Intraday variations of polarization vector in blazars: a key to the optical jet structure?

TL;DR

This study investigates rapid intraday polarization variations in blazars, revealing insights into their optical jet structures through polarimetric observations and analysis of variability patterns.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence of intraday polarization variability in blazars and discusses geometrical models explaining these phenomena.

Findings

Detected polarization variability on ~1.5-hour scales.

Observed wavelength-dependent polarization patterns.

Discussed geometrical models for jet structure.

Abstract

This report presents the results of optical polarimetric observations carried out with 6-m and 1-m telescopes at SAO RAS. The study of the blazar S5 0716+714 radiation showed the presence of a period of the variability of brightness and polarization vector variations on scales of $\sim$1.5 hours, constant on a long time scale; multi-colour monitoring of BL Lac polarization before, during and after the flare demonstrates the difference in the patterns of polarization vector variability depending on the wavelength. Several geometrical models and physical descriptions are discussed.