IDV observations & study of the quasar 0917+624

We carried out intra-day variability (IDV) observations from August 2005 to January 2010 with the Urumqi 25 m radio telescope for a dozen IDV sources including the quasar 0917+624. This target exhibited pronounced centimeter-band, intra-day variability during the 1980s–1990s, but its strong IDV phase ceased in 2000. The source showed no IDV in the majority of the Urumqi observing sessions, although weak IDV activity was detected in some. Multifrequency UMRAO data for 0917+624 show that the spectral index is steeper during the weak and non-IDV phases than during the strong IDV phase, supporting the idea that the size of the scintillating component may be enlarged in the weak/non IDV phases.