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Rapid quasi-periodic oscillations in the relativistic jet of BL Lacertae

Author

Listed:
  • S. G. Jorstad

    (Boston University
    St. Petersburg State University)

  • A. P. Marscher

    (Boston University)

  • C. M. Raiteri

    (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino)

  • M. Villata

    (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino)

  • Z. R. Weaver

    (Boston University)

  • H. Zhang

    (NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow
    NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

  • L. Dong

    (Purdue University)

  • J. L. Gómez

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC))

  • M. V. Perel

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • S. S. Savchenko

    (St. Petersburg State University
    Russian Academy of Sciences
    Pulkovo Observatory)

  • V. M. Larionov

    (St. Petersburg State University
    Pulkovo Observatory)

  • D. Carosati

    (EPT Observatories
    TNG Fundación Galileo Galilei)

  • W. P. Chen

    (National Central University)

  • O. M. Kurtanidze

    (Abastumani Observatory, Mt. Kanobili
    Kazan Federal University
    Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte)

  • A. Marchini

    (University of Siena)

  • K. Matsumoto

    (Osaka Kyoiku University)

  • F. Mortari

    (Hypatia Observatory)

  • P. Aceti

    (Osservatorio Astronomico Città di Seveso
    Politecnico di Milano)

  • J. A. Acosta-Pulido

    (Universidad de La Laguna)

  • T. Andreeva

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • G. Apolonio

    (Brigham Young University)

  • C. Arena

    (Gruppo Astrofili Catanesi (GAC))

  • A. Arkharov

    (Pulkovo Observatory)

  • R. Bachev

    (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

  • M. Banfi

    (Osservatorio Astronomico Città di Seveso)

  • G. Bonnoli

    (Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC)
    University of Siena
    INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera)

  • G. A. Borman

    (Crimean Astrophysical Observatory RAS)

  • V. Bozhilov

    (University of Sofia)

  • M. I. Carnerero

    (Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino)

  • G. Damljanovic

    (Astronomical Observatory Belgrade)

  • S. A. Ehgamberdiev

    (Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute
    National University of Uzbekistan)

  • D. Elsässer

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG
    TU Dortmund University)

  • A. Frasca

    (INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania)

  • D. Gabellini

    (Hypatia Observatory)

  • T. S. Grishina

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • A. C. Gupta

    (Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES))

  • V. A. Hagen-Thorn

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • M. K. Hallum

    (Boston University)

  • M. Hart

    (Boston University)

  • K. Hasuda

    (Aoyama Gakuin University)

  • F. Hemrich

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • H. Y. Hsiao

    (National Central University)

  • S. Ibryamov

    (University of Shumen)

  • T. R. Irsmambetova

    (M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University)

  • D. V. Ivanov

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • M. D. Joner

    (Brigham Young University)

  • G. N. Kimeridze

    (Abastumani Observatory, Mt. Kanobili)

  • S. A. Klimanov

    (Pulkovo Observatory)

  • J. Knött

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • E. N. Kopatskaya

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • S. O. Kurtanidze

    (Abastumani Observatory, Mt. Kanobili
    Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte)

  • A. Kurtenkov

    (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

  • T. Kuutma

    (Centro de Estudios de Física del Cosmos de Aragón)

  • E. G. Larionova

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • S. Leonini

    (Montarrenti Observatory)

  • H. C. Lin

    (National Central University)

  • C. Lorey

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • K. Mannheim

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG
    Universität Würzburg)

  • G. Marino

    (Gruppo Astrofili Catanesi (GAC)
    Wild Boar Remote Observatory)

  • M. Minev

    (University of Sofia)

  • D. O. Mirzaqulov

    (Ulugh Beg Astronomical Institute)

  • D. A. Morozova

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • A. A. Nikiforova

    (St. Petersburg State University
    Pulkovo Observatory)

  • M. G. Nikolashvili

    (Abastumani Observatory, Mt. Kanobili
    Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität Heidelberg, Landessternwarte)

  • E. Ovcharov

    (University of Sofia)

  • R. Papini

    (Wild Boar Remote Observatory)

  • T. Pursimo

    (Nordic Optical Telescope
    Aarhus University)

  • I. Rahimov

    (Russian Academy of Sciences)

  • D. Reinhart

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • T. Sakamoto

    (Aoyama Gakuin University)

  • F. Salvaggio

    (Gruppo Astrofili Catanesi (GAC)
    Wild Boar Remote Observatory)

  • E. Semkov

    (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

  • D. N. Shakhovskoy

    (Crimean Astrophysical Observatory RAS)

  • L. A. Sigua

    (Abastumani Observatory, Mt. Kanobili)

  • R. Steineke

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • M. Stojanovic

    (Astronomical Observatory Belgrade)

  • A. Strigachev

    (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)

  • Y. V. Troitskaya

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • I. S. Troitskiy

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • A. Tsai

    (National Central University)

  • A. Valcheva

    (University of Sofia)

  • A. A. Vasilyev

    (St. Petersburg State University)

  • O. Vince

    (Astronomical Observatory Belgrade)

  • L. Waller

    (Naturwissenschaftliches Labor für Schüler am FKG)

  • E. Zaharieva

    (University of Sofia)

  • R. Chatterjee

    (Presidency University)

Abstract

Blazars are active galactic nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets whose non-thermal radiation is extremely variable on various timescales1–3. This variability seems mostly random, although some quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), implying systematic processes, have been reported in blazars and other AGN. QPOs with timescales of days or hours are especially rare4 in AGN and their nature is highly debated, explained by emitting plasma moving helically inside the jet5, plasma instabilities6,7 or orbital motion in an accretion disc7,8. Here we report results of intense optical and γ-ray flux monitoring of BL Lacertae (BL Lac) during a dramatic outburst in 2020 (ref. 9). BL Lac, the prototype of a subclass of blazars10, is powered by a 1.7 × 108 MSun (ref. 11) black hole in an elliptical galaxy (distance = 313 megaparsecs (ref. 12)). Our observations show QPOs of optical flux and linear polarization, and γ-ray flux, with cycles as short as approximately 13 h during the highest state of the outburst. The QPO properties match the expectations of current-driven kink instabilities6 near a recollimation shock about 5 parsecs (pc) from the black hole in the wake of an apparent superluminal feature moving down the jet. Such a kink is apparent in a microwave Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) image.

Suggested Citation

  • S. G. Jorstad & A. P. Marscher & C. M. Raiteri & M. Villata & Z. R. Weaver & H. Zhang & L. Dong & J. L. Gómez & M. V. Perel & S. S. Savchenko & V. M. Larionov & D. Carosati & W. P. Chen & O. M. Kurtan, 2022. "Rapid quasi-periodic oscillations in the relativistic jet of BL Lacertae," Nature, Nature, vol. 609(7926), pages 265-268, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:609:y:2022:i:7926:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05038-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05038-9
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