Astronomy:PKS 0215+015

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PKS 0215+015
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The BL Lacertae object PKS 0215+015.
Observation data (J2000.0 epoch)
ConstellationCetus
Right ascension 02h 17m 48.954s[1]
Declination+01° 44′ 49.699″[1]
Redshift1.720000[1]
Helio radial velocity515,643 km/s[1]
Distance9.545 Gly
Apparent magnitude (V)16.74
Apparent magnitude (B)16.09
Characteristics
TypeOpt var, FSRQ BLLAC[1]
Other designations
PKS B0215+015, LEDA 2823038, PMN J0217+0144, OD +026, WMAP 096, NVSS J021748+014448, FIRST J021748.9+014449[1]

PKS 0215+015 is a BL Lacertae object (BL Lac)[2] located in the constellation of Cetus. It has a high redshift of (z) 1.72[3][1] and was first discovered in 1971 by J.V. Wall and his colleagues during the Parkes Catalogue of Radio Sources survey.[4] The radio spectrum of the source is flat, making it a flat-spectrum source[5] but it also been referred to both a blazar and an optically violent variable quasar in literature.[6][7]

Description

PKS 0215+015 is classified as a bona fide BL Lac object, displaying typical characteristics such as weak emission lines and high rapid polarization changes.[8] It is variable on the electromagnetic spectrum with its optical band displaying variations of more than 4 magnitudes.[9] Rapid polarization swings at 50° and -100° were found associated with the rapid flux variations of the object.[10]

According to optical continuum observations, PKS 0215+015 is found to undergo a flaring period, brightening up to 1.5 magnitude by September 10, 1980.[11] On October 20, 1984, the object reached its brightest state with a B magnitude of 14.5 while its faintest state was recorded on August 11, 1983. By 1986, its brightness flared up once more after being in a faint state in 1985.[12] Observations by the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), also showed the source had a strong long-term increase in its flux density since May 2021.[13]

The radio structure of PKS 0215+015 is compact. Based on radio observations, the source has an inverted spectrum which peaks over 10 GHz.[3] It has a radio core which has a high brightness temperature.[14] Very Large Array imaging showed there is also a bent jet pointing in a north to south direction near the core region, with a subsequent bend clearly shown pointing east.[15] The jet also has a component visible at 2 centimeter and 7 millimeter wavelength imaging which in turn is blended partially with the core.[16]

In February 2022, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory detected a new candidate high-track energy muon neutrino event. Dubbed IceCube-220225A, it was found to be associated with PKS 0215+015 which at that time, was undergoing a powerful radio flare exceeding flux densities of 3 Jy at both centimeter and millimeter wavelengths.[6] Observations also suggested the neutrino production happened closer to the core.[16]

Several absorption lines have been identified in the quasar's ultraviolet spectrum,[17][18][11] with one of the lines at (z) 1.345 displaying evidence of ionized neutral magnesium, manganese and ionized iron absorption.[19] Another absorption line located at (z) 1.721, shows cerium and chromium oxide absorption.[20]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 "NED search results for PKS 0215+015". https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/byname?objname=PKS+0215+015&hconst=67.8&omegam=0.308&omegav=0.692&wmap=4&corr_z=1. 
  2. Blades, J. C.; Hunstead, R. W.; Murdoch, H. S.; Pettini, M. (September 1982). "Optical absorption lines in the high redshift BL Lac object 0215+015." (in en). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 200 (4): 1091–1111. doi:10.1093/mnras/200.4.1091. ISSN 0035-8711. Bibcode1982MNRAS.200.1091B. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 Torniainen, I.; Tornikoski, M.; Teräsranta, H.; Aller, M. F.; Aller, H. D. (2005-06-01). "Long term variability of gigahertz-peaked spectrum sources and candidates" (in en). Astronomy & Astrophysics 435 (3): 839–856. doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20041886. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode2005A&A...435..839T. https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/pdf/2005/21/aa1886-04.pdf. 
  4. Wall, J. V.; Shimmins, A. J.; Merkelijn, J. K. (1971). "The Parkes 2700 MHz Survey. Catalogues for the ±4 declination zone and for the selected regions." (in en). Australian Journal of Physics Astrophysical Supplement 19: 1–68. Bibcode1971AuJPA..19....1W. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1971AuJPA..19....1W. 
  5. Zheng, Y. G.; Yang, C. Y.; Zhang, L.; Wang, J. C. (December 2016). "Discerning the Gamma-Ray-Emitting Region in the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars" (in en). The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 228 (1): 1. doi:10.3847/1538-4365/228/1/1. ISSN 0067-0049. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 "The flaring radio-bright blazar PKS 0215+015 coincident with the high energy neutrino alert IceCube-220225A". https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=15247. 
  7. Schramm, K.-J.; Borgeest, U.; Kuehl, D.; von Linde, J.; Linnert, M. D.; Schramm, T. (August 1994). "The Hamburg quasar monitoring program (HQM) at Calar Alto. III. Lightcurves of optically violent variable sources" (in en). Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 106: 349–359. ISSN 0365-0138. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1994A%26AS..106..349S. 
  8. Gaskell, C. M. (January 1982). "High redshift BL Lacertae object: PKS 0215+015." (in en). The Astrophysical Journal 252: 447–454. doi:10.1086/159572. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode1982ApJ...252..447G. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1982ApJ...252..447G. 
  9. Blades, J. C.; Pettini, M.; Hunstead, R. W.; Murdoch, H. S. (1982). "The ultraviolet spectrum of the high redshift BL Lac object 0215+015." (in en). NASA Conference Publication 2238: 193–196. Bibcode1982NASCP2238..193B. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1982NASCP2238..193B. 
  10. Kikuchi, Sen (1988). "Photometric and polarimetric behavior of the high-redshifted BL Lacertae object PKS 0215+015 in 1984-86.". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 40 (5): 547–565. doi:10.1093/pasj/40.5.547. Bibcode1988PASJ...40..547K. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1988PASJ...40..547K. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 Blades, J. C.; Hunstead, R. W.; Murdoch, H. S.; Pettini, M. (September 1982). "Optical absorption lines in the high redshift BL Lac object 0215+015." (in en). Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 200 (4): 1091–1111. doi:10.1093/mnras/200.4.1091. ISSN 0035-8711. Bibcode1982MNRAS.200.1091B. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1982MNRAS.200.1091B. 
  12. Webb, James R.; Smith, Alex G.; Leacock, Robert J.; Fitzgibbons, Gregory L.; Gombola, Paul P.; Shepherd, David W. (February 1988). "Optical observations of 22 violently variable extragalactic sources - 1968-1986". The Astronomical Journal 95: 374. doi:10.1086/114641. ISSN 0004-6256. Bibcode1988AJ.....95..374W. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/1988AJ.....95..374W/0000376.000.html. 
  13. "ATCA finds a long-term radio flare of PKS0215+015 coincident with IceCube-220225A". https://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=15245. 
  14. Eppel, F.; Kadler, M.; Ros, E.; Benke, P.; Giroletti, M.; Hessdoerfer, J.; McBride, F.; Roesch, F. (2023-08-08), VLBI Probes of Jet Physics in Neutrino-Candidate Blazars 
  15. Sebastian, Biny; Kharb, Preeti; Lister, Matthew L.; Marshall, Herman L.; O’Dea, Christopher P.; Baum, Stefi A. (2022-08-01). "Investigating the Origin of X-Ray Jets: A Case Study of Four Hybrid Morphology MOJAVE Blazars". The Astrophysical Journal 935 (1): 59. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ac7c10. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode2022ApJ...935...59S. 
  16. 16.0 16.1 Eppel, F.; Kadler, M.; Ros, E.; Roesch, F.; Hessdoerfer, J.; Benke, P.; Edwards, P. G.; Fromm, C. M. et al. (2023-02-24), "VLBI Scrutiny of a New Neutrino-Blazar Multiwavelength-Flare Coincidence", The Multimessenger Chakra of Blazar Jets 375: 91, doi:10.1017/S1743921323000893, Bibcode2023IAUS..375...91E 
  17. Foltz, Craig B.; Chaffee Jr., Frederic H. (March 1987). "Confirmation of the emission-line redshift of the BL Lac object PKS 0215 + 015" (in en). The Astronomical Journal 93: 529. doi:10.1086/114334. ISSN 0004-6256. Bibcode1987AJ.....93..529F. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1987AJ.....93..529F/abstract. Retrieved 2025-05-18. 
  18. Pettini, M.; Hunstead, R. W.; Murdoch, H. S.; Blades, J. C. (October 1983). "C IV absorption in the high-redshift BL Lac object 0215 + 015. II - New observations at 20 km/s resolution" (in en). The Astrophysical Journal 273: 436. doi:10.1086/161382. ISSN 0004-637X. Bibcode1983ApJ...273..436P. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1983ApJ...273..436P. Retrieved 2025-05-18. 
  19. Bergeron, J.; D'Odorico, S. (1986-06-01). "Ionization state of the absorption systems in the BL Lac object 0215 + 015 and properties of low-excitation absorbers". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 220 (4): 833–843. doi:10.1093/mnras/220.4.833. ISSN 0035-8711. https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1986MNRAS.220..833B. 
  20. P., Boisse; J., Bergeron (March 1988). "The BL Lac object PKS 0215+015 in a low state : variable emission lines at ze = 1.72 and no dust signature from the system at ZA = 1.345." (in en). Astronomy and Astrophysics 192: 1. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode1988A&A...192....1B. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1988A%26A...192....1B/abstract. Retrieved 2025-07-18.