Spectral Variability of Six Bright Bl Lac Objects in the Near IR

Extract

The results of several photometric campaigns (1986–1993) in the near IR of the six bright BL Lac objects 3C 66A, PKS 0422+004, PKS 0735+178, PKS 0754+100, PKS 0829+046 and OQ 530 are presented. The observations were carried out at the 1.5 m Italian IR Telescope at Gornergrat (TIRGO − 3150 m a.s.l.) equipped with a IR photometer using a InSb detector cooled at the solid nitrogen temperature and the standard J, H, K filters. The principal aims of our program are the search of rapid variability (typical time scales of 1 day or less) and of correlations between the flux level (typically in the J band, where the largest variation amplitude is found) and the spectral slope. In the following we summarize some relevant results.