The Supermassive Black Hole in the Gamma-ray Loud Blazar PKS 1510-089

Abstract

We present the optical light curve for the gamma-ray blazar PKS 1510-089 with a significant variability of 2.0 mag within about 41 minutes in the R band which is the most violently rapid variability detected in our optical monitoring campaign operating since 1982. In the framework of the relativistic beaming model, the central supermassive black hole mass of PKS 1510-089 is of $(1.16-1.98)\times10^8M_\odot$. This is larger than some previous estimates for the central mass in blazars that have been based on models for nonthermal emission, but is consistent with the estimated result of the $M_\bullet-σ_\star$ correlation. Some other physical parameters, including the emission region size, Doppler factor $δ$, the efficiency $η$ for conversion of accreted matter into energy and luminosity are calculated. The value of $η$ = 62.2 strongly implies that the relativistic beaming is responsible for the rapid variability of the gamma-ray loud blazar PKS 1510-089.