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Long Term Monitoring of AGNs with Bell Astrophysical Observatory

Long Term Monitoring of AGNs with Bell Astrophysical Observatory. Whitney Wills Western Kentucky University Advisor: Dr. Michael Carini. Manufacturer: Group 128 Primary Diameter: 0.6m f-ratio: 11 Design: True Cassegrain Started building in 1975. Bell Astrophysical Observatory.

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Long Term Monitoring of AGNs with Bell Astrophysical Observatory

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  1. Long Term Monitoring of AGNs with Bell Astrophysical Observatory Whitney Wills Western Kentucky University Advisor: Dr. Michael Carini

  2. Manufacturer: Group 128 Primary Diameter: 0.6m f-ratio: 11 Design: True Cassegrain Started buildingin 1975 Bell Astrophysical Observatory

  3. Refurbishment 1999-2000 Apogee Ap2p CCD camera Image scale: 0.59arc/pixel, binned 2x2 Bell Astrophysical Observatory

  4. Major Projects at Bell • AGN Monitoring – Dr. Michael Carini • Transiting Extra Solar Planets – Dr. Charles McGruder • Monitoring of Wolf-Rayet Stars – Dr. Sergey Marchenko • HOU – Dr. Barnaby • Jupiter and Saturn Week 2002-2003

  5. Observations • Student run sessions from WKU’s campus or onsite • 3-180 second images in red filter

  6. What are Active Galactic Nuclei? 1 Normal galaxy

  7. Normal Galaxies Spiral: M31 Elliptical: M87 Irregular: LMC

  8. What are Active Galactic Nuclei? 1 Normal galaxy + 1 super massive black hole at center

  9. Super Massive Black Hole

  10. What are Active Galactic Nuclei? 1 Normal galaxy + 1 super massive black hole at center + 1 accretion disk

  11. Accretion Disk

  12. What are Active Galactic Nuclei? 1 Normal galaxy + 1 super massive black hole at center + 1 accretion disk + 2 relativistic jets of material

  13. Relativistic Jets

  14. What are Active Galactic Nuclei? 1 Normal galaxy + 1 super massive black hole at center + 1 accretion disk + 2 relativistic jets of material =AGN

  15. Active Galactic Nuclei

  16. What are BL Lacertae Objects? • The most extreme example of an AGN • Highly variable polarization • Featureless optical spectra • Highly variable continuum emission at all wavelengths

  17. Why Study Them? • Featureless continuum means continuum radiation is the only diagnostic • They vary so why not? • Variability is not regular, can’t get a few cycles and be finished • Models of AGNs need data • Dr. Carini needs something to keep him out of trouble

  18. Reductions • Image Reduction and Analysis Facility (IRAF) • Removed background and thermal noise from the pictures (Bias and Dark levels) and removed non-linearity (flat field) • Measured the brightness inside a circular aperture centered on the star

  19. Before Reduction

  20. After Reduction

  21. Finding the Aperture • Used an image examiner tool in IRAF • Found the full width, half max of the point spread function of the object and each of the comparison stars • Took the average of the fwhm and used it as the aperture radius in a parameter in IRAF

  22. Calculating Magnitudes & Errors • Take the magnitude • Subtract comparison star(s) from the object (gives a difference) • Add back the standard value of the comp stars • Gives the mag value of your observation • Do this for each image during the observation then average and take the standard deviation between each of the images

  23. Results - Light CurvesBL Lac

  24. Results - Light CurvesOJ 287

  25. Results - Light Curves3C 66A

  26. Results - Light CurvesAO 0235+164

  27. Results - Light CurvesMRK 501

  28. Results - Light Curves3C 454.3

  29. Telescope Operators: Dr. Michael Carini Dr. David Barnaby Ashley Atkerson D. Allen Glass Tala Monroe Charles Poteet Wes Ryle Whitney Wills Data Analysts: Dr. Michael Carini Whitney Wills Acknowledgements This project has been supported by NASA, the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and the Applied Research and Technology Program at WKU

  30. Questions?

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