Multiple-wavelength Correlation and Variation Study for 3C 279 at Various Timescales

Abstract

Abstract The study on variation phenomena of blazars can shed light on the jet activity and structures. We collect nearly ten years γ-ray, X-ray, optical, and radio light curves of the target 3C 279, and use the local cross-correlation function to perform the correlation analysis among them. Based on lags among different wavelengths, we obtain that the optical as well as the X-ray emitting regions are 32.5 − 0.9 + 2.9 and 8.4 − 4.4 + 7.7 pc away from the jet base, and are upstream of the radio core region. The optical and γ-ray emitting regions are not completely co-spatial. We select several periods to study various variation phenomena at long-term, short-term, and very-short-term timescales. We find a redder when brighter trend of the optical color index at the quiescent state and a bluer when brighter trend at the active state. We also find a softer when brighter trend of the γ-ray at low luminosity and a possible harder when brighter trend at high luminosity. The correlation between the optical polarization and fluxes is complex. We find an anticorrelation for one long-term flare, and positive correlations for two short-term flares. The stack of the multiple optical components can explain the anticorrelation, while the appearance of a dominating component can explain the positive correlations. The disk plus many jet components scenario can explain the complex optical variation behaviors for 3C 279. As a remarkable intermediate synchrotron peaked blazar target, 3C 279 play an important role to understand the classification and transition between the low synchrotron peaked and high synchrotron peaked subclass of blazars, since its variation phenomena shows the indication of connection between these two categories.