ABSTRACT
Blazars research is one of the hot topics of contemporary extragalactic astrophysics. That is because these sources are the most abundant type of extragalactic γ-ray sources and are ...suspected to play a central role in multimessenger astrophysics. We have used Swift$\_$xrtproc, a tool to carry out an accurate spectral and photometric analysis of the Swift-XRT data of all blazars observed by Swift at least 50 times between December 2004 and the end of 2020. We present a database of X-ray spectra, best-fit parameter values, count rates and flux estimations in several energy bands of over 31 000 X-ray observations and single snapshots of 65 blazars. The results of the X-ray analysis have been combined with other multifrequency archival data to assemble the broad-band Spectral Energy Distributions (SEDs) and the long-term light curves of all sources in the sample. Our study shows that large X-ray luminosity variability on different time-scales is present in all objects. Spectral changes are also frequently observed with a ‘harder-when-brighter’ or ‘softer-when-brighter’ behaviour depending on the SED type of the blazars. The peak energy of the synchrotron component (νpeak) in the SED of HBL blazars, estimated from the log-parabolic shape of their X-ray spectra, also exhibits very large changes in the same source, spanning a range of over two orders of magnitude in Mrk421 and Mrk501, the objects with the best data sets in our sample.
Aims. We present the results of a deep spectral analysis of all Swift observations of Mrk 421 between April 2006 and July 2006, when it reached its highest X-ray flux recorded until the end of ...2006. The peak flux was about 85 milli-Crab in the 2.0–10.0 keV band, and the peak energy (Ep) of the spectral energy distribution (SED) was often at energies higher than 10 keV. We study trends between the spectral parameters, and the physical insights the parameters provide into the underlying acceleration and emission mechanisms. Methods. We performed a spectral analysis of Swift observations to investigate trends between the spectral parameters. We searched for acceleration and energetic features phenomenologically linked to the SSC model parameters, by predicting their effects in the γ-ray band, and in particular, the spectral shape expected in the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope-LAT band. Results. We confirm that the X-ray spectrum is described well by a log-parabolic distribution close to Ep, that the peak flux of the SED (Sp) is correlated with Ep, and that Ep is anti-correlated with the curvature parameter (b). The spectral evolution in the Hardness-ratio-flux plane shows both clockwise and counter-clockwise patterns. During the most energetic flares, the UV-to-soft-X-ray spectral shape requires an electron distribution spectral index of $s\simeq 2.3$. Conclusions. We demonstrate that the UV-to-X-ray emission from Mrk 421 is probably generated by a population of electrons that is actually curved, and has a low energy power-law tail. The observed spectral curvature is consistent with both stochastic acceleration or energy-dependent acceleration probability mechanisms, whereas the power-law slope of XRT-UVOT data is close to that inferred from the GRBs X-ray afterglow and in agreement with the universal first-order relativistic shock acceleration models. This scenario implies that magnetic turbulence may play a twofold role: spatial diffusion relevant to the first order process and momentum diffusion relevant to the second order process.
The AGILE satellite detected transient high-energy γ-ray emission from the X-ray binary V404 Cygni, during the 2015 June outburst observed in radio, optical, X-ray, and soft γ-ray frequencies. The ...activity was observed by AGILE in the 50-400 MeV energy band, between 2015 June 24 UT 06:00:00 and 2015 June 26 UT 06:00:00 (MJD 57197.25-57199.25), with a detection significance of ∼4.3 . The γ-ray detection, consistent with a contemporaneous observation by Fermi-LAT, is correlated with a bright flare observed at radio and hard X-ray frequencies, and with a strong enhancement of the 511 keV line emission, possibly indicating plasmoid ejections in a lepton-dominated transient jet. The AGILE observations of this binary system are compatible with a microquasar scenario in which transient jets are responsible for the high-energy γ-ray emission.
The First AGILE Solar Flare Catalog Ursi, A.; Parmiggiani, N.; Messerotti, M. ...
The Astrophysical journal. Supplement series,
07/2023, Volume:
267, Issue:
1
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Abstract
We report the Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini LEggero (AGILE) observations of solar flares, detected by the onboard anticoincidence system in the 80–200 keV energy range, from 2007 May 1 ...to 2022 August 31. In more than 15 yr, AGILE detected 5003 X-ray, minute-lasting transients, compatible with a solar origin. A cross-correlation of these transients with the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) official solar flare database allowed us to associate an intensity class (i.e., B, C, M, or X) to 3572 of them, for which we investigated the main temporal and intensity parameters. The AGILE data clearly revealed the solar activity covering the last stages of the 23rd cycle, the whole 24th cycle, and the beginning of the current 25th cycle. In order to compare our results with other space missions operating in the high-energy range, we also analyzed the public lists of solar flares reported by RHESSI and Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. This catalog reports 1424 events not contained in the GOES official data set, which, after statistical comparisons, are compatible with low-intensity, short-duration solar flares. Besides providing a further data set of solar flares detected in the hard X-ray range, this study allowed to point out two main features: a longer persistence of the decay phase in the high-energy regime, with respect to the soft X-rays, and a tendency of the flare maximum to be reached earlier in the soft X-rays with respect to the hard X-rays. Both these aspects support a two-phase acceleration mechanism of electrons in the solar atmosphere.
On 2016 July 31 the ICECUBE collaboration reported the detection of a high-energy starting event induced by an astrophysical neutrino. Here, we report on a search for a gamma-ray counterpart to the ...ICECUBE-160731 event, made with the AGILE satellite. No detection was found spanning the time interval of 1 ks around the neutrino event time T0 using the AGILE "burst search" system. Looking for a possible gamma-ray precursor in the results of the AGILE-GRID automatic Quick Look procedure over predefined 48-hr time bins, we found an excess above 100 MeV between 1 and 2 days before T0, which is positionally consistent with the ICECUBE error circle, that has a post-trial significance of about . A refined data analysis of this excess confirms, a posteriori, the automatic detection. The new AGILE transient source, named AGL J1418+0008, thus stands as a possible ICECUBE-160731 gamma-ray precursor. No other space missions nor ground observatories have reported any detection of transient emission consistent with the ICECUBE event. We show that Fermi-LAT had a low exposure for the ICECUBE region during the AGILE gamma-ray transient. Based on an extensive search for cataloged sources within the error regions of ICECUBE-160731 and AGL J1418+0008, we find a possible common counterpart showing some of the key features associated with the high-energy peaked BL Lac (HBL) class of blazars. Further investigations on the nature of this source using dedicated SWIFT ToO data are presented.
Abstract
We present the results of a systematic search and analysis of GRBs detected by the Astrorivelatore Gamma ad Immagini LEggero (AGILE) MiniCALorimeter (MCAL; 0.4–100 MeV) over a time frame of ...13 yr, from 2007 to 2020 November. The MCAL GRB sample consists of 503 bursts triggered by MCAL, 394 of which were fully detected onboard with high time resolution. The sample consists of about 44% short GRBs and 56% long GRBs. In addition, 109 bursts triggered partial MCAL onboard data acquisitions, providing further detections that can be used for joint analyses or triangulations. More than 90% of these GRBs were also detected by the AGILE Scientific RateMeters (RMs), providing simultaneous observations between 20 keV and 100 MeV. We performed spectral analysis of these events in the 0.4–50 MeV energy range. We could fit the time-integrated spectrum of 258 GRBs with a single power-law model, resulting in a mean photon index 〈
β
〉of−2.3. Among them, 43 bursts could also be fitted with a Band model, with peak energy above 400 keV, resulting in a mean low-energy photon index 〈
α
〉 = −0.6, a mean high-energy photon index 〈
β
〉 = −2.5, and a mean peak energy 〈
E
p
〉 = 640 keV. The AGILE MCAL GRB sample mostly consists of hard-spectrum GRBs, with a large fraction of short-duration events. We discuss properties and features of the MCAL bursts, whose detections can be used to perform joint broad-band analysis with other missions, and to provide insights on the high-energy component of the prompt emission in the tens of mega electron volt energy range.
We report on the lowest-frequency detection to date of three bursts from the fast radio burst FRB 180916.J0158+65, observed at 328 MHz with the Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). The SRT observed the ...periodic repeater FRB 180916.J0158+65 for five days from 2020 February 20 to 24 during a time interval of active radio bursting, and detected the three bursts during the first hour of observations; no more bursts were detected during the remaining ∼30 hr. Simultaneous SRT observations at 1548 MHz did not detect any bursts. Burst fluences are in the range 37 to 13 Jy ms. No relevant scattering is observed for these bursts. We also present the results of the multi-wavelength campaign we performed on FRB 180916.J0158+65, during the five days of the active window. Simultaneously with the SRT observations, others with different time spans were performed with the Northern Cross at 408 MHz, with XMM-Newton, NICER, INTEGRAL, AGILE, and with the TNG and two optical telescopes in Asiago, which are equipped with fast photometers. XMM-Newton obtained data simultaneously with the three bursts detected by the SRT, and determined a luminosity upper limit in the 0.3-10 keV energy range of ∼1045 erg s−1 for the burst emission. AGILE obtained data simultaneously with the first burst and determined a fluence upper limit in the MeV range for millisecond timescales of . Our results show that absorption from the circumburst medium does not significantly affect the emission from FRB 180916.J0158+65, thus limiting the possible presence of a superluminous supernova around the source, and indicate that a cutoff for the bursting mechanism, if present, must be at lower frequencies. Our multi-wavelength campaign sensitively constrains the broadband emission from FRB 180916.J0158+65, and provides the best limits so far for the electromagnetic response to the radio bursting of this remarkable source of fast radio bursts.
ABSTRACT
Blazars are a peculiar class of active galactic nuclei that enlighten the sky at all wavelengths. The electromagnetic emission of these sources is jet-dominated, resulting in a spectral ...energy distribution (SED) that has a typical double-humped shape. X-ray photons provide a wealth of information on the physics of each source as in the X-ray band, we can observe the tail of SED first peak, the rise of the second one or the transition between the two. NuSTAR, thanks to its capability of focusing X-rays up to 79 keV provides broad-band data particularly suitable to compute SEDs in a still poorly explored part of the spectrum. In the context of the Open Universe initiative, we developed a dedicated pipeline, NuSTAR_Spectra, a shell-script that automatically downloads data from the archive, generates scientific products and carries out a complete spectral analysis. The script homogeneously extracts high level scientific products for both NuSTAR’s telescopes and the spectral characterization is performed testing two phenomenological models. The corresponding X-ray properties are derived from the data best fit, and the SEDs are also computed. The systematic processing of all blazar observations of the NuSTAR public archive allowed us to release the first hard X-ray spectroscopic catalogue of blazars (NuBlazar). The catalogue, updated to 2021 September 30, includes 253 observations of 126 distinct blazars, 30 of which have been multiply observed.
We report the detection by the Astrorivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero (AGILE) satellite of terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) obtained with the minicalorimeter (MCAL) detector operating in the ...energy range 0.3–100 MeV. We select events typically lasting a few milliseconds with spectral and directional selections consistent with the TGF characteristics previously reported by other space missions. During the period 1 June 2008 to 31 March 2009 we detect 34 high‐confidence events showing millisecond durations and a geographical distribution peaked over continental Africa and Southeast Asia. For the first time, AGILE‐MCAL detects photons associated with TGF events up to 40 MeV. We determine the cumulative spectral properties of the spectrum in the range 0.5–40 MeV, which can be effectively described by a Bremsstrahlung spectrum. We find that both the TGF cumulative spectral properties and their geographical distribution are in good agreement with the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) results.
ABSTRACT We report the results of an extensive search through the AGILE data for a gamma-ray counterpart to the LIGO gravitational-wave (GW) event GW150914. Currently in spinning mode, AGILE has the ...potential of cover 80% of the sky with its gamma-ray instrument, more than 100 times a day. It turns out that AGILE came within a minute of the event time of observing the accessible GW150914 localization region. Interestingly, the gamma-ray detector exposed ∼65% of this region during the 100 s time intervals centered at −100 and +300 s from the event time. We determine a 2 flux upper limit in the band 50 MeV-10 GeV, UL = 1.9 × 10−8 erg cm−2 s−1, obtained ∼300 s after the event. The timing of this measurement is the fastest ever obtained for GW150914, and significantly constrains the electromagnetic emission of a possible high-energy counterpart. We also carried out a search for a gamma-ray precursor and delayed emission over five timescales ranging from minutes to days: in particular, we obtained an optimal exposure during the interval −150/−30 s. In all these observations, we do not detect a significant signal associated with GW150914. We do not reveal the weak transient source reported by Fermi-GBM 0.4 s after the event time. However, even though a gamma-ray counterpart of the GW150914 event was not detected, the prospects for future AGILE observations of GW sources are decidedly promising.
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