OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF BLAZARS AND gamma-RAY BLAZAR CANDIDATES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE NINE

Massaro F, Masetti N, D'Abrusco R, Paggi A, Funk S (2014)

Publication Status: Published

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2014

Journal

Astronomical Journal American Astronomical Society

Publisher: American Astronomical Society

Book Volume: 148

DOI: 10.1088/0004-6256/148/4/66

Abstract

We present an analysis of the optical spectra available in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey data release nine (SDSS DR9) for the blazars listed in the ROMA-BZCAT and for the gamma-ray blazar candidates selected according to their IR colors. First, we adopt a statistical approach based on Monte Carlo simulations to find the optical counterparts of the blazars listed in the ROMA-BZCAT catalog. Then, we crossmatched the SDSS spectroscopic catalog with our selected samples of blazars and gamma-ray blazar candidates, searching for those with optical spectra available to classify our blazar-like sources and, whenever possible, to confirm their redshifts. Our main objectives are to determine the classification of uncertain blazars listed in the ROMA-BZCAT and to discover new gamma-ray blazars. For the ROMA-BZCAT sources, we investigated a sample of 84 blazars, confirming the classification for 20 of them and obtaining 18 new redshift estimates. For the gamma-ray blazars, indicated as potential counterparts of unassociated Fermi sources or with uncertain nature, we established the blazar-like nature of 8 out of the 27 sources analyzed and confirmed 14 classifications.

Authors with CRIS profile

Stefan Funk Lehrstuhl für Physik

Involved external institutions

National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) IT Italy (IT) Harvard University US United States (USA) (US) Yale University US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Massaro, F., Masetti, N., D'Abrusco, R., Paggi, A., & Funk, S. (2014). OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF BLAZARS AND gamma-RAY BLAZAR CANDIDATES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE NINE. Astronomical Journal, 148. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-6256/148/4/66

MLA:

Massaro, F., et al. "OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS OF BLAZARS AND gamma-RAY BLAZAR CANDIDATES IN THE SLOAN DIGITAL SKY SURVEY DATA RELEASE NINE." Astronomical Journal 148 (2014).

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