Exploring blazars through sonification. Visual and auditory insights into multifrequency variability
Abstract
Using open astronomical multifrequency databases, we constructed light curves and developed a comprehensive visualisation and sonification analysis for the blazars Mrk~501, Mrk~1501, Mrk~421, BL~Lacerta, AO~0235+164, 3C~66A, OJ~049, OJ~287, and PKS~J2134-0153. This study employed Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) and Parameter Mapping Sonification (PMSon) techniques to generate waveforms, spectrograms, and sonifications. These representations demonstrate that data visualisation and sonification are powerful tools for analysing astronomical objects like blazars, providing insights into their multifrequency variability. This work highlights how sonification and visualisation can aid in identifying potential patterns, power variations, regularities, and gaps in the data. This multimodal approach also underscores the importance of inclusivity in scientific communication, offering accessible methods for exploring the complex behaviour of blazars.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2502.01929,
title = {Exploring blazars through sonification. Visual and auditory insights into multifrequency variability},
author = {Gustavo Magallanes-Guijón and Sergio Mendoza},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2502.01929},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
16 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in RASTI (RAS Techniques and Instruments)