Intranight optical variability of radio-quiet weak emission line quasars - IV

Abstract

We report an extension of our programme to search for radio-quiet BL Lac candidates using intranight optical variability (INOV) as a probe. The present INOV observations cover a welldefined representative set of 10 'radio-quiet weak-emission-line quasars' (RQWLQs), selected from a newly published sample of 46 such sources, derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (Data release 7). Intranight CCD monitoring of the 10 RQWLQs was carried out in 18 sessions lasting at least 3.5 h. For each session, differential light curves of the target RQWLQ were derived relative to two steady comparison stars monitored simultaneously. Combining these new data with those already published by us for 15 RQWLQs monitored in 30 sessions, we estimate an INOV duty cycle of~3 per cent for the RQWLQs, which appears inconsistent with BL Lacs. However, the observed INOV events (which occurred in just two of the sessions) are strong (with a fractional variability amplitude ψ > 10 per cent), hence blazar-like. We briefly point out the prospects of an appreciable rise in the estimated INOV duty cycle for RQWLQs with a relatively modest increase in sensitivity for monitoring these rather faint objects.