Katsura Matsumoto

ABSTRACT The bright blazar OJ 287 has demonstrated a sequence of flares, which are well explained by a quasi-Keplerian orbit model. The flares are associated with the impact of the secondary on the accretion disc of the primary. The orbit must precess in order to produce the correct sequence of flares, and from the precession rate we calculate the mass of the primary. This precession rate gives the mass of the primary $M_{\mathrm{ BH } } = (18.35\pm 0.05) \times 10^9\, {\rm M}_{\odot }$. Two kinds of flares have been identified: direct flares from the impacts, and tidal flares arising from an increased accretion flow into the jet. The precession rate and the primary black hole mass may be independently determined from both sets of flares; the tidal flare of 2022 October was recommended for an intense campaign for this reason. This paper describes these observations over a wide spectral range. We show that the 2022 October flare fits the expectations for a tidal flare and thus supports the earlier determination of the mass of the binary black hole system in OJ 287. The mass of the primary may also be deduced from secondary indicators such as the correlation with the hydrogen line strength and the black hole mass. These studies require that the mass is above $M_{\mathrm{ BH } } \sim 10^{10} \,{\rm M}_{\odot }$, but do not specify the value more exactly.

Abstract We present the most densely sampled multiband optical photometric observations of the peculiar BL Lacertae object OJ 287 from 2015 to 2025 with a focus on its optical activity on diverse timescales. We present a total of 2296, 10,927, 11,484, and 2982 data points in B , V , R , and I bands, respectively. The densely sampled observations allow us to keep track of the source evolution that it has exhibited since the start of the predicted major optical flaring activity at the end of 2015. The study reveals clear and persistent bluer-when-brighter trends in both the long-term and short-term variations. Different bands were cross-correlated with discrete correlation functions, which peak at zero lag, implying cospatial emission. Using eight optical spectra in the low-flux states of OJ 287 taken from 2017 October 21 to 2017 November 22, from Steward Observatory, we estimate the central black hole mass to be at least 3.89 × 10 ⁹ M _⊙ from the [O III ] line width. The emission mechanism of the binary black hole blazar, and its possible implication in various aspects of multimessenger astronomy, are briefly discussed.

Abstract We present an observational study of superoutbursts in six AM CVn systems with orbital periods longer than 35 min. We focused on this range because such systems are expected to have very low mass ratios, making them particularly likely to exhibit double superoutbursts and fading-tail profiles. Using time-resolved photometry from the Variable Star Network and the American Association of Variable Star Observers campaigns, complemented by survey data from the Zwicky Transient Facility, the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, Gaia, and the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, we analyzed nine superoutbursts observed between 2014 and 2021. Among them, four events exhibited clear double superoutburst profiles, analogous to those seen in hydrogen-rich WZ Sge-type dwarf novae. We characterized the fading tail following the second superoutburst and found that it can be divided into three distinct phases (tails A, B, and C) with different power-law fading indices. The effective superoutburst durations were typically 7–13 d, while the dip duration is significantly different among systems. Notably, the effective durations of the second superoutbursts in the double superoutburst were consistently around 5 d. These results highlight the importance of thermal–tidal instabilities in explaining the outbursts of long-orbital-period AM CVn stars. They also suggested that the three-phase fading-tail structure may be a universal feature of the systems and further imply that in systems with short supercycles the effective viscosity during quiescence could be higher than expected from a true quiescent state.