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Investigation of the Flaring Activity of BL Lac in July–November 2021

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Abstract

The source BL Lac exhibited an enhanced activity from August 2020 to July 2022. This activity peaked in July–August 2021. In this period the source reached historic brightness maxima in various energy ranges. Observations of this nonstandard maximum were carried out by the SAI staff of the Crimean Station of SAI and with the telescopes of the Caucasus Mountain Observatory (CMO SAI MSU). Optical and near-infrared photometric data as well as optical polarimetric data were obtained. When investigating the correlation between the optical and gamma-ray fluxes and between the optical and infrared fluxes, its high degree with an almost zero lag was confirmed—this means that the emission regions spatially coincide or are very close together. The degree of linear polarization in the investigated period changed in a wide range, reaching 20\({\%}\), with an anticorrelation between the degree of linear polarization and the brightness of the object having been observed. A similar pattern of variation was also observed in the preceding flares of this object. The changes in the electric vector position angle (EVPA) show a dependence on the rate of change of the object’s brightness. The EVPA changed greatly during flares and slowly at the times of a slow change in the intensity.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was carried out using the acquired equipment and the equipment designed by the SAI staff through the funds of the MSU Development Program. The Leading Scientific School ‘‘Physics of Stars, Relativistic Objects, and Galaxies’’ and we thank the Interdisciplinary Scientific–Educational School of MSU ‘‘Fundamental and Applied Space Research for the support. The work of M. Phirkov was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation within the Program of Funding Major Science Projects of the ‘‘Nauka’’ National Project (project no. 075-15-2020-778).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sternberg Astronomical Institute (SAI MSU), Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    L. S. Ugol’kova, M. S. Pshirkov, V. P. Goranskij, N. P. Ikonnikova, B. S. Safonov, A. M. Tatarnikov, E. V. Shimanovskaya, M. A. Burlak & M. D. Afonina

  2. Pushchino Radio Astronomy Observatory, Astrospace Center, Lebedev Institute of Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290, Pushchino, Moscow oblast, Russia

    M. S. Pshirkov

  3. Special Astrophysical Observatory, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nizhnij Arkhyz, Russia

    V. P. Goranskij

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  1. L. S. Ugol’kova
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  2. M. S. Pshirkov
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Correspondence to L. S. Ugol’kova.

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Translated by V. Astakhov

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Ugol’kova, L.S., Pshirkov, M.S., Goranskij, V.P. et al. Investigation of the Flaring Activity of BL Lac in July–November 2021. Astron. Lett. 49, 216–228 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063773723050067

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1063773723050067

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