We re-analyzed OJ287 in 120 Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA, MOJAVE) observations (at 15 GHz) covering the time span between Apr. 1995 and Apr. 2017. We find that the radio jet motion over the sky is consistent with a precessing and nutating jet source. The variability of the radio flux-density can be explained by Doppler beaming due to a change in the viewing angle. We suggest that part of the optical emission is due to synchrotron emission related to the jet radiation. We find a strikingly similar scaling for the timescales for precession and nutation as indicated for SS433 with a factor of roughly 50 times longer in OJ287.

A fast moving infrared excess source (G2) which is widely interpreted as a core-less gas and dust cloud approaches Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) on a presumably elliptical orbit. VLT Ks-band and Keck K′-band data result in clear continuum identifications and proper motions of this ∼19m Dusty S-cluster Object (DSO). In 2002-2007 it is confused with the star S63, but free of confusion again since 2007. Its near-infrared (NIR) colors and a comparison to other sources in the field speak in favor of the DSO being an IR excess star with photospheric continuum emission at 2 microns than a core-less gas and dust cloud. We also find very compact L′-band emission (<0.1″) contrasted by the reported extended (0.03″ up to ∼0.2″ for the tail) Brγ emission. The presence of a star will change the expected accretion phenomena, since a stellar Roche lobe may retain a fraction of the material during and after the peri-bothron passage.

We present first results from the analysis of multi-epoch VLBI observations of 241 sources in the CJ-F sample (Caltech Jodrell-Flat-spectrum, Taylor et al. 1996). We have been obtaining 5 GHz VLBI (global and VLBA) snapshot observations of the CJ-F sources (complete with 293 sources) since 1990 in order to create a valid database for thorough statistical tests of pc-scale jet motion in AGN. All 241 CJ-F AGN have been observed at least three times with the VLBA, which enables us to investigate jet component motions and paths. In particular, we concentrate on the analysis of those properties supposed to be essential for gamma-ray production, i.e., superluminal motion and bending.

We investigate the structural evolution of the IDV source BL Lac 0716+714 from 10 epochs of global VLBI and VLBA observations. Our study reveals two possible component identification schemes, in which the jet components move either slow or fast. Although the fast motion would fit better to the observed IDV, the quality of our data does not allow a final decision between the slow and the fast picture.

In the past few years EGRET observations of extragalactic radio sources demonstrated the presence of blazars at high energies and supplied informations about their enormous luminosities. Questions arose whether outbursts at these high frequencies can be linked to structural changes in the radio regime and the need for VLBI monitoring became obvious. In the past two decades geodetic VLBI measurements gathered this kind of data.

We analyzed λ =3.6 cm observations with high time-resolution (up to once a month) from the geodetic IRIS campaigns for the γ-ray active quasars PKS 0420-014 and PKS 0528+134. In both sources superluminally moving jet components could be traced over time periods of several years on curved trajectories. Both sources exhibit component ejections preceding the time of an observed gamma-ray flaring.

The high energy gamma-ray flares observed in PKS 0528+134 are interpreted in terms of the external inverse Compton scattering (EICS) mechanism. The evolutional relationship between the gamma-ray flares and the associated mm-radio outbursts is investigated. The TeV/X-ray flare detected in May of 1994 from Mrk 421 is interpreted in terms of the SSC mechanism and it is shown that it may be due to the acceleration of relativistic electrons with an initially flat energy spectrum (N(E)∝E−s with s~1.5), rather than just a flattening of the high energy tail in the electron energy distribution of the source in the quiescent state.

We report new results from high frequency (22-86 GHz) VLBI monitoring observations of selected blazars. These Gamma-bright sources show pronounced correlated flux density variations over the full electromagnetic spectrum (radio to Gamma-ray bands). From our high-angular resolution images (0.1-0.2 mas), we find increasing evidence for a tight correlation between this activity and the production of new jet components. Here we present results for the 3 sources PKS 0528+134, 3C 273, & 0836+710.

We report multifrequency observations of the γ-ray blazar 0528+134 with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope, the IRAM 30-m telescope at Pico Veleta and the NRL Green Bank Interferometer. The observing methods are described elsewhere (Reich et al., 1993; Pohl et al., 1995). The radio lightcurves are given in Fig.1 in comparison to the status of 0528+134 in the EGRET energy range. The uncertainties in the flux densities quoted there are less than 5% at 10.55 GHz and lower frequencies, while slightly exceeding this value at 32 GHz and 86 GHz.

Geodetic VLBI observations of extragalactic radio sources –designed to measure earth orientation parameters– are performed regularly since more than 10 years now. In different campaigns about 20 Quasars and BL Lacs are being monitored at 2.3 and 8.4 GHz. The high duty-cycle of these observations (every month for IRIS-S) and the resulting enormous data base allow to study the milliarcsecond structures and their variations simultaneously at two frequencies on short timescales. Since the accuracy of baseline determination and measurement of earth rotation parameters has reached a limit where source structure contributions become significant, there is substantial interest to monitor and correct for the source structure “effects”. Therefore we perform a regular analysis of sources selected from IRIS-S (high north-south resolution and almost circular beam for low declination sources) and EUROPE (high sensitivity due to large telescopes) campaigns covering a maximum time base of 10 years (1983–1993). The (undesired) structure of the sources leads to an occasional updating of the source catalogue in order to have “pointlike” sources which are observed 10–15 times for three to seven minutes during 24 hours. Meanwhile about 50 sources have been observed in geodetic campaigns. The comparatively poor data quality requires careful calibration with a source whose structure is well–known from high dynamic range observations (e.g. the blazar 1803+784). The dynamic range of these maps is limited to 1:50. The merit of this database lies obviously in the monthly persecution of structural changes in extragalactic radio sources over at best 10 years time and the filling of the gaps between high dynamic range observations. Sources which are presently of particular interest to us, include 1803+784, 4C39.25, 0528+134, 3C454.3 and OJ287.