![\"Quasi-periodic](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/quasi-periodic-oscilla-2.jpg\" "\\"The")
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The Fermi-LAT light curve of 4FGL J0309.9-6056 for \u223c 16 years (MJD 54683\u221260503). The gray inverted triangles represent the 95% significance level upper limits. Panel (b): The shaded section (MJD 57983\u221260503) from the left panel is enlarged. The blue dotted line represents the mean flux, and the green solid line shows a sine function with a mean period of approximately 550 days derived from LSP, REDFIT, and WWZ methods. Credit: arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550\/arxiv.2510.21205<\/p>\n
Using NASA’s Fermi gamma-ray space telescope, astronomers from Shanghai Normal University in China and elsewhere have investigated a distant blazar known as 4FGL J0309.9-6058. As a result, they identified quasi-periodic oscillation in the gamma-ray band of this object. The finding was detailed in a paper<\/a> published Oct. 24 on the arXiv pre-print server .<\/p>\n Blazars are very compact quasars associated with supermassive black holes<\/a> (SMBHs) at the centers of active, giant elliptical galaxies. They belong to a larger group of active galaxies that host active galactic nuclei<\/a> (AGN), and are the most numerous extragalactic gamma-ray sources. Their characteristic features are relativistic jets<\/a> pointed almost exactly toward Earth.<\/p>\n Based on their optical emission properties, blazars can be divided into two classes: flat-spectrum radio quasars<\/a> (FSRQs) that feature prominent and broad optical emission lines, and BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs), which do not.<\/p>\n 4FGL J0309.9-6058, also known as PKS 0308-611, is an FSRQ at a redshift of approximately 1.48. Previous observation of this blazar<\/a> has found that it exhibits enhanced gamma-ray activity.<\/p>\n Recently, a team of astronomers led by Shanghai Normal University’s Jingyu Wu observed 4FGL J0309.9-6058 with Fermi, hoping to get more insights into its properties. This resulted in the identification of a QPO signal.<\/p>\n “With visual inspection, we found a possible periodic variability during the campaign of MJD 57983\u221260503. In order to identify the existence of a QPO signal and to quantify the period, we employed the Lomb-Scargle Periodogram (LSP), REDFIT, and weighted wavelet Z-transform (WWZ),” the scientists wrote in the study.<\/p>\n According to the paper, the observations revealed the presence of a QPO with a period of approximately 550 days in the gamma-ray band (0.1\u2013300 GeV) of the blazar. The identified QPO has a maximum local significance of 3.72\ud835\udf0e and global significance of 2.72\ud835\udf0e.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the study detected a time lag of 228 days between the optical and gamma-ray bands. This finding points to the separated emission regions in 4FGL J0309.9-6058 for optical and gamma-ray emissions.<\/p>\n Trying to explain the origin of the observed QPO in 4FGL J0309.9-6058, the authors of the paper consider a few hypotheses, including a binary supermassive black hole and jet precession. However, due to the timescale of the QPO and the detected time lag, they found the jet precession scenario as the most plausible.<\/p>\n “The jet precession model emerges as the most promising explanation. The precessing jet generates QPO signals in both the optical and gamma-ray bands and the observed time lag between these bands reveals the distance between the optical and gamma-ray<\/a> emission regions,” the researchers explain.<\/p>\n \n Written for you by our author Tomasz Nowakowski<\/a>, edited by Sadie Harley<\/a>, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan<\/a>\u2014this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive. More information: \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJournal information: \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \u00a9 2025 Science X Network\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCitation: \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJingyu Wu et al, Detection of Quasi-periodic Oscillations in the \u03b3-Ray Light Curve of 4FGL J0309.9-6058, arXiv (2025). DOI: 10.48550\/arxiv.2510.21205<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tarXiv<\/a>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQuasi-periodic oscillation detected in distant blazar’s gamma-ray band (2025, November 3)
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 4 November 2025
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-11-quasi-periodic-oscillation-distant-blazar.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
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