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The host galaxy of BL Lac objects or what's in a name?

  • II. Optical Morphology and Spectroscopy
  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
BL Lac Objects

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Physics ((LNP,volume 334))

Abstract

We analyze the optical and radio properties of the nearby BL Lac objects (z ≲ 0.2) and of the radio galaxies of the B2 bright sample, a sample which contains mostly medium bright radio galaxies. This analysis leads us to suggest that radio galaxies such as those of the B2 bright sample form the parent population of nearby BL Lac objects. Confirmation of this model requires the identification and observation of a larger number of nearby BL Lac objects (only 15 are known at present with z < 0.2).

The available data are consistent with the nearby BL Lac objects forming a sub-sample which differs from the rest of the B2 radio galaxies by the orientation of the inner radio/optical jets with respect to the line of sight to the observer. “BL Lac object” could be just the name by which we designate medium bright radio galaxies whose radio jet axis happens to be nearly along the line of sight to the observer.

This is based on 1) comparison of the distribution of the absolute magnitudes of the host galaxies of BL Lac objects with that of the radio galaxies in the B2 sample, and 2) on comparison of the distribution of the absolute flux of the extended component of the radio emission of BL Lac objects with the distribution of the absolute flux of the extended component of the B2 radio galaxies.

A consequence of the above is that the number and luminosity evolution, and other properties such as cluster and group membership should be the same for the nearby BL Lac objects and for medium bright radio galaxies. Furthermore, the ratio of the number density of BL Lac objects and of nearby medium bright radio galaxies could give the opening angle of the beam.

W. Shakespeare, 1594

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-8046, Garching bei München

    Marie-Helene Ulrich

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  1. Marie-Helene Ulrich
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L. Maraschi T. Maccacaro M. -H. Ulrich

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag

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Ulrich, MH. (1989). The host galaxy of BL Lac objects or what's in a name?. In: Maraschi, L., Maccacaro, T., Ulrich, M.H. (eds) BL Lac Objects. Lecture Notes in Physics, vol 334. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0031144

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BFb0031144

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-51389-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46203-3

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