Multifrequency observations of the flaring quasar 1156+295.
Spinrad, H.; Impey, C.; Pollock, J. T.; Huggins, P. J.; Henry, R. B. C.; Kinney, A. L.; Bregman, J. N.; Glassgold, A. E.; Aller, H. D.; Aller, M. F.; Hodge, P. E.; Pica, A. J.; Leacock, R. J.; Smith, A. G.; Balonek, T. J.; Dent, W. A.; O'Dea, C. P.; Miller, J. S.; Neugebauer, G.; Webb, J. R.; Wisniewski, W. Z.; Jeske, N.
United States
Abstract
A report is presented on the optically violent variable quasar 1156+295, known also as 4C 29.45 and Ton 599. A large outburst of this quasar was discovered in April 1981 in the course of a program to obtain simultaneous multifrequency spectra of variable quasars. Ultraviolet observations taken with the International Ultraviolet Explorer satellite were coordinated with ground-based observations at radio, infrared, and optical wavelengths. Measurements were made at four epochs starting immediately after the outburst was discovered, when the B-magnitude was 14.0, and at intervals of 4 days, 60 days and 1 year. The luminosity integrated only over observed wavelength bands was approximately 3 x 10 to the 48th ergs/sec on the first epoch of observation. Modeling of the source with a synchrotron self-Compton model suggests that the core of the source has a linear dimension of 0.01 pc, a magnetic field strength in the range 0.1-30 gauss, and a bulk relativistic motion in the quasar rest frame characterized by a Lorentz factor in the range 2-8.