Short term optical variability in broad absorption line QSOs
Abstract
We present the first results from a pilot programme to monitor the short term optical variability in Broad Absorption Line system QSOs. Intra-night optical variations of ~5% were detected on time scales of ~ one hour in QSOs 0846+156 and 0856+172. Further, the mean magnitude level decreased in the two objects by ~0.05 and ~0.15 magnitude respectively during the period of our observations. The observed light curves are quite similar to those previously seem in the flat spectrum radio-loud sources, especially the BL Lacertae objects, and can provide important constraints for the origin of microvariability, and also a possible evolutionary link between the radio-loud and the radio-quiet QSOs.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/9712294,
title = {Short term optical variability in broad absorption line QSOs},
author = {G. C. Anupama and Arati Chokshi},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/9712294},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
12 pages Latex file uses AASTEX, 2 Postscript figures. To appear in ApJ Letters