Time Series Analysis of the Blazar OJ 287

POSTER

Abstract

Blazars are a subset of active galactic nuclei (AGN) where the light is viewed along the jet of radiation produced by the central supermassive black hole. These very luminous objects vary in brightness and are associated with the cores of distant galaxies. The blazar, OJ 287, has been monitored and its brightness tracked over time. From these light curves the relationship between the characteristic ``break frequency'' and black hole mass can be determined through the use of power density spectra. In order to obtain a well-sampled light curve, this blazar was observed at a wide range of timescales. Long time scales were obtained using archived light curves from published literature. Medium time scales were obtained through a combination of data provided by Western Kentucky University and data collected at The Bank of Kentucky Observatory. Short time scales were achieved via a single night of observation at the 72'' Perkins Telescope at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ. Using time series analysis, we present a revised mass estimate for the super massive black hole of OJ 287. This object is of particular interest because it may harbor a binary black hole at its center.

Authors

  • Ellen Gamel

    Thomas More College

  • Wes Ryle

    Thomas More College

  • J.K. Hwang

    Western Kentucky University, University of Pardubice, Francis Marion University, Clemson University Professor, Francis Marion University Professor, Undergraduate Administrator, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Austin Peay State University, University Strenwarte-Muenchen, Seoul National University, Gatton Academy for Science and Mathematics, Alabama A\&M University, Cygnus, Center for Nanophase Materials Science at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Vanderbilt University, Fisk Univ, 2Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, NOVA Center, Western Kentucky University, Department of Physics, Florida A\&M University, Tallahassee, FL-32307, Correlated Electron Materials Group, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6061 USA, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA, The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Clark Atlanta University, Deapartment of Physics \& Astronomy, Georgia State University, USA, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2A7, Canada, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, University of South Alabama, Samford University, University of Rochester, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico State University, University of Tennessee Space Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, Georgia State University, Atlanta GA, University of Alabama at Birmingham, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Prairie View A\&M University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, University of Southern Indiana, Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, JINR(Dubna), Tsinghua Univ., LBNL, Vanderbilt Univ., Vanderbilt Univ./Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, Vanderbilt Univ./Univ. of Kentucky, GANIL, Vanderbilt Univ./Union Univ., JINR, ORAU, Tsinghua University, LNBL