PKS 1424-418

PKS 1424-418
The blazar PKS 1424-418
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
ConstellationCentaurus
Right ascension14h 27m 56.297s
Declination−42° 06′ 19.438″
Redshift1.522000
Heliocentric radial velocity456,824 km/s
Distance9.439 Gly
Apparent magnitude (V)17.7
Apparent magnitude (B)18.48
Characteristics
TypeBlazar; HPQ, FRSQ
Other designations
LEDA 2827996, PMN J1427-4206, 4FGL J1427.9-4206, WMAP 191, G4Jy 1168

PKS 1424-418 is a blazar[1] located in the constellation of Centaurus. It has a redshift of 1.522[2][3] and was first discovered in 1971 by astronomer Keith Peter Tritton who identified the object as ultraviolet-excessive.[4] This object is also highly polarized with a compact radio source.[5] The radio spectrum of this source appears flat, making it a flat-spectrum radio quasar.[6]

PKS 1424-418 is found optically variable on the electromagnetic spectrum.[7] It is a strong source of gamma rays.[8][9] Between 2008 and 2011, PKS 1424-418 showed four phases of bright flares at GeV energies. The flares have a high correlation between the energy ranges with the exception of one flare that occurred at the same time it showed low gamma activity.[10] In April 2013, it underwent a major gamma ray outburst with its peak flux reaching values of F(> 100 MeV) > 3 x 10−6 ph cm−2 s−1. According to Large Area Telescope observations, this emission originated beyond its broad-line region.[11] A near-infrared flare was witnessed in PKS 1424–418 in January 2018.[12] In August 2022, it once again displayed an episode of rapid flaring activity in both gamma ray and optical bands.[13]

PKS 1424-418 contains a radio structure, comprising a strong radio core and a weaker component with a position angle of 260°.[5] Further observations also showed the core has a size of 0.4 mas with extended emission at both the core's position and northwest.[14] In addition, the core has a flat spectral index of -0.04.[5] A jet is seen extending west from the core before becoming diffused.[15]

Between May 2009 and September 2019, the gamma ray emission from PKS 1424-418 was found to undergo a quasi-periodic oscillation with a 353-day flux oscillation period.[16][17] A 355-day period with high significance level is also confirmed by adopting time domain methods.[18] This might be explained by orbital motion of a binary supermassive black hole system with the mass of a primary black hole being M ~ 3.5 x 108 - 5.5 x 109 Mʘ.[19]

  1. ^ Abhir, J.; Joseph, J.; Patel, S. R.; Bose, D. (2021-02-01). "Multi-frequency temporal and spectral variability study of blazar PKS 1424-418". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 501 (2): 2504–2511. arXiv:2009.08220. Bibcode:2021MNRAS.501.2504A. doi:10.1093/mnras/staa3639. ISSN 0035-8711.
  2. ^ Yang, Jianping; Cao, Gang; Zhou, Bing; Qin, Longhua (2021-01-26). "Quasi-periodic Oscillation of Blazar PKS 1424–418 in γ-Ray Band". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 133 (1020): 024101. Bibcode:2021PASP..133b4101Y. doi:10.1088/1538-3873/abd152. ISSN 0004-6280.
  3. ^ White, Graeme L.; Jauncey, David L.; Wright, Alan E.; Batty, Michael J.; Savage, Ann; Peterson, Bruce A.; Gulkis, Sam (April 1988). "Redshifts of southern radio sources. VII". The Astrophysical Journal. 327: 561. Bibcode:1988ApJ...327..561W. doi:10.1086/166216. ISSN 0004-637X.
  4. ^ Tritton, K. P. (1971-12-01). "Spectroscopy and Photography of Southern Hemisphere Quasar Identifications". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 155 (1): 1P–2P. doi:10.1093/mnras/155.1.1p. ISSN 0035-8711.
  5. ^ a b c Shen, Z.Q.; Wan, T.S.; Moran, J.M.; Jauncey, D.L.; Reynolds, J.E.; Tzioumis, A.K.; Gough, R.G.; Ferris, R.H.; Sinclair, M.W.; Jiang, D.R.; Hong, X.Y.; Liang, S.G. (April 1998). "A 5 GHz Southern Hemisphere VLBI Survey of Compact Radio Sources. II". The Astronomical Journal. 115 (4): 1357–1370. arXiv:astro-ph/9803104. Bibcode:1998AJ....115.1357S. doi:10.1086/300284.
  6. ^ Ciprini, Stefano; Cutini, Sara (2013-01-01). "Swift detection of increased X-ray activity from gamma-ray flaring blazar PKS 1424-41". The Astronomer's Telegram. 4770: 1. Bibcode:2013ATel.4770....1C.
  7. ^ Shun, Zhang; Tingfeng, Yi; Zhiyuan, Pu; Na, Wang; Zhihui, Chen; Junping, Chen; Li, Ma (2023-07-15). "Study on Optical Variability of Blazar PKS 1424-41 in Multiband". Astronomical Techniques and Instruments. 20 (4): 275–282. doi:10.14005/j.cnki.issn1672-7673.20230428.003. ISSN 2097-3675.
  8. ^ Verrecchia, F.; Pittori, C.; Piano, G.; Tavani, M.; Panebianco, G.; Bulgarelli, A.; Fioretti, V.; Parmiggiani, N.; Addis, A.; Baroncelli, L.; Di Piano, A.; Lucarelli, F.; Vercellone, S.; Cardillo, M.; Ursi, A. (2022-12-01). "AGILE detection of increasing gamma-ray activity of blazar PKS 1424-418". The Astronomer's Telegram. 15818: 1. Bibcode:2022ATel15818....1V.
  9. ^ D'Ammando, F.; Orienti, M.; Longo, F.; Jankowsky, F.; Schwemmer, S.; Wagn, S. (2013-01-01). "Detection of a strong optical and gamma-ray flare from blazar PKS 1424-41". The Astronomer's Telegram. 4714: 1. Bibcode:2013ATel.4714....1D.
  10. ^ Buson, S.; Longo, F.; Larsson, S.; Cutini, S.; Finke, J.; Ciprini, S.; Ojha, R.; D’Ammando, F.; Donato, D.; Thompson, D. J.; Desiante, R.; Bastieri, D.; Wagner, S.; Hauser, M.; Fuhrmann, L. (2014-09-01). "Unusual flaring activity in the blazar PKS 1424−418 during 2008−2011". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 569: A40. arXiv:1407.0299. Bibcode:2014A&A...569A..40B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201423367. ISSN 0004-6361.
  11. ^ Tavecchio, F.; Pacciani, L.; Donnarumma, I.; Stamerra, A.; Isler, J.; MacPherson, E.; Urry, C. M. (2013-07-22). "The far emission region of the γ-ray blazar PKS B1424–418". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 435 (1): L24–L28. arXiv:1306.0734. doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slt087. ISSN 1745-3933.
  12. ^ Nesci, R.; Ojha, R.; Kadler, M. (2018-01-01). "Exceptional NIR flare in gamma-ray loud FSRQ PKS B1424-418". The Astronomer's Telegram. 11235: 1. Bibcode:2018ATel11235....1N.
  13. ^ Kadler, Matthias; Stevens, Jamie; Ojha, Roopesh; Edwards, Philip G.; Roesch, Florian (2022-08-01). "ATCA finds a long-term radio outburst of PKS1424-418 coincident with optical/gamma-ray flaring activity". The Astronomer's Telegram. 15536: 1. Bibcode:2022ATel15536....1K.
  14. ^ Dodson, R.; Fomalont, E. B.; Wiik, K.; Horiuchi, S.; Hirabayashi, H.; Edwards, P. G.; Murata, Y.; Asaki, Y.; Moellenbrock, G. A.; Scott, W. K.; Taylor, A. R.; Gurvits, L. I.; Paragi, Z.; Frey, S.; Shen, Z.-Q. (April 2008). "The VSOP 5 GHz Active Galactic Nucleus Survey. V. Imaging Results for the Remaining 140 Sources". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 175 (2): 314–355. arXiv:0710.5707. Bibcode:2008ApJS..175..314D. doi:10.1086/525025. ISSN 0067-0049.
  15. ^ Marshall, H. L.; Schwartz, D. A.; Lovell, J. E. J.; Murphy, D. W.; Worrall, D. M.; Birkinshaw, M.; Gelbord, J. M.; Perlman, E. S.; Jauncey, D. L. (January 2005). "A Chandra Survey of Quasar Jets: First Results". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. 156 (1): 13–33. arXiv:astro-ph/0409566. Bibcode:2005ApJS..156...13M. doi:10.1086/425578. ISSN 0067-0049.
  16. ^ Bhatta, Gopal; Dhital, Niraj (March 2020). "The Nature of γ-Ray Variability in Blazars". The Astrophysical Journal. 891 (2): 120. arXiv:1911.08198. Bibcode:2020ApJ...891..120B. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7455. ISSN 0004-637X.
  17. ^ Bhatta, Gopal; Dhital, Niraj (March 2020). "The Nature of γ-Ray Variability in Blazars". The Astronomical Journal. 891 (2): 120. arXiv:1911.08198. Bibcode:2020ApJ...891..120B. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7455.
  18. ^ Chen, Junping; Yu, Jinjie; Huang, Weitian; Ding, Nan (2024-02-08). "Transient quasi-periodic oscillations in the gamma-ray light curves of bright blazars". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 528 (4): 6807–6822. arXiv:2401.10658. doi:10.1093/mnras/stae416. ISSN 0035-8711.
  19. ^ Yang, Jianping; Cao, Gang; Zhou, Bing; Qin, Longhua (2021-01-26). "Quasi-periodic Oscillation of Blazar PKS 1424–418 in γ-Ray Band". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 133 (1020): 024101. Bibcode:2021PASP..133b4101Y. doi:10.1088/1538-3873/abd152. ISSN 0004-6280.