Flicker of extragalactic radio sources at two frequencies

Dual-frequency observations of flat and steep-spectrum extragalactic radio sources made at Arecibo Observatory over a 20-day period are analyzed. As first reported by Heeschen (1982, 1984), flat-spectrum sources generally have larger intensity variations than steep-spectrum ones. A structure function analysis demonstrates a qualitative difference in the time series of the sources. The case against interstellar scintillation is examined, including a review of applicable scintillation theory. Relativistic source motion is treated as a solution to the brightness-temperature problems which arise if the variations are assumed intrinsic to the sources. 16 references