scholarly journals The large gamma-ray flare of the flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 0346−27

2019 ◽  
Vol 627 ◽  
pp. A140
Author(s):  
R. Angioni ◽  
R. Nesci ◽  
J. D. Finke ◽  
S. Buson ◽  
S. Ciprini
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Properties ◽  
Emission Region ◽  
Short Time Scale ◽  
Quiescent State ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
X Rays ◽  
High State ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Radio Quasar

Aims. In this paper, we characterize the first γ-ray flaring episode of the flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 0346−27 (z = 0.991), as revealed by Fermi-LAT monitoring data, and the concurrent multi-wavelength variability observed from radio through X-rays. Methods. We studied the long- and short-term flux and spectral variability from PKS 0346−27 by producing γ-ray light curves with different time binning. We complement the Fermi-LAT data with multi-wavelength observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (radio mm-band), the Rapid Eye Mount telescope (near-infrared) and Swift (optical-UV and X-rays). This quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength coverage allowed us to construct time-resolved spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of PKS 0346−27 and compare the broadband spectral properties of the source between different activity states using a one-zone leptonic emission model. Results. PKS 0346−27 entered an elevated γ-ray activity state starting from the beginning of 2018. The high-state continued throughout the year, displaying the highest fluxes in May 2018. We find evidence of short-time scale variability down to approximately 1.5 h, which constrains the γ-ray emission region to be compact. The extended flaring period was characterized by a persistently harder spectrum with respect to the quiescent state, indicating changes in the broadband spectral properties of the source. This was confirmed by the multi-wavelength observations, which show a shift in the position of the two SED peaks by approximately two orders of magnitude in energy and peak flux value. As a result, the non-thermal jet emission completely outshines the thermal contribution from the dust torus and accretion disk during the high state. The broadband SED of PKS 0346−27 transitions from a typical Low-Synchrotron-Peaked (LSP) to the Intermediate-Synchrotron-Peaked (ISP) class, a behavior previously observed in other flaring γ-ray sources. Our one-zone leptonic emission model of the high-state SEDs constrains the γ-ray emission region to have a lower magnetic field, larger radius, and higher maximum electron Lorentz factors with respect to the quiescent SED. Finally, we note that the bright and hard γ-ray spectrum observed during the peak of flaring activity in May 2018 implies that PKS 0346−27 could be a promising target for future ground-based Cherenkov observatories such as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The CTA could detect such a flare in the low-energy tail of its energy range during a high state such as the one observed in May 2018.

scholarly journals Hard X-ray properties of NuSTAR blazars

2018 ◽  
Vol 619 ◽  
pp. A93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gopal Bhatta ◽  
Maksym Mohorian ◽  
Illya Bilinsky
Keyword(s):  
Power Law ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Emission Region ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Bl Lacertae ◽  
Central Engine ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Cross Correlation Analysis ◽  
The Magnetic Field ◽  
Radio Quasar

Context. Investigation of the hard X-ray emission properties of blazars is key to the understanding of the central engine of the sources and associated jet process. In particular, simultaneous spectral and timing analyses of the intraday hard X-ray observations provide us a means to peer into the compact innermost blazar regions that are not accessible to our current instruments. Aims. The primary objective of the work is to associate the observed hard X-ray variability properties in blazars with their flux and spectral states, thereby, based on the correlation among these states, extract the details about the emission regions and processes occurring near the central engine. Methods. We carried out timing, spectral, and cross-correlation analysis of 31 NuSTAR observations of 13 blazars. We investigated the spectral shapes of the sources using single power-law, broken power-law, and log-parabola models. We also studied the co-relation between the soft and hard emission using z-transformed discrete correlation function. In addition, we attempted to constrain the smallest emission regions using minimum variability timescales derived from the light curves. Results. We found that, for most of the sources, the hard X-ray emission can be well represented by the log-parabola model and that the spectral slopes for different blazar subclasses are consistent with the so-called blazar sequence. We also report the steepest spectra (Γ ∼ 3) in the BL Lacertae PKS 2155–304 and the hardest spectra (Γ ∼ 1.4) in the flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 2149–306. In addition, we noted a close connection between the flux and spectral slope within the source subclass in the sense that high flux and/or flux states tend to be harder in spectra. In BL Lacertae objects, assuming particle acceleration by diffusive shocks and synchrotron cooling as the dominant processes governing the observed flux variability, we constrain the magnetic field of the emission region to be a few Gauss; whereas in flat-spectrum radio quasars, using external Compton models, we estimate the energy of the lower end of the injected electrons to be a few Lorentz factors.

scholarly journals The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 345 from the high to the low emission state

2018 ◽  
Vol 614 ◽  
pp. A148 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Berton ◽  
N. H. Liao ◽  
G. La Mura ◽  
E. Järvelä ◽  
E. Congiu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Energy Distribution ◽  
Emission Lines ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Energy Bands ◽  
Line Region ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Inverse Compton ◽  
Public Archives ◽  
Radio Quasar

We report simultaneous observations at different energy bands in radio, optical, UV, X-rays and γ rays of the flat-spectrum radio-quasar 3C 345. We built the light curve of the source at different frequencies from 2008, the beginning of the Fermi all-sky survey, to 2016, using new data and public archives. In particular we obtained several optical spectra, to study the behavior of emission lines and the continuum in different activity states and to derive the black hole mass. 3C 345 showed two flaring episodes in 2009, which occurred simultaneously in γ ray, optical/UV and X-rays, and were later followed in radio. The source shows an inverse Compton dominated spectral energy distribution, which moved from higher to lower frequencies from the high to the low state. The reverberation of emission lines during one outburst event allowed us to constrain the location of production of γ rays very close to the broad-line region, and possibly in the jet-base. We report the observation of an increased accretion after the outburst, possibly induced by the decrease of magnetic field intensity with respect to the low state.

scholarly journals THE SEARCH FOR BLAZARS AMONG THE UNIDENTIFIED EGRET gamma-RAY SOURCES

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (A) ◽  
pp. 631-634
Author(s):  
Pieter J. Meintjes ◽  
Pheneas Nkundabakura
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Spectral Indices ◽  
Optical Photometry ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Bl Lacs ◽  
Radio Quasar

In this paper we report the results of a multi-wavelength follow-up study of selected flat spectrum extragalactic radio-optical counterparts within the error boxes of 13 unidentified EGRET sources. Two of these previously unidentified counterparts have been selected for optical photometric and spectroscopic follow-up studies. Spectroscopic observations made with the 4.1m SOAR telescope at Cerro Pachón, Chile, showed that the spectra of the optical counterparts of 3EG J0821−5814 (PKS J0820−5705) and 3EG J0706−3837 (PMN J0710−3835) correspond to a flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) and LINER-Seyfert I galaxy respectively. Optical photometry of these sources, performed with the 1.0m telescope at Sutherland (South-Africa) shows noticeable intranight variability for PKS J0820−5705, as well as a 5 sigma variation of the mean brightness in the R-filter over a timescale of three nights. Significant variability has been detected in the B-band for PMN J0710−3835 as well. The gamma-ray spectral indices of all 13 candidates range between 2–3, correlating well with the BL Lacs and FSRQs detected with Fermi-LAT in the first 11 months of operation.

scholarly journals Multi-wavelength torus–jet model for Sagittarius A*

2019 ◽  
Vol 624 ◽  
pp. A52
Author(s):  
F. H. Vincent ◽  
M. A. Abramowicz ◽  
A. A. Zdziarski ◽  
M. Wielgus ◽  
T. Paumard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Black Hole ◽  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Spectral Index ◽  
Analytic Description ◽  
Emission Region ◽  
Quiescent State ◽  
Infrared Spectral ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
Best Fit

Context. The properties of the accretion/ejection flow surrounding the supermassive central black hole of the Galaxy Sgr A* will be scrutinized by the new-generation instrument GRAVITY and the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT). Developing fast, robust, and simple models of such flows is therefore important and very timely. Aims. We want to model the quiescent emission of Sgr A* from radio to mid-infrared wavelengths, using thermal and nonthermal synchrotron. The radiation is emitted by the overlay of a magnetized compact torus close to the black hole, and a large-scale magnetized jet. We compare model spectra and images to the multi-wavelength observable constraints available to date. We simulate EHT observations at 1.3 mm of the best-fit model for different inclinations. methods. We use a simple analytic description for the geometry of the torus and jet. We model their emission by thermal synchrotron and κ-distribution synchrotron, respectively. We use relativistic ray tracing to compute simulated spectra and images, restricting our analysis to the Schwarzschild (zero spin) case. A best-fit is found by adjusting the simulated spectra to the latest observed data, and we check the consistency of our spectral best fits with the radio-image sizes and infrared spectral index constraints. We use the open-source eht-imaging library to generate EHT-reconstructed images. Results. We find perfect spectral fit ( χred2 ≈ 1) both for nearly face-on and nearly edge-on views. These best fits give parameter values very close to those found by the most recent numerical simulations, which are much more complex than our model. The intrinsic radio size of Sgr A* is found to be in reasonable agreement with the centimetric observed constraints. Our best-fit infrared spectral index is in perfect agreement with the latest constraints. Our emission region at 1.3 mm, although larger than the early-EHT Gaussian best fit, does contain bright features at the ≲40 μas scale. EHT-reconstructed images show that torus/jet-specific features persist after the reconstruction procedure, and that these features are sensitive to inclination. Conclusions. The main interest of our model is to provide a simple and fast model of the quiescent state of Sgr A*, which gives extremely similar results to those of state-of-the-art numerical simulations. Our model is easy to use and we publish all the material necessary to reproduce our spectra and images, meaning that anyone interested can use our results relatively straightforwardly. We hope that such a public tool will be useful in the context of the recent and near-future GRAVITY and EHT results.

scholarly journals Investigating the multiwavelength behaviour of the flat spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013–2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (4) ◽  
pp. 5300-5316 ◽  
Author(s):  
F D’Ammando ◽  
C M Raiteri ◽  
M Villata ◽  
J A Acosta-Pulido ◽  
I Agudo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Geometrical Model ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Owens Valley ◽  
Spectrum Radio ◽  
Γ Ray ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Radio Quasar

ABSTRACT We present a multiwavelength study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013–2017. We use radio-to-optical data obtained by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope, 15 GHz data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, 91 and 103 GHz data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, near-infrared data from the Rapid Eye Monitor telescope, as well as data from the Swift (optical-UV and X-rays) and Fermi (γ-rays) satellites to study flux and spectral variability and the correlation between flux changes at different wavelengths. Unprecedented γ-ray flaring activity was observed during 2016 November–2017 February, with four major outbursts. A peak flux of (2158 ± 63) × 10−8 ph cm−2 s−1, corresponding to a luminosity of (2.2 ± 0.1) × 1050 erg s−1, was reached on 2016 December 28. These four γ-ray outbursts have corresponding events in the near-infrared, optical, and UV bands, with the peaks observed at the same time. A general agreement between X-ray and γ-ray activity is found. The γ-ray flux variations show a general, strong correlation with the optical ones with no time lag between the two bands and a comparable variability amplitude. This γ-ray/optical relationship is in agreement with the geometrical model that has successfully explained the low-energy flux and spectral behaviour, suggesting that the long-term flux variations are mainly due to changes in the Doppler factor produced by variations of the viewing angle of the emitting regions. The difference in behaviour between radio and higher energy emission would be ascribed to different viewing angles of the jet regions producing their emission.

scholarly journals Spectral Modeling of Flares in Long-term Gamma-Ray Light Curve of PKS 0903-57

2021 ◽  
Vol 922 (2) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Sandeep Kumar Mondal ◽  
Raj Prince ◽  
Nayantara Gupta ◽  
Avik Kumar Das
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Spectral Energy ◽  
Emission Region ◽  
Multiple Time ◽  
Emission Model ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Bl Lacertae ◽  
First Time

Abstract A detailed study of the BL Lacertae PKS 0903-57 has been done for the first time with 12 yr of Fermi Large Area Telescope data. We have identified two bright gamma-ray flares in 2018 and 2020. Many substructures were observed during multiple time binning of these flares. We performed a detailed temporal and spectral study on all the substructures separately. A single-zone emission model is used for time-dependent leptonic modeling of the multiwavelength spectral energy distributions. Our estimated values of variability timescale, magnetic field in the emission region, and the jet power obtained from leptonic modeling of PKS 0903-57 are presented in this work. Currently, we have a minimal number of observations in X-rays and other bands. Hence, further simultaneous multiwavelength monitoring of this source is required to have a better understanding of the physical processes occurring in the jet of the blazar PKS 0903-57.

scholarly journals Recurrent Novae — A Review

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Mukai
Keyword(s):  
Accretion Rate ◽  
Current Understanding ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Symbiotic Star ◽  
Classical Novae ◽  
Extensive Data ◽  
Star Evolution ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Multi Wavelength ◽  
Recurrent Nova

In recent years, recurrent nova eruptions are often observed very intensely in wide range of wavelengths from radio to optical to X-rays. Here I present selected highlights from recent multi-wavelength observations. The enigma of T Pyx is at the heart of this paper. While our current understanding of CV and symbiotic star evolution can explain why certain subset of recurrent novae have high accretion rate, that of T Pyx must be greatly elevated compared to the evolutionary mean. At the same time, we have extensive data to be able to estimate how the nova envelope was ejected in T Pyx, and it turns to be a rather complex tale. One suspects that envelope ejection in recurrent and classical novae in general is more complicated than the textbook descriptions. At the end of the review, I will speculate that these two may be connected.

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