Probing Physical Conditions in Blazars (Active Galaxies) through Time-Dependent Optical Light

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Blazars are the ultra-luminous, highly-variable hearts of galaxies. Physicians have tools to study how the human heart varies, and that variability is used to understand how the heart works. Similarly, astronomers have tools to study how blazars vary, and that variability is used to understand how blazars work. The team will use telescopes in Arizona to observe blazars at optical wavelengths. They will look for minute-to-minute changes in the blazars' brightness and polarization. They will also look for night-to-night changes in the blazars' emission lines. These changes will be compared to predictions from the team's models. Senior team members will train junior members. Navajo-Hopi students from Arizona schools will visit the telescopes. While there, they will be able to witness the changes in the blazars.The team will investigate the physical processes responsible for blazars' time variability. The team's goals are to use observations and models to examine (1) if particles are accelerated via shocks or magnetic reconnection; (2) if very rapid variability on parsec scales is caused by turbulence or magnetic reconnection; and (3) if gamma-rays can be generated on parsec scales via the seed photons from nearby emission-line gas.