Hovatta, Talvikki

Intrinsic brightness temperatures of blazar jets at 15 GHz.

Author list: T. Hovatta, E. Leitch, K. Wiik, D. Homan, M. Lister, J. Richards, W. Max-Moerbeck, A. Readhead

We have developed a new Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to deconvolve light curves of blazars into individual flares, including proper estimation of the fit errors. We use the method to fit 15 GHz light curves obtained within the OVRO 40-m blazar monitoring program where a large number of AGN have been monitored since 2007 in support of the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope mission. The time scales obtained from the fits are used to calculate the variability brightness temperature of the sources. Additionally, we have calculated brightness temperatures of a sample of these objects using Very Long Baseline Array data from the MOJAVE (Monitoring of Jets in Active Galactic Nuclei with VLBA Experiments) survey. Combining these two data sets enables us to study the intrinsic brightness temperature distribution in these blazars at 15 GHz. I will present the new method and preliminary results of this study.