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First Ultraviolet Spectropolarimetry of Radio-Selected BL Lacertae ObjectsWe present ultraviolet spectropolarimetry of the BL Lac objects OJ 287 and 0754+100 (0I 090.4) acquired with the Faint Object Spectrograph of the Hubble Space Telescope. These are the first such observations of radio-selected BL Lac objects and the polarimetry spans the wavelength range 1580-3300 A in the observer's frame. Neither object exhibited emission-line features in their UV spectra. OJ 287 was very faint during the UV observations (V approximately 16). The UV linear polarization of this object was approximately 20%. There is no indication that the degree of polarization or the polarization position angle varies with wavelength. Nearly simultaneous optical ground-based measurements show that the polarization does not significantly change with wavelength out to approximately 8000 A. The UV and optical polarization of 0754+100 was approximately 8% and also wavelength-independent during the epoch of observation. These observations confirm that the synchrotron emission that dominates the optical continuum also dominates in the ultraviolet in these two BL Lac objects. There is no evidence for significant contributions to the UV/optical flux by other emission components, and we set limits on the brightness of nonsynchrotron continuum components.
Document ID
19970019008
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Smith, Paul S.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ United States)
Allen, Richard G.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ United States)
Angel, J. R. P.
(Arizona Univ. Tucson, AZ United States)
Date Acquired
August 17, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 1993
Publication Information
Publication: The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher: The American Astronomical Society
Volume: 415
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
NASA-CR-204365
NAS 1.26:204365
Accession Number
97N71796
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG5-1630
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS5-29293
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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