Microvariabilidad en la polarizacion optica del blazar 3C279

ANDRUCHOW, I.; CELLONE, SERGIO A.; ROMERO, GUSTAVO E.

Ciudad Autonoma, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; 45 Reunion de la Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia; 2002

Asociacion Argentina de Astronomia

We report the results of an optical (V band) polarization monitoringwith very high time resolution of the blazar 3C279 using the 2.15-mCASLEO telescope (San Juan, Argentina). We have found strong changesof 10 % over timescales of 3 nights in the degree of linearpolarization of this object. Superposed to this variability there aresmall intranight fluctuations with amplitudes of a few percent. Thepolarization angle was more stable during the first 3 observing nights,but it experienced a rapid change of 10 deg. in the last 24hours. This behaviour is among the most extreme polarization changesreported in the literature over such a short timescales.  The origin ofthe phenomenon is probably related to relativistic perturbations(e.g. shock waves) in the inner jet of the source.