Optical, Gamma-Ray and X-Ray Monitoring of Markarian 421 in the 2005-2006 Season

Abstract

We report on intensive multiwavelength observations of the blazar Mrk 421 with the Whipple 10m telescope and supporting observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. The observations resulted in a data set with excellent temporal and spectral coverage. This campaign is unique in the high level of gamma-ray coverage obtained given the dedication of the Whipple 10m telescope to this blazar monitoring program. Our observations also include a large number of optical observations made with the FLWO 1.2m telescope. Lightcurves, correlation functions and spectral energy distribution (SED) will be presented. We discuss the implications of these observations for various leptonic emission models by comparing the SED to synchrotron-self-Compton and external Compton models.

Publication
Extragalactic Jets: Theory and Observation from Radio to Gamma Ray ASP Conference Series, Vol. 386, proceedings of the conference held 21-24 May, 2007 in Girdwood, Alaska, USA. Edited by Travis A. Rector and David S. De Young. San Francisco: Astronomical Society of the Pacific, 2008., p.507