Global ETD Search

1	Detection of Microvariability in a New Class of Blazar-Like AGN Maune, Jeremy 12 August 2014 (has links) Recent research has lead to the possible discovery of a new class of gamma-ray emitting ac- tive galactic nuclei (AGN). These objects – the very radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLSy1s)– demonstrate observational features suggesting that they are similar to blazars. One of the key characteristics of blazars is the presence of high-amplitude optical microvariability. While this phenomenon has been investigated in individual objects, no study of the intra-night variability of radio-loud NLSy1s as a class has previously been available. This dissertation presents a sys- tematic search for optical variability in a sample of 33 radio-loud NLSy1s. It was found that 26 objects demonstrated microvariations. However, only 9 objects did so with duty cycles comparable to blazars, and only 7 of these 9 objects — J0706+3901, J0849+5108, J0948+0022, J1246+0238, PKS 1502+036, J1644+2619, and IRAS 20181-2244 — demonstrated microvariability at compa- rable amplitudes. Two objects stand out as exceptional sources. J0849+5108 was found to have a duty cycle of ~90% and was observed to undergo an enormous 4-magnitude optical flare in a two-month time span. The object has not been reported to have undergone such an event since 1975. The second object, J0948+0022, is the class prototype. High cadence data indicates that J0948+0022 has a remarkably rapid doubling time scale of ~40 minutes, and it was seen to vary by over 0.9 magnitudes within an individual night. Attempts to correlate microvariability to radio loudness, gamma-ray loudness, and other parameters were largely unsuccessful. However, it was found that only radio-loud NLSy1s that were detected at gamma-ray energies demonstrated microvariability at blazar-like duty cycles. Additionally, an analysis of the frequency of microvariations at various amplitudes suggests that the sample of radio-loud NLSy1s presented in this study share a parent population identical to low energy peaked BL Lac-type (LBL) blazars. This is in agreement with the work of astronomers such as Abdo et al. 2009, who have created spectral energy distributions for a few radio-loud NLSy1s and found them to resemble those of LBLs. Blazar-like variability was found in multiple objects with radio loudnesses of log(R) < 2, suggesting that even moderately radio-loud NLSy1s may be blazar-like objects. Astronomy Active galactic nuclei Blazars Microvariability Radio-loud Seyfert galaxies
2	Microvariability of the Blazar 3C279 Clemmons, Hannah M 01 December 2010 (has links) Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are some of the most extreme objects in the universe. They output copious amounts of energy spanning the entire electromagnetic spectrum. There are many different subclasses of AGN depending on your viewing angle. Blazars, viewing down the relativistic jet, are the most variable class of AGN known. They exhibit extreme variability in all wavelengths on timescales as short as minutes. In this thesis I will consider the extreme faintness of 3C279 with respect to the long-term light curve as well as recent observations of microvariability. I am able to confirm small amplitude events using simultaneous observations from two telescopes and cross correlation analysis. Transitory quasi-periodic oscillations are observed during two of the nights with confirmed microvariability. Active galactic nuclei AGN Blazars 3C279 Microvariability Astrophysics and Astronomy Physics
3	Optical Polarimetry and Gamma-Ray Observations of a Sample of Radio-Loud Narrow Line Seyfert 1 Galaxies Eggen, Joseph 12 August 2014 (has links) The recent discovery of a new population of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) – the Radio Loud Narrow Line Seyfert 1 (RL NLS1) galaxies – at g-ray energies by Fermi has prompted intense interest among researchers, as evidence mounts that these objects may in fact compose a new class of blazars. If RL NLS1s are indeed a new class of blazars, or at least analogous to them, then the detection of certain blazar-like properties would be expected. These properties include significant variability at all wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum and on timescales from minutes to years, significant & variable polarization in the radio and optical regimes, significant & variable high-energy emissions (especially in the g-ray regime), and a double-peaked structure of their spectral energy distributions. This dissertation seeks to characterize several of these properties for RL NLS1s as a class. These include the degree to which these objects are polarized and the variability of this property, the detection and characterization of these sources at g-ray energies with the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi spacecraft, and the degree to which these properties are interdependent. A photopolarimetric survey (the first of its kind for this class of objects) and g-ray monitoring program were conducted by the author in order to obtain the data necessary for this project. The measurements obtained via these observations are used to characterize this interesting class of objects with respect to a sample of blazars. In general, it was found that the polarizations of these objects fall between radio-quiet NLS1s and FSRQ-type blazars, and were most similar to HBL-type blazars. The 7 RL NLS1s in this sample that had been detected above a Test Statistic (TS) of 25 by Fermi/LAT were most similar to FSRQs, while 9 objects detected in the interval 9 < TS < 25 shared several properties with HBLs. Two RL NLS1s - J1443+4725 and J1644+2619 - are identified as high-confidence (TS > 25) g-ray sources for the first time, bringing the total number of members of this class firmly detected at g-ray energies to 8. The gamma-ray spectra of RL NLS1s are similar to FSRQs, though some have steeper spectra. Astronomy Active galactic nuclei Blazars Microvariability Radio-loud Seyfert galaxies Gamma-rays Polarimetry
4	New Multiwavelength Variability and Optical Microvariability Investigations of X-ray and Radio Selected Blazars Osterman, Margaret Angela 04 December 2007 (has links) The extreme AGN known as blazars can be classified based on their spectral properties into X-ray and radio selected objects, known as XBLs and RBLs, respectively. In this work, the results of new multiwavelength campaigns are presented for two XBLs and two RBLs. Each campaign contains simultaneous observations in the radio, optical, and X-ray regimes. A campaign on a third RBL was completed using near-simultaneous archival radio, optical/IR, and gamma-ray data. The simultaneous multiwavelength behavior exhibited in each campaign was analyzed by examining the multiwavelength variability and using spectral analysis. Observations of prominent optical microvariability were quantitatively analyzed. Previously published results for other blazars were compared to the new and archival results. Many interesting results emerged from these investigations. PG 1553+11, a radio-weak blazar, was found to be an extreme XBL. During three campaigns performed for the XBL PKS 2155-304, different variability behavior was observed each time. In a high flux state, the X-ray behavior was strongly correlated with the optical behavior. In a weak state, the X-ray and optical behaviors were not correlated. In an intermediate state, the X-ray behavior was somewhat correlated with the optical behavior. CTA 102, an RBL, exhibited some of the most extreme optical microvariability ever observed, including a brightening of about 0.07 magnitudes in less than 15 minutes. Surprisingly, the optical spectra of RBLs CTA 102, PKS 1622-297, and 3C 345 were found to become redder when in a brighter flux state. The RBLs all exhibited large amplitude optical microvariability. The campaigns on PG 1553+11, CTA 102, and PKS 1622-297 were the first simultaneous multiwavelength campaigns performed for these objects. For objects in which the results of at least two campaigns were available, including PKS 2155-304, correlations that appeared to be present at one epoch seemed to vanish at other times. The SSC model represented many of the observations well. Color studies of the selected BL Lac objects found them to be bluer when brighter, while the selected FSRQs were found to be redder when brighter. These results provide strong motivation for future multiwavelength campaigns that provide broader wavelength and more extensive temporal coverage. optical microvariability multiwavelength variability active galaxies blazars astronomy Astrophysics and Astronomy Physics
5	Newswire Vice President Research, Office of the January 2008 (has links) No description available. Royal Soceity of Canada Mandarkranta Bose Institute of Asian Research David Brydges Mathematics Donald Douglas chemistry Charles Haynes Chemical and Biological Engineering Michael Smith Laboratories Brian MacVicar Psychiatry Marco Marra Medical Genetics BC Cancer Agency Jack Saddler Forestry Graeme Wynn geography Clarence W. de Silva Mechanical engineering Curtis Suttle Earth and Ocean Sciences Ann Marie Craig Ivar Ekeland Martha Cook Piper MOST Canadian Space Agency Jaymie Matthews Alzheimer’s Sadayuki Hashioka Liane Gabora cognitive psychology evolution Orthopedics ICORD Pro-Neck-Tor body language non-verbal expressions Sauder School of Business UBC Okanagan

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