Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Simultaneous infrared and optical polarimetry and photometry have been obtained for AO 0235 + 164 covering a five night period. The object underwent a polarization burst during which the 2.2 μm polarization rose from 17.5 to 28.7 per cent and fell again to 14.9 per cent. At its peak the degree of optical polarization was 43.9 per cent, the highest linear polarization observed in a BL Lac object. The data show the degree of polarization to increase towards shorter wavelengths, and the effect is inconsistent with either dilution by a galactic component or simple one-component synchrotron models. The large changes in polarization are not accompanied by large changes in flux, a result which is difficult to explain using conventional models of these objects. Other implications of the luminosity, polarization and variability are discussed.
Impey et al. (Fri,) studied this question.