Ivan Agudo, Alan P. Marscher, Svetlana G. Jorstad, Valeri M. Larionov, Jose L. Gomez, Anne Lahteenmaki, Paul S. Smith, Kari Nilsson, Anthony C. S. Readhead, Margo F. Aller, Jochen Heidt, Mark Gurwell, Clemens Thum, Ann E. Wehrle, Omar M. Kurtanidze
We locate the gamma-ray and lower frequency emission in flares of the BL Lac
object AO 0235+164 at >12pc in the jet of the source from the central engine.
We employ time-dependent multi-spectral-range flux and linear polarization
monitoring observations, as well as ultra-high resolution (~0.15
milliarcsecond) imaging of the jet structure at lambda=7mm. The time
coincidence in the end of 2008 of the propagation of the brightest superluminal
feature detected in AO 0235+164 (Qs) with an extreme multi-spectral-range
(gamma-ray to radio) outburst, and an extremely high optical and 7mm (for Qs)
polarization degree provides strong evidence supporting that all these events
are related. This is confirmed at high significance by probability arguments
and Monte-Carlo simulations. These simulations show the unambiguous correlation
of the gamma-ray flaring state in the end of 2008 with those in the optical,
millimeter, and radio regime, as well as the connection of a prominent X-ray
flare in October 2008, and of a series of optical linear polarization peaks,
with the set of events in the end of 2008. The observations are interpreted as
the propagation of an extended moving perturbation through a re-collimation
structure at the end of the jet's acceleration and collimation zone.
View original:
http://arxiv.org/abs/1112.1385
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