arXiv subjects

Paul J. Wiita

Publications and source records attributed to Paul J. Wiita.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Detection of Quasiperiodic Oscillations in the Blazar PKS 0735+178 with TESS

We report here the detection of signatures of a quasiperiodic oscillation (QPO) and a short flare in the optical light curve of the blazar PKS 0735+178, observed in two sectors, 71 and 72, spanning around 49 days with the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite. The modest flare in sector 71 lasted ~4.3 days and appears as a combination of two sub-flares. In sector 72, a transient QPO with a period ~11.2 hours is detected at local and global significance levels of 4.11$σ$ and 3.06$σ$, respectively. We used weighted wavelet z transform, Lomb-Scargle periodogram, and phase dispersion minimization analysis techniques to look for and confirm the QPO feature. We also performed a segment-wise statistical inspection of these light curves and discuss here possible mechanisms that could explain the observed flux behavior.

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arXiv2026

Multi-band optical photometric variability of the blazar OJ 287 from 2015 to 2025

We present the most densely sampled multi-band optical photometric observations of the peculiar BL Lacertae object OJ 287 from 2015 to 2025 with a focus on its optical activity on diverse timescales. We present a total of 2296, 10927, 11484, and 2982 data points in B, V, R, and I bands, respectively. The densely sampled observations allow us to keep track of the source evolution that it has exhibited since the start of the predicted major optical flaring activity at the end of 2015. The study reveals clear and persistent bluer when brighter trends in both the long-term and short-term variations. Different bands were cross-correlated with discrete correlation functions, which peak at zero lag, implying co-spatial emission. Using eight optical spectra in the low flux states of OJ 287 taken from 2017 October 21 to 2017 November 22, from Steward Observatory, we estimate the central black hole mass to be at least 3.89 $\times \ \rm{10}^{9} \ \rm{M}_{\odot}$ from the [O III] line width. The emission mechanism of the binary black hole blazar, and its possible implication in various aspects of multi-messenger astronomy are briefly discussed.

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arXiv2026

Simulating megaparsec-scale jets of radio galaxies: Magneto-hydrodynamics of jets reaching 5 Mpc

Extragalactic jets have long prompted the question of how far relativistic outflows can extend, with some radio sources reaching 5 - 7 Mpc in length. These great extents motivate investigations into their ages, propagation dynamics, stability, and impact on the environment. We perform 3D high-resolution numerical simulations of two jet configurations involving continuous injection at different powers propagating in low-density regions of the cosmos (static and laminar), investigating the conditions for jet collimation versus disruption at extreme scales. We show that the combined effects of higher jet thrust (enhanced kinetic power), improved collimation (suppression of transverse distortions), and magnetic stabilization (strengthened poloidal field) can sustain a laterally confined flow, enabling such a jet to reach 5 Mpc in just 15 Myr (injecting a total energy of $2.3 \times 10^{61}$ erg into the environment). In contrast, a jet lacking these conditions dissipates more rapidly, forming lobe-like morphologies and reaching only $\sim 3$ Mpc over $\sim35$ Myr (injecting total energy of $8.1 \times 10^{60}$ erg). Pinch and kink MHD instabilities are identified as the primary drivers of transverse distortions; their suppression allows the persistence of a fast spine alongside a slower, dissipative head (location of maximum environmental interaction). We find that the jet-head propagation shows two regimes: one with speed $\sim0.5 c$; the other with speed from $\sim 0.2 c$ to $\sim 0.05 c$. We consider a proxy of synchrotron emission and find that radiation is concentrated in regions of enhanced compression and magnetic amplification, primarily near the first recollimation shock (producing a bright radio spot) and at the jet-head interaction zone (producing the radio termination lobe). Such jets facilitate the transport of substantial energy and magnetic flux into underdense cosmic regions.

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arXiv2026

Origin of the double-peaked narrow emission-lines in the optical spectra of X-shaped Radio Galaxies

We investigate X-shaped radio galaxies (XRGs) with optical double-peaked narrow emission lines (DPNELs) as potential hosts of dual or binary supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Using available optical spectra from the SDSS and DESI surveys, we identify 55 DPNEL sources among a sample of 187 XRGs. We find that the occurrence of [O III] DPNELs in XRGs is $\sim$30 %, which is substantially higher than the $\sim$1 % observed in the general galaxy population. Using optical (involving {[O III]$λ$5007}, H$α$, H$β$, {[N II]$λ$,6584}, and {[S II]$λλ$6716,6731}) and mid-infrared diagnostic diagrams, we found that both components are predominantly AGN-powered, implying a $\sim$95 % probability of hosting dual AGN systems. In comparison, a stellar-mass-, color-, and redshift-matched control sample of non-XRG DPNEL galaxies shows a lower dual AGN fraction, which depends strongly on radio luminosity, rising from ~25 % in radio-undetected to ~54 % in radio-detected galaxies, and reaching ~95 % in radio-bright XRGs and FR-II radio galaxies. Interestingly, more than 30 % of DPNEL XRGs have companion galaxies, supporting a merger-driven origin for these systems. Finally, we analyze parsec-scale radio structure in 7 XRGs using VLBA observations at 1.4, 4.3, and 7.6 GHz, resolving the core in only one source. Nevertheless, flat radio spectral indices, AGN-like emission-line properties, and radio-optical VLBA-Gaia positional offsets found in 5 cases together support the interpretation that XRGs are strong dual/binary AGN candidates.

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arXiv2026

Detection of optical quasi-periodic oscillation in the blazar 3C 454.3

We analyzed 19 years of $R$-band data of the blazar 3C 454.3 from the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) archive, along with new data from its members and from public archives such as those provided by the Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) and the Steward Observatory projects to search for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). We detected a QPO of $\sim$ 433 days using Lomb-Scargle periodogram, which lasted from MJD 54980--58450 as detected by the weighted wavelet Z-transform technique, making it one of the most persistent QPOs ever detected in the optical regime. The phase dispersion minimization technique was also performed to further validate this QPO claim. We detected this signal at a global significance of $2.53σ$ across all methodologies. To explain the observed QPO, we have considered both models focused on the accretion disk around the super-massive black hole (SMBH), and those based purely on jet emissions. Plausible jet-based models involve a shock moving down the jet in a helical magnetic field, whereas the SMBH models could involve Lense-Thirring effect-induced jet precession or dual jets in a binary SMBH system. We introduce a novel approach to distinguish genuine QPOs from spurious signals arising from annual seasonal gaps, a common limitation of ground-based observations.

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arXiv2026

X-Ray Spectral Variability of the TeV HBL Blazar PG 1553+113 with XMM-Newton

We present an extensive X-ray spectral variability study of the TeV photon-emitting high-energy-peaked BL Lacertae object PG 1553+113, using the data from EPIC-PN camera of XMM-Newton, which observed the source during its operational period from Sep 2001 to Nov 2024. X-ray spectra in this energy range, $0.6-7.0$ keV, were fitted with absorbed Power-law (PL) and absorbed Log-Parabola (LP) models. We found with 99$\%$ confidence that 14 of them were fit well by LP models having parameters in the range $α\simeq2.13-2.80$, and $β\simeq0.04-0.18$, one spectrum favours a LP model with $β<0$, while simple PL models with $Γ\simeq2.53-2.69$ were sufficient to describe the X-ray spectra of the remaining 15. Two of these 30 observations showed strong signatures of an additional inverse Compton component, while one showed weaker indications. On fitting joint Optical Monitor and EPIC-PN data with LP models, we found synchrotron peaks in the energy range of $ν_s\simeq4.59-48.61$ eV. This indicates that the spectral evolution is probably caused by variations in particle acceleration or cooling conditions within the jet.

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arXiv2026

Detection of quasi-periodic oscillations in the 37 GHz radio light curve of the blazar Ton 599 during 1990-2020

Blazars are a subclass of radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that display strong multi-wavelength variability on diverse timescales ranging from years down to minutes. In the last 1.5 decades, there have been occasional detections of quasi-periodic oscillations in several blazars in their time series data. We search for quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in the 37 GHz radio band light curve of the flat-spectrum radio quasar Ton~599 made at the RT-22 radio telescope in Simeiz, Crimea, from 1990 to 2020. To identify and quantify the QPO nature of this radio light curve of Ton 599, we used the Lomb-Scargle periodogram (LSP), REDFIT, and weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ) analyses. We report the detection of a likely QPO of about 2.4 years in the 37 GHz radio light curves of Ton 599. We briefly discuss possible emission models for radio-loud active galactic nuclei that could explain such QPOs with periods of a few years.

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arXiv2026

Variability Study and Searching for QPOs with day-like periods in the blazar S5 0716+714 with TESS

Using an unprecedented cadence of 30 minutes provided by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), we have examined the optical light curves (LCs) of the blazar S5 0716+714 obtained from its Sectors 40, 47, and 53 over a period of about 75 days. This source exhibited flux variability in each of those sectors, reaching a maximum variability amplitude of 5.6%. The power spectral density (PSD) shapes were tested with a simple power law and two distinct bending power laws and were found to be better fit by bending power laws than simple power laws for all but one of the segments. To look for any periodicities in these LCs, we used weighted wavelet Z (WWZ) transform analysis and generalized Lomb-Scargle periodograms (LSPs). We identified one possible quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) signature in a portion of sector 40 (period of ~6.5 h), having ~95% global significance. A statistical approach to assess the light curves involving continuous autoregressive moving average (CARMA) was implemented, and the light curves were found to follow more complex processes than the simplest and typical damped random walk process. We briefly discuss the statistical properties of the light curves along with the general variability features and physical processes that could cause these types of fluctuations.

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arXiv2025

Probable Quasi-Periodic Oscillations in the {\tt TESS} observations of blazars in the Swift X-ray Survey

This work presents possible quasi-periodic oscillations in the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite observations of blazars that are in the 157-month hard X-ray survey done by Swift's Burst Alert Telescope. We report observations from four sources, J1104.4+3812, J1654.0+3946, J0353.4-6830, and J1941.3-6216, that show at least 3$σ$ local significance in generalized Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform methods. These results are also checked using a continuous autoregressive moving average analysis that also predicts the absent data tentatively using stochastic differential equations. Each of these four sources exhibits a nominal QPO signal frequency in the range of 0.5--1.1 d$^{-1}$, resulting in at least 5 putative cycles. However, when the number of frequencies examined and the number of sources examined are both taken into account, the global significances are reduced to $\approx2.2σ$ for J1654.0+3964 (Mrk 501), and to $\approx1.9σ$ for other sources. These QPOs are thought to arise from the processes within the relativistic jet. Plausible explanations include the kink instability, which arises due to current-driven instabilities in the plasma or the precession of substructures, or mini-jets, within the jets.

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arXiv2025

Application of time-series analysis methods to a multiple-sector TESS observations: the case of the radio-loud blazar 3C 371

We present various time series analysis methods to analyze multiple-sector observations of bright AGN from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) and examine whether issues such as gaps and noise in these data can be mitigated. We determine variability timescales and search for quasi-periodicity using these methods and assess any differences. In this paper, we present an analysis of the $\approx$300-day TESS observation of a blazar 3C 371 using power spectrum density, structure-function, and weighted wavelet Z-transform approaches. To reduce the effect of gaps and noise, Continuous auto-regressive moving averages, Bartlett periodogram, and wavelet decomposition methods are used. We have also used recurrence analysis to account for the nonlinearity present in the data and to quantify variability or periodicity as the recurrent state. Considering the entirety of the TESS observations, we derive the variability timescale to be around 4.5 days. Sector-wise analysis found variability timescales in the range of 3.0--7.0 days, values that are found to be consistent using different methods. When analyzing multiple sectors together, significant variability, which could be quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs), of duration 3--6 days in individual segments, is detected. These may be attributed to the kink instabilities developed in the jet or the existence of mini-jets inside a jet undergoing precession. We find that these methods, when applied appropriately, can be used to study the variability in TESS data. The noise present in these TESS observations can be minimized using Bartlett's periodogram and wavelet decomposition to recover the real stochastic variability.

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arXiv2025

Identifying the secondary jet in the RadioAstron image of OJ~287

The 136 year long optical light curve of OJ~287 is explained by a binary black hole model where the secondary is in a 12 year orbit around the primary. Impacts of the secondary on the accretion disk of the primary generate a series of optical flares which follow a quasi-Keplerian relativistic mathematical model. The orientation of the binary in space is determined from the behavior of the primary jet. Here we ask how the jet of the secondary black hole projects onto the sky plane. Assuming that the jet is initially perpendicular to the disk, and that it is ballistic, we follow its evolution after the Lorentz transformation to the observer's frame. Since the orbital speed of the secondary is of the order of one-tenth of the speed of light, the result is a change in the jet direction by more than a radian during an orbital cycle. We match the theoretical jet line with the recent 12 $μ$as-resolution RadioAstron map of OJ~287, and determine the only free parameter of the problem, the apparent speed of the jet relative to speed of light. It turns out that the Doppler factor of the jet, $δ\sim5$, is much lower than in the primary jet. Besides following a unique shape of the jet path, the secondary jet is also distinguished by a different spectral shape than in the primary jet. The present result on the spectral shape agrees with the huge optical flare of 2021 November 12, also arising from the secondary jet.

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arXiv2025

Brightness and colour variability in NLSy1s

The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF), with its extensive optical monitoring capabilities, has provided an unprecedented opportunity to study the long-term variability of active galactic nuclei (AGNs). In this work, we present a comparative analysis of optical colour and brightness variability for two $\mathrm{log(L_{Bol})}-z$ matched samples, consisting of 2095 Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies and a control sample consisting of 2380 Broad-line Seyfert 1 (BLSy1) galaxies. Using over six years of r-band and g-band light curves from the ZTF Data Release 22 (DR22), we characterize flux variability, fractional flux variability, and amplitude of temporal variability for each source in the samples. Our results indicate that BLSy1 galaxies exhibit significantly stronger variability compared to NLSy1s. To probe colour variability, we utilize quasi-simultaneous light curves, with half-hour epoch differences between $\mathrm{g}$- and $\mathrm{r}$-band measurements. We evaluated the colour index using both flux-flux space analysis and linear regression in magnitude-magnitude space. We find that large majorities of these sources -- 74% of NLSy1 and 79% of BLSy1 -- exhibit a clear ``bluer-when-brighter'' (BWB) trend, although part of this effect may arise from contamination by the non-varying, predominantly redder flux of the host galaxy. Furthermore, rest-frame structure function analysis reveals that BLSy1 galaxies are $1.44 \pm 0.06$ times more variable than NLSy1s. These results can provide valuable insights into the variability properties of AGN subclasses and their underlying physical drivers.

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arXiv2025

Low-velocity precessing jets can explain observed morphologies in the Twin Radio Galaxy TRG J104454+354055

Our understanding of large-scale radio jets in merger systems has been drastically improved in the era of VLA, VLBA/EVN, uGMRT, and MeerKAT. Twin Radio Galaxies (TRGs) are the rare interacting galaxy pairs where both supermassive black holes host kiloparsec-scale bipolar radio jets. Only recently was a third TRG discovered and it shows significantly different jet morphologies than the previous two. Due to both the extreme paucity and complexity of such systems, the launching of their jets as well as their mutual interaction during the propagation through the ambient medium are not well understood. We have performed 3D hydrodynamic simulations to study the bipolar jets in the third TRG, J104454+354055. Our study indicates that the precession of mutually tilted bipolar jets originating from the two galactic nuclei separated by tens of kiloparsecs and propagating at low velocities can explain the observed morphologies. The simulated jet precession timescales are short compared to the overall dynamical timescale of the jets and could originate from Lense-Thirring effects in the accretion disks. This approach to understanding the TRG jet dynamics could also be applied to other TRG systems with similar helical morphologies that may be discovered in the upcoming era of the SKA and its pathfinder surveys.

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arXiv2025

X-Ray Spectral Variability of Thirteen TeV High Energy Peaked Blazars with XMM-Newton

We present a comprehensive study of the X-ray spectral variability observed in 13 TeV photon emitting high energy peaked BL Lacs(HBLs). These data come from 54 XMM-Newton EPIC-PN pointed observations made during its operational period from June 2001 through July 2023. We performed spectral studies in the energy range 0.6-10 keV by fitting X-ray spectra of the pointed observations with power law (PL) and log parabolic (LP) models. We found at 99% confidence level that 31 of these X-ray spectra were best fitted with a range of LP models with local photon indices (at 1.0 keV), alpha in the range of 1.75-2.66, and convex curvature parameter beta in the range of 0.02-0.25. PL models with photon index Gamma in the range of 1.78-2.68 best described the spectra of fourteen-pointed observations. Nine PN spectra resulted in negative curvature parameters in fitting an LP model, and eight among them were significant (beta is at least twice beta_err). We fitted broken power law (BPL) models to these eight X-ray spectra and found spectral hardening (Delta_Gamma) in the range of 0.06-0.54 for these observations. EPIC-MOS spectra were also studied for those eight observations to search for similar trends, and we were able to find them in only two, one observation each of PKS 0548-322 and Mrk 501. This indicates the possibility of the co-existence of an inverse Compton component along with the dominant synchrotron component for these two observations. We also performed correlation studies between various log-parabolic spectral parameters and briefly discuss their possible implications.

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arXiv2025

Exploring the disc-jet scenario in 3C 273 using simultaneous XMM-Newton and NuSTAR observations

Context: 3C 273, a well-studied active galactic nucleus (AGN), displays characteristics of both jetted-AGN and Seyfert galaxies, making it an excellent source to study the disc-jet connection in AGN. Aims: To investigate the disk-jet scenario in 3C 273 using broadband (0.3--78 keV) X-ray spectra from {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR}. Methods: We used simultaneous {\it XMM-Newton} and {\it NuSTAR} observations of 3C 273 carried out between 2012 and 2024. The 0.3--78 keV X-ray spectra were first fit with a simple power-law (PL) and then with the accretion-ejection-based JeTCAF model. The JeTCAF model accounts for emission from the jet, extending up to the sonic surface. In this framework, a reflection hump above 10 keV can also arise due to the bulk motion Comptonization of coronal photons by the jet. Results: We found that the simple PL did not provide a good fit, leaving significant residuals at energies below 1.5 keV. All the spectra were fitted well by the JeTCAF model. The weighted-averaged black hole mass of (7.77$\pm$0.30) $\times 10^8 M_\odot$ obtained from the JeTCAF model is comparable with the previous estimates based on reverberation mapping observations and accretion disk models. Conclusions: The 0.3--78 keV X-ray emission of 3C 273 can be fit by the accretion-ejection-based model in which the corona and the jet on top of it make significant contributions to the X-ray flux. The Doppler boosting factor estimated from the jet flux ranges from 1.6 to 2.2, consistent with the lower limit from the literature.

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arXiv2024

Revisiting radio variability of the blazar 3C 454.3

We examine lengthy radio light curves of the flat spectrum radio galaxy 3C 454.3 for possible quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs). The data used in this work were collected at five radio frequencies, 4.8, 8.0, 14.5, 22.0, and 37.0 GHz between 1979--2013 as observed at the University of Michigan Radio Astronomical Observatory, Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, and Aalto University Mets{ä}hovi Radio Observatory. We employ generalized Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet transform analyses to search for periodicities in these light curves. We confirm a QPO period of $\sim$ 2000 day to be at least 4$σ$ significant using both methods at all five radio frequencies between 1979 and 2007, after which a strong flare changed the character of the light curve. We also find a $\sim$~600 day period which is at least 4$σ$ significant, but only in the 22.0 and 37.0 GHz light curves. We briefly discuss physical mechanisms capable of producing such variations.

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arXiv2024

Multiband Optical Variability of the Blazar 3C 454.3 on Diverse Timescales

Due to its peculiar and highly variable nature, the blazar 3C 454.3 has been extensively monitored by the WEBT team. Here, we present for the first time these long-term optical flux and color variability results using data acquired in B, V, R, and I bands over a time span of $\sim$ 2 decades. We include data from WEBT collaborators and public archives such as SMARTS, Steward Observatory, and ZTF. The data are binned and segmented to study the source over this long term when more regular sampling was available. During our study, the long-term spectral variability reveals a redder when brighter (RWB) trend, which, however, stabilizes at a particular brightness cutoff $\sim$ 14.5 mag in the I-band, after which it saturates and evolves into a complex state. This trend indicates increasing jet emission dominance over accretion disk emission until jet emission completely dominates. Plots of the spectral index variation (following $F_ν \propto ν^{-α}$) reveal a bimodal distribution using a one-day binning. These correlate with two extreme phases of 3C 454.3, an outburst or high flux state and quiescent or low flux state, which are respectively jet and accretion disk dominated. We have also conducted intra-day variability studies of nine light curves and found that six of them are variable. Discrete Correlation Function (DCF) analysis between different optical waveband pairs peak at zero lags, indicating co-spatial emission in different optical bands.

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arXiv2024

X-ray Flux and Spectral Variability of the Blazar OJ 287 with Suzaku

We present analyses of Suzaku XIS light curves and spectra of the BL Lac object OJ 287 with observations positioned primarily around proposed recurrent optical outbursts. The first two observations were performed in 2007 April 10 - 13 (epoch 1) and 2007 November 7 - 9 (epoch 2) that respectively correspond to a low and a high optical state and which, within the binary supermassive black hole model for OJ 287, precede and follow the impact flare. The last three observations, made consecutively during 2015 May 3 - 9 (epoch 3), were during the post-impact state of the 2013 disc impact and are the longest continuous X-ray observation of OJ 287 taken before the optical outburst in 2015 December. Intraday variability is found in both the soft (0.5 - 2 keV) and hard (2 - 10 keV) bands. The discrete correction function analysis of the light curves in both bands peaks at zero lag during epochs 2 and 3, indicating that the emission in both bands was cospatial and emitted from the same population of leptons. Power spectral densities of all three light curves are red noise dominated, with a rather wide range of power spectrum slopes. These X-ray spectra are overall consistent with power-laws but with significantly different spectral indices. In the 2015 observations the X-ray spectrum softens during the flare, showing an obvious soft X-ray excess that was not evident in the 2007 observations. We discuss the implications of these observations on the jet, the possible accretion disc, and the binary supermassive black hole model proposed for the nearly periodic optical flaring of OJ 287.

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