• DOI:10.1088/0004-637X/773/2/85
• Corpus ID: 119115706

The Variable Optical Polarization and FERMI Observations of PMN J0948+0022

@article{Eggen2013TheVO,
  title={The Variable Optical Polarization and FERMI Observations of PMN J0948+0022},
  author={Joseph R. Eggen and Hugh Richard Miller and Jeremy D. Maune},
  journal={arXiv: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena},
  year={2013}
}

• J. Eggen, H. R. Miller, J. Maune
• Published 4 January 2013
• Physics
• arXiv: High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

We report on observations of the {\gamma}-ray and optical photopolarimetric behavior of the radio-loud, narrow line type-1 Seyfert galaxy PMN J0948+0022 over a twenty seven month period. As this object has recently been suggested to represent a prototype of an emerging class of blazar-like objects, the observed properties are compared to those of blazars. We extract doubling timescales of roughly 4 hours for the optical and {\gamma}-ray bands. The rapid microvariability in the optical/NIR, significant and variable optical polarization, and strong yet rapidly-variable {\gamma}-ray emission we observe for PMN J0948+0022 are all classical observational characteristics associated with blazars. However, since these observations do not show a clear correlation between the {\gamma}-ray and optical behavior, they do not offer conclusive proof that the emissive behavior of PMN J0948+0022 is due to a relativistic jet oriented close to our line of sight.