| 4C +01.02 | |
|---|---|
 The blazar 4C +01.02. | |
| Observation data (J2000.0 epoch) | |
| Constellation | Cetus |
| Right ascension | 01h 08m 38.771s[1] |
| Declination | +01° 35′ 00.317″[1] |
| Redshift | 2.099000[1] |
| Heliocentric radial velocity | 629,264 km/s |
| Distance | 10.663 Gly (3.269 Mpc) |
| Apparent magnitude (V) | 18.39 |
| Apparent magnitude (B) | 18.54 |
| Characteristics | |
| Type | HPQ, FSRQ; blazar[1] |
| Notable features | Gamma-ray blazar |
| Other designations | |
| PKS 0106+01, PC 0106+0119, LEDA 2818340, PKS B0106+013, OC +012, PB 06280, IRCF J010838.7+013500, WMAP 081, G4Jy 0125, 0106+013[1] | |
4C +01.02 is a blazar[2] located in the constellation of Cetus. It has a high redshift of (z) 2.099,[3][4] with its distance estimated to be 10.663 billion light-years.[1] It was first discovered as a faint astronomical radio source by astronomers in 1965 and subsequently identified with its quasi-stellar counterpart.[5] This object hosts a superluminal jet[6] and has a radio spectrum that is classified as flat.[3][7]
4C +01.02 is found to be violently variable on the electromagnetic spectrum with its bright state exceeding 1050 erg s−1.[8] It has displayed several gamma ray outbursts which were detected on 14 September 2013 and on December 20, 2014.[9][10] When shown on a 7-day gamma-ray light curve, 4C +01.02 showed long periods of flaring activity between September 23, 2014 and August 24, 2017 while the 2-day light curve revealed there are 14 flaring components showing the greatest possible integral flux of (2.5 ± 0.2) x 10−6 ph cm−2 s−1. A short variability was also identified, which was 0.66 ± 0.08 days.[3] Additional gamma-ray activity was observed by the Large Area Telescope in March and September 2022.[11][12] Simultaneously, 4C +01.02 also reached a high optical state in the same month.[13]
4C +01.02 is classified as a core-dominated quasar. It has a radio core measuring 2 milliarcseconds.[14] There is a much weaker feature located southwest from the core.[15] A strong jet can be seen pointing in a southerly direction displaying a magnetic field which is parallel with the jet's direction via a 8.5 GHz radio image.[16] When observed by Hubble and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the jet displays X-ray emission that follows its trajectory in an S-shaped path and subsequently becoming brighter.[17] Superluminal motion was also detected in the jet components.[18]
The central supermassive black hole mass of 4C +01.02 is estimated to be 3 billion Mʘ based on the constraint of its accretion disk component.[19] Additionally in 2024, its gamma emission was found displaying quasi-periodic oscillation with a period of either 253 or 286 days.[20][21]
