scholarly journals A ring accelerator? Unusual jet dynamics in the IceCube candidate PKS 1502+106

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (3) ◽  
pp. 3145-3178 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Britzen ◽  
M Zajaček ◽  
L Č Popović ◽  
C Fendt ◽  
A Tramacere ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT On 2019/07/30.86853 ut, IceCube detected a high-energy astrophysical neutrino candidate. The Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar PKS 1502+106 is located within the 50 per cent uncertainty region of the event. Our analysis of 15 GHz Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) and astrometric 8 GHz VLBA data, in a time span prior and after the IceCube event, reveals evidence for a radio ring structure that develops with time. Several arc-structures evolve perpendicular to the jet ridge line. We find evidence for precession of a curved jet based on kinematic modelling and a periodicity analysis. An outflowing broad line region (BLR) based on the C iv line emission (Sloan Digital Sky Survey) is found. We attribute the atypical ring to an interaction of the precessing jet with the outflowing material. We discuss our findings in the context of a spine-sheath scenario where the ring reveals the sheath and its interaction with the surroundings (narrow line region, NLR, clouds). We find that the radio emission is correlated with the γ-ray emission, with radio lagging the γ-rays. Based on the γ-ray variability time-scale, we constrain the γ-ray emission zone to the BLR (30–200 rg) and within the jet launching region. We discuss that the outflowing BLR provides the external radiation field for γ-ray production via external Compton scattering. The neutrino is most likely produced by proton–proton interaction in the blazar zone (beyond the BLR), enabled by episodic encounters of the jet with dense clouds, i.e. some molecular cloud in the NLR.

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (S304) ◽  
pp. 257-260
Author(s):  
Tigran G. Arshakian ◽  
Vahram Chavushyan

AbstractThe empirical relations in the black hole-accretion disk-relativistic jet system and physical processes behind these relations are still poorly understood, partly because they operate close to the black hole within the central light year. Very long baseline array (VLBA) provides unparalleled resolution at 15 GHz with which to observe the jet components at sub-milliarcsecond scales, corresponding to sub-pc-scales for local blazars. We discuss the jet inner structure of blazars, location and radiation mechanisms operating in the innermost parsec-scale region of blazars, and evidence for jet-excited broad-line region (BLR) ouflowing downstream the jet. Outflowing BLR can provide necessary conditions for production of high energy emission along the jet between the base of the jet and the BLR and far beyond the BLR as evidenced by recent observations. Flat spectrum quasars and low synchrotron peaked sources are the most likely objects to host the outfllowing BLR. From the γ-ray absorption arguments, we propose that the jet-excited region of the outflowing BLR in quasars is small and/or gas filling factor is low, and that the orientation and opening angle of the outflowing BLR can lead to relevant γ-ray absorption features observed in quasars.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (S313) ◽  
pp. 33-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana G. Jorstad ◽  
Alan P. Marscher ◽  
Daria A. Morozova ◽  
Vishal Bala ◽  
Ivan Agudo ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present an analysis of the parsec-scale jet structure of the quasar 4C+21.35 with a resolution of 0.1 milliarcseconds based on 63 epochs of Very Long Baseline Array observations at 43 GHz from 2007 June to 2014 May along with the Fermi LAT γ-ray light curve and multi-frequency optical photometric and polarimetric data. We find that the innermost jet of the quasar consists of a very compact core of size ~0.03 mas, as well as feature A1 located 0.16 ± 0.03 mas from the core. The distance of A1 remains fairly stable, but its position angle with respect to the core changes from -10 to +10 deg. We detect 4 superluminal knots in the inner jet with apparent speeds ranging from 10c to 20c. The first two components appeared in the jet during the high γ-ray state of the quasar from mid-2010 to early 2011, while the fourth knot appears to be connected with the γ-ray active state in late 2013 - early 2014. The first knot can be associated with the dramatic VHE flare in 2010 June and possesses an extreme Doppler factor ~60. We find that maxima in the γ-ray light curve coincide with epochs of interaction between the moving knots and the core and feature A1. This suggests that the core and A1 are recollimation shocks where γ-ray flares occur. The Chandra 0.5-6 keV image reveals the existence of X-ray emission in the kiloparsec scale jet of the quasar that can be explained via inverse Compton scattering off the cosmic microwave background by relativistic electrons if no deceleration occurs between the parsec- and kiloparsec-scale jets.


1965 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 253-258
Author(s):  
M. Libber ◽  
S. N. Milford ◽  
M. S. Spergel

Collisions of high energy cosmic rays with intergalactic gas produce various secondaries, including neutral pions that decay into high energy γ rays. The Landau-Milekhin hydrodynamical model for proton-proton collisions is used to calculate the pion production spectrum corresponding to cosmic γ rays of energy above 10 Gev. A source function for these high energy γ rays in space is found by combining the pion production and decay spectra with the primary cosmic ray proton flux. The resulting γ ray spectrum follows a different power law than spectra based upon the usual assumption of a line spectrum for the pions in the center of mass system of the colliding protons. The high energy γ ray intensity in space is calculated for a simple model universe. By comparison with previous estimates for the proton photoproduction process, it is found that proton-proton and proton-photon collisions appear to contribute about the same order of magnitude to the intergalactic γ ray intensity above ∼1016 eV.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (1) ◽  
pp. 411-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Romano ◽  
M Böttcher ◽  
L Foschini ◽  
C Boisson ◽  
S Vercellone ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Gamma-ray emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (γ-NLS1) galaxies possibly harbour relatively low-mass black holes (106–108 M⊙) accreting close to the Eddington limit, and share many characteristics with their sibling sources, flat-spectrum radio quasars. Although they have been detected in the MeV–GeV band with Fermi–LAT, they have never been seen in the very high energy band with current imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Thus, they are key targets for the next-generation IACT, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In a previous work we selected, by means of extensive simulations, the best candidates for a prospective CTA detection (SBS 0846+513, PMN J0948+0022, and PKS 1502+036) taking into account the effects of both the intrinsic absorption (approximated with a cut-off at 30 GeV), and the extragalactic background light on the propagation of γ-rays. In this work, we simulate the spectra of these three sources by adopting more realistic broad-line region (BLR) absorption models. In particular, we consider the detailed treatment of γ–γ absorption in the radiation fields of the BLR as a function of the location of the γ-ray emission region with parameters inferred from observational constraints. We find that, due to the energy range extent and its sensitivity, CTA is particularly well suited to locate the γ-ray emitting region in γ-NLS1. In particular CTA will be able not only to distinguish whether the γ-ray emitting region is located inside or outside the BLR, but also where inside the BLR it may be.


Galaxies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bindu Rani

Over the past decade, our knowledge of the γ -ray sky has been revolutionized by ground- and space-based observatories by detecting photons up to several hundreds of tera-electron volt (TeV) energies. A major population of the γ -ray bright objects are active galactic nuclei (AGN) with their relativistic jets pointed along our line-of-sight. Gamma-ray emission is also detected from nearby misaligned AGN such as radio galaxies. While the TeV-detected radio galaxies ( T e V R a d ) only form a small fraction of the γ -ray detected AGN, their multi-wavelength study offers a unique opportunity to probe and pinpoint the high-energy emission processes and sites. Even in the absence of substantial Doppler beaming T e V R a d are extremely bright objects in the TeV sky (luminosities detected up to 10 45 erg s − 1 ), and exhibit flux variations on timescales shorter than the event-horizon scales (flux doubling timescale less than 5 min). Thanks to the recent advancement in the imaging capabilities of high-resolution radio interferometry (millimeter very long baseline interferometry, mm-VLBI), one can probe the scales down to less than 10 gravitational radii in T e V R a d , making it possible not only to test jet launching models but also to pinpoint the high-energy emission sites and to unravel the emission mechanisms. This review provides an overview of the high-energy observations of T e V R a d with a focus on the emitting sites and radiation processes. Some recent approaches in simulations are also sketched. Observations by the near-future facilities like Cherenkov Telescope Array, short millimeter-VLBI, and high-energy polarimetry instruments will be crucial for discriminating the competing high-energy emission models.


2012 ◽  
Vol 08 ◽  
pp. 184-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
M. RAUE ◽  
L. STAWARZ ◽  
D. MAZIN ◽  
P. COLIN ◽  
...  

The giant radio galaxy M 87, with its proximity (16 Mpc) and its very massive black hole ((3-6) × 109 M⊙), provides a unique laboratory to investigate very high energy (E>100 GeV; VHE) gamma-ray emission from active galactic nuclei and, thereby, probe particle acceleration to relativistic energies near supermassive black holes (SMBH) and in relativistic jets. M 87 has been established as a VHE γ-ray emitter since 2005. The VHE γ-ray emission displays strong variability on timescales as short as a day. In 2008, a rise in the 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) radio emission of the innermost region (core; extension of < 100 R s ; Schwarzschild radii) was found to coincide with a flaring activity at VHE. This had been interpreted as a strong indication that the VHE emission is produced in the direct vicinity of the SMBH. In 2010 a flare at VHE was again detected triggering further multi-wavelength (MWL) observations with the VLBA, Chandra, and other instruments. At the same time, M 87 was also observed with the Fermi-LAT telescope at MeV/GeV energies, the European VLBI Network (EVN), and the Liverpool Telescope (LT). Here, preliminary results from the 2010 campaign will be reported.


2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (3) ◽  
pp. 2565-2576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Temple ◽  
Gary J Ferland ◽  
Amy L Rankine ◽  
Paul C Hewett ◽  
N R Badnell ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Recent improvements to atomic energy-level data allow, for the first time, accurate predictions to be made for the Fe iii line emission strengths in the spectra of luminous, $L_\text{bol}\simeq 10^{46}\!-\!10^{48}\mbox{${\rm \, erg}{\rm \, s}^{-1}\, $}$, active galactic nuclei. The Fe iii emitting gas must be primarily photoionized, consistent with observations of line reverberation. We use cloudy models exploring a wide range of parameter space, together with ≃26 000 rest-frame ultraviolet spectra from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, to constrain the physical conditions of the line emitting gas. The observed Fe iii emission is best accounted for by dense (nH ≃ 1014 cm−3) gas which is microturbulent, leading to smaller line optical depths and fluorescent excitation. Such high density gas appears to be present in the central regions of the majority of luminous quasars. Using our favoured model, we present theoretical predictions for the relative strengths of the Fe iii UV34 λλ1895, 1914, 1926 multiplet. This multiplet is blended with the Si iii] λ1892 and C iii] λ1909 emission lines and an accurate subtraction of UV34 is essential when using these lines to infer information about the physics of the broad line region in quasars.


Universe ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Vercellone ◽  
Luigi Foschini ◽  
Patrizia Romano ◽  
Markus Böttcher ◽  
Catherine Boisson

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies (NLSy1s) are a well established class of γ -ray sources, showing the presence of a jet like the more common flat-spectrum radio quasars. The evidence of γ -ray emission poses the issue of the location of the γ -ray emitting zone and of the contribution of the γ - γ absorption within the broad-line region (BLR), since such objects have been detected by Fermi-LAT in the MeV-GeV energy range but not by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes beyond 100 GeV. We discuss how the spectral properties of three NLSy1s (SBS 0846+513, PMN J0948+0022, and PKS 1502+036) derived from the Fermi Large Area Telescope Fourth Source Catalog (4FGL) compared with theoretical models based on the observed properties of the BLR. In particular, we focus on the question on how simple power-law spectral models and log-parabolic ones could be disentangled in γ -ray narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies by means of current Fermi-LAT or future imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes data. We found that the only possibility for a log-parabolic model to mimic a power-law model in the energy band above E ∼ 100 GeV is to have a very small value of the curvature parameter β ∼ 0.05 .


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwen Xiao ◽  
Lang Chen ◽  
Kun Yang ◽  
Deshen Geng ◽  
Jianying Lu ◽  
...  

AbstractHost–guest materials exhibit great potential applications as an insensitive high-energy–density explosive and low characteristic signal solid propellant. To investigate the mechanism of the improvement of the energy of host–guest explosives by guest molecules, ReaxFF-lg reactive molecular dynamics simulations were performed to calculate the thermal decomposition reactions of the host–guest explosives systems ICM-102/HNO3, ICM-102/H2O2, and pure ICM-102 under different constant high temperatures and different heating rates. Incorporation of guest molecules significantly increased the energy level of the host–guest system. However, the initial reaction path of the ICM-102 molecule was not changed by the guest molecules. The guest molecules did not initially participate in the host molecule reaction. After a period of time, the H2O2 and HNO3 guest molecules promoted cleavage of the C–N bond of the ICM-102 ring. Stronger oxidation and higher oxygen content resulted in the guest molecules more obviously accelerating destruction of the ICM-102 ring structure. The guest molecules accelerated the initial endothermic reaction of ICM-102, but they played a more important role in the intermediate exothermic reaction stage: incorporation of guest molecules (HNO3 and H2O2) greatly improved the heat release and exothermic reaction rate. Although the energies of the host–guest systems were clearly improved by incorporation of guest molecules, the guest molecules had little effect on the thermal stabilities of the systems.


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