An Extended Observation of Blazar 3C279

The gamma-ray observations of the quasar 3C 279 during the reporting period were carried out and analyzed by Dr. Robert Hartman, the overall project principal investigator. As had been hoped, a flare was observed in late January / early February 1996. The flare was detected at X-ray energies by RXTE as well (the PI of the RXTE observations was Dr. Ian McHardy of the University of Southampton, England). The PI of this grant, Dr. Alan Marscher, observed with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 43 GHz after the flare and provided theoretical interpretation. The results and interpretation of the multiwaveband observations are reported in a paper by Wehrle et al. published in the Astrophysical Journal, on which the PI is a co-author.