Abstract. We present UBVRI light curves of BL Lacertae from May 2000 to January 2001, obtained by 24 telescopes in 11 countries. More than 15 000 observations were performed in that period, which was the extension of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) campaign originally planned for July-August 2000. The exceptional sampling reached allows one to follow the flux behaviour in fine detail. Two different phases can be distinguished in the light curves: a first, relatively low-brightness phase is followed by an outburst phase, after a more than 1 mag brightening in a few weeks. Both the time duration (about 100 d) and the variation amplitude (roughly 0.9 mag) are similar in the two phases. Rapid flux oscillations are present all the time, involving variations up to a few tenths of mag on hour time scales, and witnessing an intense intraday activity of this source. In particular, a half-mag brightness decrease in about 7 h was detected on August 8-9, 2000, immediately followed by a ∼0.4 mag brightening in 1.7 h. Colour indexes have been derived by coupling the highest precision B and R data taken by the same instrument within 20 min and after subtracting the host galaxy contribution from the fluxes. The 620 indexes obtained show that the optical spectrum is weakly sensitive to the long-term trend, while it strictly follows the short-term flux behaviour, becoming bluer when the brightness increases. Thus, spectral changes are not related to the host galaxy contribution, but they are an intrinsic feature of fast flares. We suggest that the achromatic mechanism causing the long-term flux base-level modulation can be envisaged in a variation of the relativistic Doppler beaming factor, and that this variation is likely due to a change of the viewing angle. Discrete correlation function (DCF) analysis reveals the existence of a characteristic time scale of variability of ∼7 h in the light curve of the core WEBT campaign, while no measurable time delay between variations in the B and R bands is found.

Abstract. The BL Lacertae object AO 0235+16 is well known for its extreme optical and radio variability. New optical and radio data have been collected in the last four years by a wide international collaboration, which confirm the intense activity of this source: on the long term, overall variations of 5 mag in the R band and up to a factor 18 in the radio fluxes were detected, while short-term variability up to 0.5 mag in a few hours and 1.3 mag in one day was observed in the optical band. The optical data also include the results of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) first-light campaign organized in November 1997, involving a dozen optical observatories. The optical spectrum is observed to basically steepen when the source gets fainter. We have investigated the existence of typical variability time scales and of possible correlations between the optical and radio emissions by means of visual inspection and Discrete Correlation Function (DCF) analysis. On the long term, the autocorrelation function of the optical data shows a double-peaked maximum at 4100-4200 days (11.2-11.5 years), while a double-peaked maximum at 3900-4200 days (10.7-11.5 years) is visible in the radio autocorrelation functions. The existence of this similar characteristic time scale of variability in the two bands is by itself an indication of optical-radio correlation. A further analysis by means of Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) technique and folded light curves reveals that the major radio outbursts repeat quasi-regularly with a periodicity of ∼5.7 years, i.e. half the above time scale. This period is also in agreement with the occurrence of some of the major optical outbursts, but not all of them. Visual inspection and DCF analysis of the optical and radio light curves then reveal that in some cases optical outbursts seem to be simultaneous with radio ones, but in other cases they lead the radio events. Moreover, a deep inspection of the radio light curves suggests that in at least two occasions (the 1992-1993 and 1998 outbursts) flux variations at the higher frequencies may have led those at the lower ones.

The ultrafast-rotating (P rot ≈ 0.44 d) fully convective single M4 dwarf V374 Peg is a well-known laboratory for studying intense stellar activity in a stable magnetic topology. As an observable proxy for the stellar magnetic field, we study the stability of the light curve, hence the spot configuration. We also measure the occurrence rate of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). We have analysed spectroscopic observations, BV(RI) C photometry covering 5 yrs, and additional R C photometry that expands the temporal base over 16 yr. The light curve suggests an almost rigid-body rotation and a spot configuration that is stable over about 16 yrs, confirming the previous indications of a very stable magnetic field. We observed small changes on a nightly timescale and frequent flaring, including a possible sympathetic flare. The strongest flares seem to be more concentrated around the phase where the light curve indicates a smaller active region. Spectral data suggest a complex CME with falling-back and re-ejected material with a maximal projected velocity of ∼675 km s −1 . We observed a CME rate that is much lower than expected from extrapolations of the solar flare-CME relation to active stars.

The Microvariability and Oscillations of STars (MOST ) photometric satellite observed three rotations of Eri continuously in late 2005. We detected two spots (Ám $ 0:01) at different latitudes (20N0, 31N5) revolving with different periods (11.35 days, 11.55 days), from which we derive a differential rotation coefficient, k ¼ 0:11 þ:03 À:02 , in agreement with the prediction by Brown and coworkers for a young Sun-like star having roughly twice the solar angular velocity. The light curve was analyzed with the program StarSpotz, a modification of SPOTMODEL by Riba ´rik and coworkers. The best-fitting value for the inclination angle i ¼ 30 AE 3 is compatible with inclinations already estimated for the disk ($25 ) and planetary orbit (26N2). The inclination also leads to an equatorial rotation speed of 3.42 km s À1 and the photometric value of v sin i ¼ 1:7 km s À1 . When compared with spectroscopically determined values, the photometric v sin i allows, in principle, an independent estimate of the macroturbulent velocity. Both spots would have distorted the radial velocity curve $AE10 m s À1 by the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect, which is similar to the stellar radial velocity ''noise'' detected by others. Details of the StarSpotz model and of the uniqueness tests that we applied in order to arrive at a best solution and realistic estimates of errors in the derived parameters are given.