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J/MNRAS/369/449  PKS 0405-385 flux-density monitoring (Kedziora-Chudczer+, 2006)
Long-term monitoring of the intra-day variable quasar PKS 0405-385.
    Kedziora-Chudczer L.
   <Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 369, 449-464 (2006)>
   =2006MNRAS.369..449K
ADC_Keywords: QSOs ; Polarization ; Radio sources

Keywords: scattering - turbulence - quasars: jets - radio continuum: ISM


Abstract:
    The quasar PKS 0405-385 is one of three radio sources (the other two
    are PKS 1257-326 and J1819+385) which exhibit unusually strong and
    rapid interstellar scintillations at GHz frequencies. Such a behaviour
    suggests a nearby (<30pc away) scattering screen along the line of
    sight to these radio sources. While quasars PKS 1257-326 and J1819+385
    scintillate continuously over several years of monitoring,
    PKS 0405-385 shows episodes of strong scintillations which last only a
    few months. Here, I present the results of flux-density monitoring of
    PKS 0405-385 over 6yr at four Stokes parameters and four frequencies.
    Two explanations of the episodic behaviour of interstellar
    scintillation in this source are discussed; morphological evolution of
    the source and changes in the properties of the interstellar medium
    along the line of sight.

Description:
    The monitoring of PKS 0405-385 commenced in 1993 November, as part of
    the ATCA IDV Survey (Kedziora-Chudczer et al., 2001, Cat.
    J/MNRAS/325/1411) with the Australia Telescope Compact Array.1 The
    source showed rapid variability in total flux density at 8.6, 4.8 and
    2.4GHz during these observations. The time-scale of variability,
    defined throughout this paper as HWHP of auto-correlation function of
    flux density, was faster than 2h (the frequency of sampling used in
    the survey).
Objects:
    ----------------------------------------------------------
       RA   (2000)   DE      Designation(s)
    ----------------------------------------------------------
    04 06 59.0   -38 26 28   PKS 0405-385 = QSO B0405-385
    ----------------------------------------------------------

File Summary:

       FileName      Lrecl  Records   Explanations

ReadMe            80        .   This file
table2.dat        74      230   Average flux densities and modulation indices at the
                           four frequencies obtained for each observing session
                           during the long-term monitoring of PKS 0405385
table3.dat        86       33  *Average linear and circular polarisation obtained 
                           during the long-term monitoring of PKS 0405-385

Note on table3.dat:
    The data from observing sessions longer than 3h are included in the
    table. Shorter observations have inadequate coverage of the parallactic
    angle, which is needed for adequate polarization calibration.


See also:
  J/MNRAS/325/1411 : ATCA Intraday Variability Survey (Kedziora-Chudczer+, 2001)


Byte-by-byte Description of file: table2.dat

   Bytes Format Units      Label     Explanations

   1- 10  A10 "YYYY/MM/DD" ObsDate   Observation date
  12- 15  F4.1  h          OL8.6     Observation length at 8.6GHz
  17- 20  F4.1  h          OL4.8     Observation length at 4.8GHz
  22- 25  F4.1  h          OL2.4     Observation length at 2.4GHz
  27- 30  F4.1  h          OL1.4     Observation length at 1.4GHz
  32- 35  F4.2  Jy         S8.6      Average flux density at 8.6GHz
  37- 40  F4.2  Jy         S4.8      Average flux density at 4.8GHz
  42- 45  F4.2  Jy         S2.4      Average flux density at 2.4GHz
  47- 50  F4.2  Jy         S1.4      Average flux density at 1.4GHz
  52- 56  F5.3  ---        MI8.6     Modulation index at 8.6GHz
  58- 62  F5.3  ---        MI4.8     Modulation index at 4.8GHz
  64- 68  F5.3  ---        MI2.4     Modulation index at 2.4GHz
  70- 74  F5.3  ---        MI1.4     Modulation index at 1.4GHz


Byte-by-byte Description of file: table3.dat

   Bytes Format Units      Label       Explanations

   1- 10  A10 "YYYY/MM/DD" ObsDate     Observation date
  12- 16  F5.3  Jy         PolL8.6     Linear polarization at 8.6GHz
  18- 22  F5.1  deg        PA8.6       [-90/90] Position angle at 8.6GHz
  24- 28  F5.3  Jy         PolL4.8     Linear polarization at 4.8GHz
  30- 34  F5.1  deg        PA4.8       [-90/90] Position angle at 4.8GHz
  36- 40  F5.3  Jy         PolL2.4     Linear polarization at 2.4GHz
  42- 46  F5.1  deg        PA2.4       [-90/90] Position angle at 2.4GHz
  48- 52  F5.3  Jy         PolL1.4     Linear polarization at 1.4GHz
  54- 58  F5.1  deg        PA1.4       [-90/90] Position angle at 1.4GHz
  60- 65  F6.3  Jy         PolC8.6     Circular polarization at 8.6GHz
  67- 72  F6.3  Jy         PolC4.8     Circular polarization at 4.8GHz
  74- 79  F6.3  Jy         PolC2.4     Circular polarization at 2.4GHz
  81- 86  F6.3  Jy         PolC1.4     Circular polarization at 1.4GHz


History:
    From electronic version of the journal
(End)                                      Patricia Vannier [CDS]    19-Jan-2007