In spring 2005 the blazar 3C 454.3 was observed exceptionally bright at opticaland X-ray frequencies. In late August the source was bright in the mm band, andnow the flux increase detected in the cm band is likely the start of a long-termradio outburst. Many low-energy data have been collected by the WEBT consortium,revealing strong spectral changes. We propose to observe this source withXMM-Newton in different phases of the radio outburst. Coordinated observationsin the radio, NIR, and optical bands will be carried out by the WEBT, andgamma-ray data will be provided by the AGILE satellite. All these data willcomplement those acquired during the optical outburst and will allow to shedlight on the variability mechanisms as well as on the jet structure and geometry.
Instrument
EMOS1, EMOS2, EPN, OM, RGS1, RGS2
Temporal Coverage
2006-07-02T21:25:07Z/2007-05-31T17:24:10Z
Version
17.56_20190403_1200
Mission Description
The European Space Agencys (ESA) X-ray Multi-Mirror Mission (XMM-Newton) was launched by an Ariane 504 on December 10th 1999. XMM-Newton is ESAs second cornerstone of the Horizon 2000 Science Programme. It carries 3 high throughput X-ray telescopes with an unprecedented effective area, and an optical monitor, the first flown on a X-ray observatory. The large collecting area and ability to make long uninterrupted exposures provide highly sensitive observations. Since Earths atmosphere blocks out all X-rays, only a telescope in space can detect and study celestial X-ray sources. The XMM-Newton mission is helping scientists to solve a number of cosmic mysteries, ranging from the enigmatic black holes to the origins of the Universe itself. Observing time on XMM-Newton is being made available to the scientific community, applying for observational periods on a competitive basis.
European Space Agency, Dr Claudia M. Raiteri, 2008, 'Broad-band multifrequency variability of 3C 454.3 during a radio outburst', 17.56_20190403_1200, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-rmvxjwn
