Optical to far-IR observations of 3C 446

Abstract

The OVV blazar 3C 446 was monitored over seven months in 1997 with ground based telescopes and instruments on ESA'39;s Infrared Space Observatory (ISO). The aim was to try to detect variations in the IR and see if these were correlated with optical variations. The object varied in the optical and near-IR during this period, but did not vary in the far-IR. Despite being a factor of ten weaker than in 1983, the optical-IR SED exhibited the same slope. The new far-IR observations from ISO allow us to determine the location of the turnover in the spectrum, caused by synchrotron self-absorption. It occurs just longwards of 100 μm. © Astronomical Society of Australia 2002.