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Multiwavelength polarization observations of IXPE blazars

PI: Pouya M. Kouch

This is a 32-hour polarimetric monitoring of 13 Very High Energy (VHE) $\gamma$-ray emitting blazars. The result will provide simultaneous optical data to directly support the VHE $\gamma$-ray data obtained with our blazar monitoring programs at MAGIC and LST-1. Due to the highly magnetized nature of blazar jets, multiwavelength polarization studies are considered to be effective in trying to answer some of the biggest open questions in AGN physics, namely: Do low and high energy emissions originate from the same region in the jet? What mechanisms/models are responsible for the emissions and particle accelerations? Do blazar subclasses show different polarization behaviors? Our results from this monitoring program in conjunction with VHE $\gamma$-ray and X-ray monitoring data are essential to answer these questions.


Monitoring program

This optical polarization monitoring program is complementary to our on-going VHE $\gamma$-ray and X-ray monitoring programs of blazars. The polarization monitoring observations should be performed using FAPOL. The required accuracy for the measurement is 0.3\%. The monitoring consists of 225 visits for 13 sources spread over 26 nights, translating to a total of 31 hours of observation. Standard star polarization observations need another 1 hour over six nights.
Calibrations: Twilight flats + alfosc-calibs

The OB generator will be used to request all ToO observations. Scripts to perform all the requested operations will be automatically created and placed in the directory ~/scripts/72-012/. An email will be sent automatically to the observer, which contains all the information about the requested observations, the names and locations of the scripts, instructions for observing and comments from the creator of the trigger.
To summarise:

Go to the directory
  cd ~/scripts/73-501
List the available scripts
  ls -lrt

and execute the OB generated scripts requested in the trigger email.


Target Epochs Duration [sec] RA Dec
Mrk 421 18 600 11 04 27.3,+38 12 32
Mrk 501 36 360 16 53 52.2,+39 45 37
PG 1553+113 36 360 15 55 43.0,+11 11 24
1ES 2344+514 24 360 23 47 04.8,+51 42 18
1ES 1959+650 24 360 19 59 59.9,+65 08 55
1ES 1218+304 24 360 12 21 21.9,+30 10 37
ON 325 24 360 12 17 52.1,+30 07 01
ON 231 36 360 12 21 31.7,+28 13 59
1ES 1011+496 18 360 10 15 04.2,+49 26 01
PKS 1510-089 30 360 15 12 50.5,-09 06 00
BL Lacertae 36 360 22 02 43.3,+42 16 40
S5 0716+714 18 360 07 21 53.4,+71 20 36
S4 0954+65 18 360 09 58 47.2,+65 33 55


Date UT window Duration [hh:mm] Comments
03-04-2026[EAT]-00:00 00:06S50716
03-04-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:06S40954
03-04-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:061ES1011
03-04-2026[EAT]-03:45 00:10Mrk421
03-04-202622:45-[SAT] 00:06PG1424
03-04-202600:45-[SAT] 00:06PKS1510
03-04-2026[EAT]-04:45 00:06ON325
03-04-2026[EAT]-04:45 00:061ES1218
03-04-2026[EAT]-04:45 00:06ON231
03-04-202600:30-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
03-04-202600:45-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
03-04-202603:45-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
11-04-2026[EAT]-23:30 00:06S50716
11-04-2026[EAT]-02:15 00:06S40954
11-04-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:061ES1011
11-04-2026[EAT]-03:30 00:10Mrk421
11-04-2026[EAT]-04:30 00:06ON325
11-04-2026[EAT]-04:30 00:061ES1218
11-04-2026[EAT]-04:30 00:06ON231
12-04-202622:15-[SAT] 00:06PG1424
12-04-202600:15-[SAT] 00:06PKS1510
12-04-202600:00-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
12-04-202600:15-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
12-04-202603:15-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
20-04-2026[EAT]-23:00 00:06S50716
20-04-2026[EAT]-01:45 00:06S40954
20-04-2026[EAT]-02:00 00:061ES1011
20-04-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:10Mrk421
20-04-2026[EAT]-03:45 00:06ON325
20-04-2026[EAT]-03:45 00:061ES1218
20-04-2026[EAT]-03:45 00:06ON231
20-04-202621:45-[SAT] 00:06PG1424
20-04-202623:45-05:15 00:06PKS1510
20-04-202623:30-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
20-04-202623:45-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
20-04-202602:45-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
20-04-202604:45-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
27-04-2026[EAT]-22:30 00:06S50716
27-04-2026[EAT]-01:15 00:06S40954
27-04-2026[EAT]-01:30 00:061ES1011
27-04-2026[EAT]-02:15 00:10Mrk421
27-04-2026[EAT]-03:15 00:06ON325
27-04-2026[EAT]-03:15 00:061ES1218
27-04-2026[EAT]-03:15 00:06ON231
27-04-202621:15-[SAT] 00:06PG1424
27-04-202623:15-04:45 00:06PKS1510
27-04-202623:00-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
27-04-202623:15-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
27-04-202602:15-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
27-04-202604:15-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
01-05-2026[EAT]-22:15 00:06S50716
01-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:06S40954
01-05-2026[EAT]-01:15 00:061ES1011
01-05-2026[EAT]-02:00 00:10Mrk421
01-05-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:06ON325
01-05-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:061ES1218
01-05-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:06ON231
01-05-2026[EAT]-05:00 00:06PG1424
01-05-202623:00-04:30 00:06PKS1510
01-05-202622:45-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
01-05-202623:00-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
01-05-202602:00-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
01-05-202604:15-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
05-05-2026[EAT]-22:00 00:06S50716
05-05-2026[EAT]-00:45 00:06S40954
05-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:061ES1011
05-05-2026[EAT]-01:45 00:10Mrk421
05-05-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:06ON325
05-05-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:061ES1218
05-05-2026[EAT]-02:45 00:06ON231
05-05-2026[EAT]-04:45 00:06PG1424
05-05-202622:45-04:15 00:06PKS1510
05-05-202622:30-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
05-05-202622:45-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
05-05-202601:45-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
05-05-202603:45-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
11-05-2026[EAT]-21:30 00:06S50716
11-05-2026[EAT]-00:30 00:06S40954
11-05-2026[EAT]-00:30 00:061ES1011
11-05-2026[EAT]-01:30 00:10Mrk421
11-05-2026[EAT]-02:30 00:06ON325
11-05-2026[EAT]-02:30 00:061ES1218
11-05-2026[EAT]-02:30 00:06ON231
11-05-2026[EAT]-04:30 00:06PG1424
11-05-202622:30-03:15 00:06PKS1510
11-05-202622:00-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
11-05-202622:30-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
11-05-202601:30-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
11-05-202603:30-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
15-05-2026[EAT]-00:00 00:06S40954
15-05-2026[EAT]-00:15 00:061ES1011
15-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:10Mrk421
15-05-2026[EAT]-04:00 00:06PG1424
15-05-202622:00-03:30 00:06PKS1510
16-05-2026[EAT]-02:00 00:06ON325
16-05-2026[EAT]-02:00 00:061ES1218
16-05-2026[EAT]-02:00 00:06ON231
16-05-202621:45-[SAT] 00:06PG1553
16-05-202622:00-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
16-05-202601:00-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
16-05-202603:15-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
24-05-2026[EAT]-23:30 00:06S40954
24-05-2026[EAT]-23:45 00:061ES1011
24-05-2026[EAT]-00:30 00:10Mrk421
24-05-2026[EAT]-01:30 00:06ON325
24-05-2026[EAT]-01:30 00:061ES1218
24-05-2026[EAT]-01:30 00:06ON231
24-05-2026[EAT]-03:30 00:06PG1424
24-05-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:06PKS1510
24-05-2026[EAT]-04:30 00:06PG1553
24-05-2026[EAT]-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
24-05-202600:30-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
24-05-202602:30-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
24-05-202604:15-[SAT] 00:061ES2344
31-05-2026[EAT]-23:00 00:06S40954
31-05-2026[EAT]-23:15 00:061ES1011
31-05-2026[EAT]-00:00 00:10Mrk421
31-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:06ON325
31-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:061ES1218
31-05-2026[EAT]-01:00 00:06ON231
31-05-2026[EAT]-03:00 00:06PG1424
31-05-2026[EAT]-02:30 00:06PKS1510
31-05-2026[EAT]-04:15 00:06PG1553
31-05-2026[EAT]-[SAT] 00:06Mrk501
31-05-202600:00-[SAT] 00:061ES1959
31-05-202602:15-[SAT] 00:06BLLac
31-05-202603:45-[SAT] 00:061ES2344

Program Tracking
Proposal 73-501
Semester P73: 20260401 - 20261001
Principal Investigator Pouya M. Kouch
Programme Multiwavelength Photo-polarimetric Monitoring of Blazars
Instrument ALFOSC
Time Allocation 26.4 hours monitoring spread over period
Total Nights 26.4h
Type Monitoring
Notes Fixed dates to be scheduled
Total Time Spent (hh:mm)
Proposal Date Time Type Targets Files Comments Status
Empty table: no tracking data available (yet)

 

The above information is collected from the ToO/Mon reports that have been created by the observer.

Should any of the observations have been carried out using the OB system, you will find additional information HERE

Back to top Last modified: March 31 2026