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B. Natarajan

Publications and source records attributed to B. Natarajan.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Multi-Band Optical Variability Characteristics of the $γ$-ray emitting blazar 1ES 0647+250 during its 2020 flare

We present a multi-band optical variability study of the $γ$-ray emitting high-synchrotron-peaked blazar 1ES~0647+250 during its enhanced optical activity in 2020. The analysis utilizes 107 epochs of high-precision $B$, $V$, and $R$-band photometry obtained with the 75 cm telescope at the Vainu Bappu Observatory, combined with high-cadence $z_g$ and $z_r$ survey data from the Zwicky Transient Facility. The combined light curves reveal coherent variability across all optical filters, with the source reaching a peak $R$-band magnitude of 15.74 mag. We calculated the variability amplitude, finding the highest intrinsic variability in the B- band. Spectral analysis using color--magnitude diagrams reveals a statistically significant ``Bluer-When-Brighter'' trend, supported by a Pearson correlation coefficient of $r = 0.68$ ($p < 0.001$) for the (V$-$R) index. Furthermore, the discrete correlation function analysis indicates a near-zero time lag between the $V$ and $R$ bands, suggesting simultaneous emission within the observational cadence. The observed spectral hardening is consistent with synchrotron-dominated optical emission, likely associated with enhanced particle acceleration within the jet during the active phase of 1ES~0647+250.

astro-ph.HE↗

Intra-night optical variability monitoring of $γ$-ray emitting blazars

We present the results obtained from our campaign to characterize the intra-night-optical variability properties of blazars detected by the {\it Fermi} Large Area Telescope. This involves R-band monitoring observations of a sample of 18 blazars, that includes five flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and thirteen BL Lac objects (BL Lacs) covering the redshift range z = 0.085$-$1.184. Our observations, carried out using the 1.3 m J.C. Bhattacharya Telescope cover a total of 40 nights ($\sim$200 hrs) between the period 2016 December and 2020 March. We characterized variability using the power enhanced $F-$test. We found a duty cycle (DC) of the variability of about 11\% for FSRQs and 12\% for BL Lacs. Dividing the sample into different sub-classes based on the position of the synchrotron peak in their broadband spectral energy distribution (SED), we found DC of $\sim$16\%, $\sim$10\% and $\sim$7\% for low-synchrotron peaked (LSP), intermediate synchrotron peaked (ISP) and high synchrotron peaked (HSP) blazars. Such high DC of variability in LSP blazars could be understood in the context of the R-band tracing the falling part (contributed by high energy electrons) of the synchrotron component of the broadband SED. Also, the R-band tracing the rising synchrotron part (produced by low energy electrons) in the case of ISP and HSP blazars, could cause lesser variability in them. Thus, the observed high DC of variability in LSP blazars relative to ISP and HSP blazars is in accordance with the leptonic model of emission from blazar jets.

astro-ph.HE↗