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J.C. Noble (Boston University), R.L. Scott (Western Kentucky University)
Blazars have a high degree of optical variability and have been shown to exhibit variations on time scales of minutes to hours ({\em microvariability}), but very little is known about whether color differences are present during these periods of extreme variability. The presence or absence of such differences can be used in developing physical models which explain the underlying mechanisms responsible for the optical microvariability. Near-simultaneous optical observations, using Lowell Observatory's 72-inch Perkins Telescope and a direct-imaging CCD, of selected blazars in two wavebands were obtained, and light curves were produced using differential photometry techniques. Preliminary results of this investigation into possible color differences on intraday time scales are presented.
This work was funded in part by Boston University's Institute for Astrophyiscal Research and the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: noblej@lowell.edu