Volume 514 - High Energy Astrophysics in Southern Africa 2025 (HEASA2025) - Active Galactic Nuclei
Blazar variability and time lags at millimetre wavelengths: insights from Metsähovi and ALMA monitoring
H. Katjaita*, M. Backes and J.O. Chibueze
*: corresponding author
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Pre-published on: December 05, 2025
Published on:
Abstract
Blazars, a subclass of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets directed close to our line of sight, dominate the extragalactic gamma-ray sky and are characterised by strong variability across the electromagnetic spectrum. Millimetre observations are particularly valuable because they probe emission regions near the jet base, where high-energy flares are likely produced. In this study, we investigate the variability of the blazar 3C 279 using long-term light curves
from Metsähovi (37 GHz) and ALMA Bands 3, 6, and 7 (84–345 GHz). Multiple time-series methods including the Interpolated Cross Correlation Function (ICCF), Z-transformed Discrete Correlation Function (ZDCF), JAVELIN, and PyROA, were applied to search for inter-band time lags. In most cases, higher-frequency emission was found to lead lower-frequency variations, consistent with opacity-driven delays in the jet. However, certain deviations from this pattern suggest a more complex emission geometry or the influence of additional variability processes. We also quantified variability amplitudes using the fractional variability parameter (\(F_{\text{var}}\) ), which
increases systematically from ≈ 0.29 at 37 GHz to ≈ 0.38 at 345 GHz, consistent with more compact and energetic emission regions at higher frequencies. These findings underscore the importance of coordinated, multi-frequency millimetre monitoring in constraining the connection
between jet dynamics and high-energy emission, and they highlight the potential role of the Africa Millimetre Telescope (AMT) in future long-term blazar monitoring from the southern hemisphere.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.514.0030
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