Name of the Speaker(s): Julie McEnery
Institution: Physics Department, University College Dublin
Title of the communication: A search for correlated optical and TeV gamma ray emission from Markarian 421
Preliminary abstract (12 lines max.):
The BL Lac object Markarian 421 has been simultaneously monitored by the Whipple Observatory's 48 inch optical telescope and 10 meter gamma ray telescope during January, April and May 1996. A possible weak correlation between optical and TeV gamma ray emission was observed during a strong outburst from Markarian 421 in April 1995. In May 1996 two dramatic hourscale outbursts were observed at TeV energies by the Whipple Cerenkov Imaging Telescope. Results from this years optical campaign and a search for correlations with the TeV gamma ray emission will be presented.