Microvariability in the optical polarization of 3C 279

I. ANDRUCHOW; S. A. CELLONE; G. E. ROMERO; T. P. DOMINICI; Z. ABRAHAM

ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS

EDP Sciences

Lugar: Les Ulis Cedex A; Año: 2003 vol. 409 p. 857 - 865

0004-6361

Abstract. We present results of a microvariability polarization study in the violently variable quasar 3C279. We have resolved the polarization curves in the V band for this object down to timescales of minutes. We found two main components in the evolution of the degree of linear polarization, one consisting of a flicker with timescales of several tens of minutes and other component with far more significant variations on timescales of a few days. The linear polarization descended from 17% down to 8% in three nights. The polarization angle underwent a sudden change of more that 10 degrees in a few hours, perhaps indicating the injection of a new shock in the jet. The amplitude of the intranight flickering in the degree of polarization is at the level of 1%. These are probably the best sampled polarization data ever obtained for this object. We also performed IR observations and we provide a follow-up of the evolution of this source at such energies after the main polarization outburst.