A4 Refereed article in a conference publication
Milliarcsecond Core Size Dependence of the Radio Variability of Blazars
Authors: Hsu Po-Chih, Yi Koay Jun, Matsushita Satoki, Hwang Chorng-Yuan, Hovatta Talvikki, Kiehlmann Sebastian, Max-Moerbeck Walter, Pearson Tim, Readhead Anthony, Reeves Rodrigo, Vedantham Harish
Editors: Ioannis Liodakis, Margo F. Aller, Henric Krawczynski, Anne Lähteenmäki, Timothy J. Pearson
Conference name: Symposium of the International Astronomical Union
Publication year: 2023
Journal: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Book title : The Multimessenger Chakra of Blazar Jets
Series title: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Number in series: S375
Volume: 17
First page : 22
Last page: 26
ISSN: 1743-9213
eISSN: 1743-9221
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1743921323000777
Web address : https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-international-astronomical-union/article/milliarcsecond-core-size-dependence-of-the-radio-variability-of-blazars/2C210D6BE09278C1C625FC7FD7A8A973
Studying blazar radio variability on timescales ranging from months to years provides information on the sub-parsec-scale structures of the jets, and the physics of the central active galactic nuclei. In this study, we focus on the radio variability of 1158 blazars observed at 15 GHz through the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Blazar Monitoring Program, where these sources have been observed about twice a week for over a decade. We investigate the dependence of the variability amplitudes and timescales, derived using a simple model fit to the structure function, on the milliarcsecond radio core sizes measured by Very Long Baseline Interferometry. The most compact sources exhibit larger variability amplitudes and shorter variability timescales than the more extended sources; this could be explained by light travel-time effects.