comment: 15 pages, 12 figures, accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

We analyze the parsec-scale jet kinematics from 2007 June to 2013 January of a sample of $\gamma$-ray bright blazars monitored roughly monthly with the Very Long Baseline Array at 43~GHz. In a total of 1929 images, we measure apparent speeds of 252 emission knots in 21 quasars, 12 BL~Lacertae objects (BLLacs), and 3 radio galaxies, ranging from 0.02$c$ to 78$c$; 21\% of the knots are quasi-stationary. Approximately 1/3 of the moving knots execute non-ballistic motions, with the quasars exhibiting acceleration along the jet within 5~pc (projected) of the core, and knots in the BLLacs tending to decelerate near the core. Using apparent speeds of components and timescales of variability from their light curves, we derive physical parameters of 120 superluminal knots, including variability Doppler factors, Lorentz factors, and viewing angles. We estimate the half-opening angle of each jet based on the projected opening angle and scatter of intrinsic viewing angles of knots. We determine characteristic values of physical parameters for each jet and AGN class based on the range of values obtained for individual features. We calculate intrinsic brightness temperatures of the cores, $T_{\rm b,int}^{\rm core}$, at all epochs, finding that the radio galaxies usually maintain equipartition conditions in the cores, while $\sim$30\% of $T_{\rm b,int}^{\rm core}$ measurements in the quasars and BLLacs deviate from equipartition values by a factor $>$10. This probably occurs during transient events connected with active states. In the Appendix we briefly describe the behavior of each blazar during the period analyzed., Comment: 48 pages, 18 figures, Tables 2,3,5, & 7 in a full length and figures 2 and 4 for each source can be found in the journal version of the paper

The blazar 1156+295 was active at gamma-ray energies, exhibiting three prominent flares during the year 2010. Here, we present results using the combination of broadband (X-ray through mm single dish) monitoring data and radio band imaging data at 43 GHz on the connection of gamma-ray events to the ejections of superluminal components and other changes in the jet of 1156+295. The kinematics of the jet over the interval 2007.0-2012.5 using 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array observations, reveal the presence of four moving and one stationary component in the inner region of the blazar jet. The propagation of the third and fourth components in the jet corresponds closely in time to the active phase of the source in gamma rays. We briefly discuss the implications of the structural changes in the jet for the mechanism of gamma-ray production during bright flares. To localise the gamma-ray emission site in the blazar, we performed the correlation analysis between the 43 GHz radio core and the gamma-ray light curve. The time lag obtained from the correlation constrains the gamma-ray emitting region in the parsec-scale jet., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures and 3 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. Online-only Table 1 is available as ancillary file with this submission

Kiehlmann, S. et. al., Context. Over the past few years, on several occasions, large, continuous rotations of the electric vector position angle (EVPA) of linearly polarized optical emission from blazars have been reported. These events are often coincident with high energy gamma-ray flares and they have attracted considerable attention, since they could allow us to probe the magnetic field structure in the gamma-ray emitting region of the jet. The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is one of the most prominent examples showing this behaviour. Aims. Our goal is to study the observed EVPA rotations and to distinguish between a stochastic and a deterministic origin of the polarization variability. Methods. We have combined multiple data sets of R-band photometry and optical polarimetry measurements of 3C 279, yielding exceptionally well-sampled flux density and polarization curves that cover a period of 2008-2012. Several large EVPA rotations are identified in the data. We introduce a quantitative measure for the EVPA curve smoothness, which is then used to test a set of simple random walk polarization variability models against the data. Results. 3C 279 shows different polarization variation characteristics during an optical low-flux state and a flaring state. The polarization variation during the flaring state, especially the smooth similar to 360 degrees rotation of the EVPA in mid-2011, is not consistent with the tested stochastic processes. Conclusions. We conclude that, during the two different optical flux states, two different processes govern polarization variation, which is possibly a stochastic process during the low-brightness state and a deterministic process during the flaring activity., S.K. was supported for this research through a stipend from the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS) for Astronomy and Astrophysics at the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in cooperation with the Universities of Bonn and Cologne. T.S. was partly supported by the Academy of Finland project 274477. The research at Boston University was partly funded by NASA Fermi GI grant NNX11AQ03G. K.V.S. is partly supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research grants 13-02-12103 and 14-02-31789. N.G.B. was supported by the RFBR grant 12-02-01237a. E.B., M.S. and D.H. thank financial support from UNAM DGAPA-PAPIIT through grant IN116211-3. I. A. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). The research at the IAA-CSIC and the MAPCAT program are supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Regional Government of Andalucia (Spain) through grants AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P, and P09-FQM-4784. The Calar Alto Observatory is jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia-CSIC. Data from the Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project were used. This program is supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX14AQ58G. St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949 and St. Petersburg University research grant 6.38.335.2015. The Abastumani team acknowledges financial support of the project FR/638/6-320/12 by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under contract 31/77.

Astronomy and astrophysics 603, A31 (2017). doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629540, We present an extensive study of the BL Lac object Mrk 501 based on a data set collected during the multi-instrument campaign spanning from 2009 March 15 to 2009 August 1, which includes, among other instruments, MAGIC, VERITAS, Whipple 10 m, and Fermi-LAT to cover the γ-ray range from 0.1 GeV to 20 TeV; RXTE and Swift to cover wavelengths from UV tohard X-rays; and GASP-WEBT, which provides coverage of radio and optical wavelengths. Optical polarization measurements were provided for a fraction of the campaign by the Steward and St. Petersburg observatories. We evaluate the variability of the source and interband correlations, the γ-ray flaring activity occurring in May 2009, and interpret the results within two synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) scenarios. Aims. The multiband variability observed during the full campaign is addressed in terms of the fractional variability, and the possible correlations are studied by calculating the discrete correlation function for each pair of energy bands where the significance was evaluated with dedicated Monte Carlo simulations. The space of SSC model parameters is probed following a dedicated grid-scan strategy, allowing for a wide range of models to be tested and offering a study of the degeneracy of model-to-data agreement in the individual model parameters, hence providing a less biased interpretation than the “single-curve SSC model adjustment” typically reported in the literature. Methods. We find an increase in the fractional variability with energy, while no significant interband correlations of flux changes are found on the basis of the acquired data set. The SSC model grid-scan shows that the flaring activity around May 22 cannot be modeled adequately with a one-zone SSC scenario (using an electron energy distribution with two breaks), while it can be suitably described within a two (independent) zone SSC scenario. Here, one zone is responsible for the quiescent emission from the averaged 4.5-month observing period, while the other one, which is spatially separated from the first, dominates the flaring emission occurring at X-rays and very-high-energy (>100 GeV, VHE) γ rays. The flaring activity from May 1, which coincides with a rotation of the electric vector polarization angle (EVPA), cannot be satisfactorily reproduced by either a one-zone or a two-independent-zone SSC model, yet this is partially affected by the lack of strictly simultaneous observations and the presence of large flux changes on sub-hour timescales (detected at VHE γ rays). Results. The higher variability in the VHE emission and lack of correlation with the X-ray emission indicate that, at least during the 4.5-month observing campaign in 2009, the highest energy (and most variable) electrons that are responsible for the VHE γ rays do not make a dominant contribution to the ~1 keV emission. Alternatively, there could be a very variable component contributing to the VHE γ-ray emission in addition to that coming from the SSC scenario. The studies with our dedicated SSC grid-scan show that there is some degeneracy in both the one-zone and the two-zone SSC scenarios probed, with several combinations of model parameters yielding a similar model-to-data agreement, and some parameters better constrained than others. The observed γ-ray flaring activity, with the EVPA rotation coincident with the first γ-ray flare, resembles those reported previously for low frequency peaked blazars, hence suggesting that there are many similarities in the flaring mechanisms of blazars with different jet properties., Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

Larionov, V. M. et. al., After several years of quiescence, the blazar CTA 102 underwent an exceptional outburst in 2012 September-October. The flare was tracked from gamma-ray to near-infrared (NIR) frequencies, including Fermi and Swift data as well as photometric and polarimetric data from several observatories. An intensive Glast-Agile support programme of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (GASP-WEBT) collaboration campaign in optical and NIR bands, with an addition of previously unpublished archival data and extension through fall 2015, allows comparison of this outburst with the previous activity period of this blazar in 2004-2005. We find remarkable similarity between the optical and gamma-ray behaviour of CTA 102 during the outburst, with a time lag between the two light curves of approximate to 1 h, indicative of cospatiality of the optical and gamma-ray emission regions. The relation between the gamma-ray and optical fluxes is consistent with the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) mechanism, with a quadratic dependence of the SSC gamma -ray flux on the synchrotron optical flux evident in the post-outburst stage. However, the gamma -ray/optical relationship is linear during the outburst; we attribute this to changes in the Doppler factor. A strong harder-when-brighter spectral dependence is seen both the in gamma-ray and optical non-thermal emission. This hardening can be explained by convexity of the UV-NIR spectrum that moves to higher frequencies owing to an increased Doppler shift as the viewing angle decreases during the outburst stage. The overall pattern of Stokes parameter variations agrees with a model of a radiating blob or shock wave that moves along a helical path down the jet., The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949, and St. Petersburg University research grants 6.38.335.2015 and 6.42.1113.2016. The research at Boston University was funded in part by NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AV65G, NNX10AO59G, NNX10AU15G, NNX11AO37G, NNX11AQ03G, and NNX14AQ58G. The research at Steward Observatory was funded in part by NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX09AU10G and NNX12AO93G. Acquisition of the MAPCAT data at Calar Alto is performed at the IAA-CSIC and is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) grant AYA2013-40825-P.This research was partially supported by the Scientific Research Fund of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences under grant DO 02-137 (BIn-13/09). The Maidanak Observatory team acknowledges support from Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences grant F2-FA-F027.

We study the multi-band variability and correlations of the TeV blazar Mrk 421 on year time scales, which can bring additional insight on the processes responsible for its broadband emission. We observed Mrk 421 in the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray range with the Cherenkov telescope MAGIC-I from March 2007 to June 2009 for a total of 96 hours of effective time after quality cuts. The VHE flux variability is quantified with several methods, including the Bayesian Block algorithm, which is applied to data from Cherenkov telescopes for the first time. The 2.3 year long MAGIC light curve is complemented with data from the Swift/BAT and RXTE/ASM satellites and the KVA, GASP-WEBT, OVRO, and Mets\"ahovi telescopes from February 2007 to July 2009, allowing for an excellent characterisation of the multi-band variability and correlations over year time scales. Mrk 421 was found in different gamma-ray emission states during the 2.3 year long observation period. Flares and different levels of variability in the gamma-ray light curve could be identified with the Bayesian Block algorithm. The same behaviour of a quiet and active emission was found in the X-ray light curves measured by Swift/BAT and the RXTE/ASM, with a direct correlation in time. The behaviour of the optical light curve of GASP-WEBT and the radio light curves by OVRO and Mets\"ahovi are different as they show no coincident features with the higher energetic light curves and a less variable emission. The fractional variability is overall increasing with energy. The comparable variability in the X-ray and VHE bands and their direct correlation during both high- and low-activity periods spanning many months show that the electron populations radiating the X-ray and gamma-ray photons are either the same, as expected in the Synchrotron-Self-Compton mechanism, or at least strongly correlated, as expected in electromagnetic cascades., Comment: Corresponding authors: Ann-Kristin Overkemping (ann-kristin.overkemping@tu-dortmund.de), Marina Manganaro (manganaro@iac.es), Diego Tescaro (diego.tescaro@gmail.com), To be published in Astronomy&Astrophysics (A&A), 12 pages, 9 figures

Here we report on the results of the WEBT photo-polarimetric campaign targeting the blazar S5~0716+71, organized in March 2014 to monitor the source simultaneously in BVRI and near IR filters. The campaign resulted in an unprecedented dataset spanning $\sim 110$\,h of nearly continuous, multi-band observations, including two sets of densely sampled polarimetric data mainly in R filter. During the campaign, the source displayed pronounced variability with peak-to-peak variations of about $30\%$ and "bluer-when-brighter" spectral evolution, consisting of a day-timescale modulation with superimposed hourlong microflares characterized by $\sim 0.1$\,mag flux changes. We performed an in-depth search for quasi-periodicities in the source light curve; hints for the presence of oscillations on timescales of $\sim 3$\,h and $\sim 5$\,h do not represent highly significant departures from a pure red-noise power spectrum. We observed that, at a certain configuration of the optical polarization angle relative to the positional angle of the innermost radio jet in the source, changes in the polarization degree led the total flux variability by about 2\,h; meanwhile, when the relative configuration of the polarization and jet angles altered, no such lag could be noted. The microflaring events, when analyzed as separate pulse emission components, were found to be characterized by a very high polarization degree ($> 30\%$) and polarization angles which differed substantially from the polarization angle of the underlying background component, or from the radio jet positional angle. We discuss the results in the general context of blazar emission and energy dissipation models., 16 pages, 17 Figures; ApJ accepted

We analyze the linear polarization of the relativistic jet in BL Lacertae object OJ 287 as revealed by multi-epoch Very Long Baseline Array images at 43 GHz and monitoring observations at optical bands. The electric-vector position angle of the optical polarization matches that at 43 GHz at locations that are often in the compact millimeter-wave >core> or, at other epochs, coincident with a bright, quasi-stationary emission feature ∼0.2 mas (∼0.9 pc projected on the sky) downstream from the core. This implies that electrons with high enough energies to emit optical synchrotron and γ-ray inverse Compton radiation are accelerated both in the core and at the downstream feature, the latter of which lies ≥10 pc from the central engine. The polarization vector in the stationary feature is nearly parallel to the jet axis, as expected for a conical standing shock capable of accelerating electrons to GeV energies.© 2018. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.., The authors thank Dr. Ioannis Myserlis for a critical review of a draft of this manuscript. The authors acknowledge financial support by MEXT/JSPS Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (No. 25120007). M.S. was supported during this study by a JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research Abroad. The research at Boston University was supported in part by National Science Foundation grant AST-1615796 and NASA Fermi Guest Investigator Program grants NNX14AQ58G and 80NSSC17K0649. The St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian Science Foundation grant 17-12-01029. I.A. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO) of Spain. The research at the IAA-CSIC was supported in part by the MINECO through grants AYA2016-80889-P, AYA2013-40825-P, and AYA2010-14844; and by the regional government of Andalucia through grant P09-FQM-4784. Calar Alto Observatory is jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut fur Astronomie and the IAA-CSIC. The VLBA is an instrument of the Long Baseline Observatory (LBO). The LBO is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. Data from the Steward Observatory spectro-polarimetric monitoring project were used. This program was supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, and NNX15AU81G.

We present results from monitoring the multi-waveband flux, linear polarization, and parsec-scale structure of the quasar PKS 1510-089, concentrating on eight major gamma-ray flares that occurred during the interval 2009.0-2009.5. The gamma-ray peaks were essentially simultaneous with maxima at optical wavelengths, although the flux ratio of the two wavebands varied by an order of magnitude. The optical polarization vector rotated by 720 degrees during a 5-day period encompassing six of these flares. This culminated in a very bright, roughly 1 day, optical and gamma-ray flare as a bright knot of emission passed through the highest-intensity, stationary feature (the "core") seen in 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array images. The knot continued to propagate down the jet at an apparent speed of 22c and emit strongly at gamma-ray energies as a months-long X-ray/radio outburst intensified. We interpret these events as the result of the knot following a spiral path through a mainly toroidal magnetic field pattern in the acceleration and collimation zone of the jet, after which it passes through a standing shock in the 43 GHz core and then continues downstream. In this picture, the rapid gamma-ray flares result from scattering of infrared seed photons from a relatively slow sheath of the jet as well as from optical synchrotron radiation in the faster spine. The 2006-2009.7 radio and X-ray flux variations are correlated at very high significance; we conclude that the X-rays are mainly from inverse Compton scattering of infrared seed photons by 20-40 MeV electrons., Comment: 10 pages of text + 5 figures, to be published in Astrophysical Journal Letters in 2010

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 454 (1), ISSN:0035-8711, ISSN:1365-2966, ISSN:1365-8711

Casadio, Carolina et. al., We perform a multi-wavelength polarimetric study of the quasar CTA 102 during an extraordinarily bright γ-ray outburst detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope in 2012 September-October when the source reached a flux of F = 5.2 ± 0.4 × 10 photons cm s. At the same time, the source displayed an unprecedented optical and near-infrared (near-IR) outburst. We study the evolution of the parsec-scale jet with ultra-high angular resolution through a sequence of 80 total and polarized intensity Very Long Baseline Array images at 43 GHz, covering the observing period from 2007 June to 2014 June. We find that the γ-ray outburst is coincident with flares at all the other frequencies and is related to the passage of a new superluminal knot through the radio core. The powerful γ-ray emission is associated with a change in direction of the jet, which became oriented more closely to our line of sight (θ ∼ 1.°2) during the ejection of the knot and the γ-ray outburst. During the flare, the optical polarized emission displays intra-day variability and a clear clockwise rotation of electric vector position angles (EVPAs), which we associate with the path followed by the knot as it moves along helical magnetic field lines, although a random walk of the EVPA caused by a turbulent magnetic field cannot be ruled out. We locate the γ-ray outburst a short distance downstream of the radio core, parsecs from the black hole. This suggests that synchrotron self-Compton scattering of NIR to ultraviolet photons is the probable mechanism for the γ-ray production., This research has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) grant AYA2013-40825-P. The research at Boston University (BU) was funded in part by NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX14AQ58G and NNX13AO99G, and Swift Guest Investigator grant NNX14AI96G. I. A. acknowledges support by a Ramon y Cajal grant of the MINECO. The VLBA is operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc. The PRISM camera at Lowell Observatory was developed by K. Janes et al. at BU and Lowell Observatory, with funding from the NSF, BU, and Lowell Observatory. St. Petersburg University team acknowledges support from Russian RFBR grant 15-02-00949 and St. Petersburg University research grant 6.38.335.2015. This research was conducted in part using the Mimir instrument, jointly developed at Boston University and Lowell Observatory and supported by NASA, NSF, and the W.M. Keck Foundation. The Mimir observations were performed by Lauren Cashman, Jordan Montgomery, and Dan Clemens, all from Boston University. This research is partly based on data taken at the IRAM 30 m Telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU/CNRS (France), MPG (Germany), and IGN (Spain). The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academia Sinica. Data from the Steward Observatory spectropolarimetric monitoring project were used. This program is supported by Fermi Guest Investigator grants NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, and NNX12AO93G. The Metsahovi team acknowledges the support from the Academy of Finland to our observing projects (numbers 212656, 210338, 121148, and others).

The occurrence of low-amplitude flux variations in blazars on hourly timescales, commonly known as microvariability, is still a widely debated subject in high-energy astrophysics. Several competing scenarios have been proposed to explain such occurrences, including various jet plasma instabilities leading to the formation of shocks, magnetic reconnection sites, and turbulence. In this letter we present the results of our detailed investigation of a prominent, five-hour-long optical microflare detected during recent WEBT campaign in 2014, March 2-6 targeting the blazar 0716+714. After separating the flaring component from the underlying base emission continuum of the blazar, we find that the microflare is highly polarized, with the polarization degree $\sim (40-60)\%$$\pm (2-10)\%$, and the electric vector position angle $\sim (10 - 20)$deg$\pm (1-8)$deg slightly misaligned with respect to the position angle of the radio jet. The microflare evolution in the $(Q,\,U)$ Stokes parameter space exhibits a looping behavior with a counter-clockwise rotation, meaning polarization degree decreasing with the flux (but higher in the flux decaying phase), and approximately stable polarization angle. The overall very high polarization degree of the flare, its symmetric flux rise and decay profiles, and also its structured evolution in the $Q-U$ plane, all imply that the observed flux variation corresponds to a single emission region characterized by a highly ordered magnetic field. As discussed in the paper, a small-scale but strong shock propagating within the outflow, and compressing a disordered magnetic field component, provides a natural, though not unique, interpretation of our findings., Comment: 9 pages, 4 Figures, ApJ Letter accepted

A flare from the TeV blazar Mrk 421, occurring in March 2010, was observed for 13 consecutive days from radio to very high energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma-rays with MAGIC, VERITAS, Whipple, FermiLAT, MAXI, RXTE, Swift, GASP-WEBT, and several optical and radio telescopes. We model the day-scale SEDs with one-zone and two-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) models, investigate the physical parameters, and evaluate whether the observed broadband SED variability can be associated to variations in the relativistic particle population. Flux variability was remarkable in the X-ray and VHE bands while it was minor or not significant in the other bands. The one-zone SSC model can describe reasonably well the SED of each day for the 13 consecutive days. This flaring activity is also very well described by a two-zone SSC model, where one zone is responsible for the quiescent emission while the other smaller zone, which is spatially separated from the first one, contributes to the daily-variable emission occurring in X-rays and VHE gamma-rays. Both the one-zone SSC and the two-zone SSC models can describe the daily SEDs via the variation of only four or five model parameters, under the hypothesis that the variability is associated mostly to the underlying particle population. This shows that the particle acceleration and cooling mechanism producing the radiating particles could be the main one responsible for the broadband SED variations during the flaring episodes in blazars. The two-zone SSC model provides a better agreement to the observed SED at the narrow peaks of the low- and high-energy bumps during the highest activity, although the reported one-zone SSC model could be further improved by the variation of the parameters related to the emitting region itself ($\delta$, $B$ and $R$), in addition to the parameters related to the particle population., Comment: Published in A&A, 30 pages, 15 figures, 6 tables. Online-data: multi-wavelength light curves (data in Fig. 1) and broadband spectral energy distributions (the data in Figs. 6, and B1-B4) are available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/578/A22. Corresponding authors: David Paneque (dpaneque@mpp.mpg.de), Shangyu Sun (sysun@mpp.mpg.de), Hajime Takami (takami@post.kek.jp)

We present the results of optical (R band) photometric and polarimetric monitoring and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) imaging of the blazar S4 0954+658, along with Fermi and gamma;-ray data during a multi-waveband outburst in 2011 March-April. After a faint state with a brightness level R ~17.6 mag registered in the first half of January 2011, the optical brightness of the source started to rise and reached ~14.8 mag during the middle of March, showing flare-like behavior. The most spectacular case of intranight variability was observed during the night of 2011 March 9, when the blazar brightened by ~0.7 mag within ~7 hours. During the rise of the flux the position angle of optical polarization rotated smoothly over more than 300$\deg$. At the same time, within 1$\sigma$ uncertainty a new superluminal knot appeared with an apparent speed of 19.0$\pm$0.3 c. We have very strong evidence for association of this knot with the multi-waveband outburst in 2011 March-April. We also analyze the multi-frequency behavior of S4 0954+658 during a number of minor outbursts from August 2008 to April 2012. We find some evidence of connections between at least two more superluminal ejecta and near-simultaneous optical flares.

We present $\gamma$-ray, X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light curves of 33 $\gamma$-ray bright blazars over four years that we have been monitoring since 2008 August with multiple optical, ground-based telescopes and the Swift satellite, and augmented by data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and other publicly available data from Swift. The sample consists of 21 flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and 12 BL Lac objects (BL Lacs). We identify quiescent and active states of the sources based on their $\gamma$-ray behavior. We derive $\gamma$-ray, X-ray, and optical spectral indices, $\alpha_\gamma$, $\alpha_X$, and $\alpha_o$, respectively ($F_\nu\propto\nu^\alpha$), and construct spectral energy distributions (SEDs) during quiescent and active states. We analyze the relationships between different spectral indices, blazar classes, and activity states. We find (i) significantly steeper $\gamma$-ray spectra of FSRQs than for BL Lacs during quiescent states, but a flattening of the spectra for FSRQs during active states while the BL Lacs show no significant change; (ii) a small difference of $\alpha_X$ within each class between states, with BL Lac X-ray spectra significantly steeper than in FSRQs; (iii) a highly peaked distribution of X-ray spectral slopes of FSRQs at $\sim-$0.60, but a very broad distribution of $\alpha_X$ of BL Lacs during active states; (iv) flattening of the optical spectra of FSRQs during quiescent states, but no statistically significant change of $\alpha_o$ of BL Lacs between states; and (v) a positive correlation between optical and $\gamma$-ray spectral slopes of BL Lacs, with similar values of the slopes. We discuss the findings with respect to the relative prominence of different components of high-energy and optical emission as the flux state changes., Comment: 40 pages, 28 figures, 10 Tables. Additional figures at http://www.bu.edu/blazars/VLBAproject.html. Accepted by ApJ

The Fermi LAT detected an increase in γ-ray activity of the quasar 0836+710 (z=2.17) in Spring 2011 that culminated in a sharp γ-ray flare at the end of 2011 when the source reached a flux of 2.9×10−6 phot s−1cm−2 at 0.1-200 GeV. We monitor the quasar at optical wavelengths in photometric and polarimetric modes, at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths, and with the VLBA at 43 GHz. The optical brightness of the quasar increased by ~0.5 mag in R band and the degree of polarization oscillated between ~1% and ~6% during the highest γ-ray state, while the position angle of polarization rotated by ~300°. We have identified in the VLBA images a strong, highly polarized component that moves with an apparent speed of ~20 c. The component emerged from the core in the beginning of the γ-ray event and reached a flux maximum at the peak of the γ-ray outburst. We present the results of a correlative analysis of variations at different wavelengths along with the kinematic parameters of the parsec scale jet. We discuss the location of the high γ-ray emission in the relativistic jet, as well as the emission mechanisms responsible for γ-ray production.

Since the launch of the Fermi satellite, BL Lacertae has been moderately active at gamma-rays and optical frequencies until May 2011, when the source started a series of strong flares. The exceptional optical sampling achieved by the GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) in collaboration with the Steward Observatory allows us to perform a detailed comparison with the daily gamma-ray observations by Fermi. Discrete correlation analysis between the optical and gamma-ray emission reveals correlation with a time lag of 0 +- 1 d, which suggests cospatiality of the corresponding jet emitting regions. A better definition of the time lag is hindered by the daily gaps in the sampling of the extremely fast flux variations. In general, optical flares present more structure and develop on longer time scales than corresponding gamma-ray flares. Observations at X-rays and at millimetre wavelengths reveal a common trend, which suggests that the region producing the mm and X-ray radiation is located downstream from the optical and gamma-ray-emitting zone in the jet. The mean optical degree of polarisation slightly decreases over the considered period and in general it is higher when the flux is lower. The optical electric vector polarisation angle (EVPA) shows a preferred orientation of about 15 deg, nearly aligned with the radio core EVPA and mean jet direction. Oscillations around it increase during the 2011-2012 outburst. We investigate the effects of a geometrical interpretation of the long-term flux variability on the polarisation. A helical magnetic field model predicts an evolution of the mean polarisation that is in reasonable agreement with the observations. These can be fully explained by introducing slight variations in the compression factor in a transverse shock waves model., 17 pages, 17 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We present the results of optical (R band) photometric and polarimetric monitoring and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) imaging of the blazar S5 0716+714 along with Fermi gamma-ray data during a multi-waveband outburst in 2011 October. We analyze total and polarized intensity images of the blazar obtained with the VLBA at 43 GHz during and after the outburst. Monotonic rotation of the linear polarization vector at a rate of >50 degrees per night coincided with a sharp maximum in gamma-ray and optical flux. At the same time, within the uncertainties, a new superluminal knot appeared, with an apparent speed of ~21c. The general multi-frequency behavior of the outburst can be explained within the framework of a shock wave propagating along a helical path in the blazar's jet., 7 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal; minor corrections in the Acknowledgments

Quasar 3C 279 is known to exhibit episodes of optical polarization angle rotation. We present new, well-sampled optical polarization data for 3C 279 and introduce a method to distinguish between random and deterministic electric vector position angle (EVPA) variations. We observe EVPA rotations in both directions with different amplitudes and find that the EVPA variation shows characteristics of both random and deterministic cases. Our analysis indicates that the EVPA variation is likely dominated by a random process in the low brightness state of the jet and by a deterministic process in the flaring state., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, 4 tables, proceeding to appear on EPJ Web of Conferences "The Innermost Regions of Relativistic Jets and their Magnetic Fields (Granada, Spain,10-14 June 2013)"

We present the results of photo-polarimetric monitoring observations of the blazar Markarian 421 carried out with different telescopes (the 0.4 m telescopes of St. Petersburg State University and the Pulkovo Observatory, the 0.7 m telescope of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory) during 2008–2015. We analyse the optical data as well as gamma-ray ligh t curves obtained with the Fermi Large Area Telescope. The multiwavelength flux variations are discussed.

We present multi-wavelength studies of the radio galaxy 3C 120 and the blazar CTA 102 during unprecedented γ-ray flares for both sources. In both studies the analysis of γ-ray data has been compared with a series of 43 GHz VLBA images from the VLBA-BU-BLAZAR program, providing the necessary spatial resolution to probe the parsec scale jet evolution during the high energy events. To extend the radio dataset for 3C 120 we also used 15 GHz VLBA data from the MOJAVE sample. These two objects which represent very different classes of AGN, have similar properties during the γ-ray events. The γ-ray flares are associated with the passage of a new superluminal component through the mm VLBI core, but not all ejections of new components lead to γ-ray events. In both sources γ-ray events occurred only when the new components are moving in a direction closer to our line of sight. We locate the γ-ray dissipation zone a short distance from the radio core but outside of the broad line region, suggesting synchrotron self-Compton scattering as the probable mechanism for the γ-ray production.

We present observations of a major outburst at centimeter, millimeter, optical, X-ray, and γ-ray wavelengths of the BL Lacertae object AO 0235+164. We analyze the timing of multi-waveband variations in the flux and linear polarization, as well as changes in Very Long Baseline Array images at λ = 7 mm with ~0.15 milliarcsec resolution. The association of the events at different wavebands is confirmed at high statistical significance by probability arguments and Monte Carlo simulations. A series of sharp peaks in optical linear polarization, as well as a pronounced maximum in the 7 mm polarization of a superluminal jet knot, indicate rapid fluctuations in the degree of ordering of the magnetic field. These results lead us to conclude that the outburst occurred in the jet both in the quasi-stationary "core" and in the superluminal knot, both parsecs downstream of the supermassive black hole. We interpret the outburst as a consequence of the propagation of a disturbance, elongated along the line of sight by light-travel time delays, that passes through a standing recollimation shock in the core and propagates down the jet to create the superluminal knot. The multi-wavelength light curves vary together on long timescales (months/years), but the correspondence is poorer on shorter timescales. This, as well as the variability of the polarization and the dual location of the outburst, agrees with the expectations of a multi-zone emission model in which turbulence plays a major role in modulating the synchrotron and inverse Compton fluxes., This research was funded by NASA grants NNX08AJ64G, NNX08AU02G, NNX08AV61G, and NNX08AV65G, NSF grant AST-0907893, and NRAO award GSSP07-0009 (Boston University); RFBR grant 09-02-00092 (St. Petersburg State University); MICIIN grant AYA2010-14844, and CEIC (Andalucía) grant P09-FQM-4784 (IAA-CSIC); the Academy of Finland (Mets¨ahovi); NASA grants NNX08AW56S and NNX09AU10G (Steward Observatory); and GNSF grant ST08/4-404 (Abastunami Observatory). The VLBA is an instrument of the NRAO, a facility of the NSF under cooperative agreement by AUI. The PRISM camera was developed by Janes et al., and funded by NSF, Boston University, and Lowell Observatory. Calar Alto Observatory is operated by MPIA and IAA-CSIC. The IRAM 30m Telescope is supported by INSU/CNRS, MPG, and IGN. The SMA is a joint project between the SAO and the Academia Sinica.