Analyzing polarization swings in 3C 279
arXiv:1311.3126 · doi:10.1051/epjconf/20136106003
Abstract
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.
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)"
References in corpus (7)
- Probing the Inner Jet of the Quasar PKS 1510-089 with Multi-waveband Monitoring during Strong Gamma-ray Activity
- A change in the optical polarization associated with a gamma-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279
- SMARTS optical and infrared monitoring of 12 gamma-ray bright blazars
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Cited by in corpus (7)
- RoboPol: First season rotations of optical polarization plane in blazars
- RoboPol: Connection between optical polarization plane rotations and gamma-ray flares in blazars
- The RINGO2 and DIPOL Optical Polarisation Catalogue of Blazars
- Polarization Signatures of Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamic Shocks in the Blazar Emission Region - I. Force-free Helical Magnetic Fields
- Synchrotron emission from the blazar PG 1553+113. An analysis of its flux and polarization variability
- Multiwavelength flaring activity of PKS1510-089
- Multiwavelength analysis of brightness variations of 3C~279: Probing the relativistic jet structure and its evolution