The BL Lac PG 1553+113 has been continuously monitored in gamma-rays with Fermi-LAT for over 9 years. Its updated light curve now includes five iterations of a main pattern comprising a high peak and ...a longer trough, with a period . Our analysis of 2015-2017 data confirms the occurrence in 2017 January of a new peak fitting in with the previous trend. In addition, we identify secondary peaks ("twin peaks") that occur in closely symmetric pairs on both sides of most main peaks, including the last one; their occurrence is supported by correlated X-ray outbursts. We stress that the above features strongly point to binary dynamics in a system of two black holes (BHs) of some 108 and . At periastron the smaller BH periodically stresses the jet j1 launched by the heavier companion, and triggers MHD-kinetic tearing instabilities. These lead to magnetic reconnections and to acceleration of electrons that produce synchrotron emission from the optical to X-ray bands, and inverse Compton scattering into the GeV range. We discuss two possible origins of the twin peaks : a single-jet model, based on added instabilities induced in j1 by the smaller companion BH on its inner orbital arc; and a two-jet model with the smaller BH supporting its own, precessing jet j2 that contributes lower, specific GeV emissions. Such behaviors combining time stability with amplitude variations betray plasma instabilities driven in either jet by binary dynamics, and can provide a double signature of the long-sought supermassive BH binaries.
We study particle acceleration and radiative processes in blazar jets under recurring conditions set by gravitational perturbations in supermassive binary systems. We consider the action from a ...companion orbiting a primary black hole of , and perturbing its relativistic jet. We discuss how such conditions induce repetitive magneto-hydrodynamic stresses along the jet, and affect its inner electron acceleration and radiative processes. Specifically, we study how macroscopic perturbations related to increased jet "magnetization" end up in higher radiative outputs in the optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray bands. We first find an increase in magnetic field strength, as gauged in the optical band from the synchrotron emission of electrons accelerated in kinetic processes stimulated by reconnecting magnetic lines. The energetic electrons then proceed to up-scatter the synchrotron photons to GeV energies after the canonical synchrotron self-Compton radiation process. Our model implies a specific recurring pattern in the optical to gamma-ray emissions, made of high peaks and wide troughs. Progressing accelerations caused by spreading reconnections will produce an additional synchrotron keV component. Such outbursts provide a diagnostics for enhanced acceleration of electrons, which can up-scatter photons into the TeV range. We discuss how our model applies to the BL Lac object PG 1553+113, arguably the best candidate to now for high amplitude, recurring modulations in its gamma-ray emissions. We also consider other BL Lacs showing correlated keV-TeV radiations such as Mrk 421.
Abstract
The production site of gamma rays in blazars is closely related to their interaction with the photon fields surrounding the active galactic nucleus. In this paper, we discuss an indirect ...method that may help to unveil the presence of ambient structures in BL Lac objects through the analysis of their gamma-ray spectrum. Gamma rays, passing through structures at different distances from the black hole, interact via
γ
γ
pair production with the corresponding photon fields and produce absorption features in their spectral energy distribution. An interaction with a putative broad-line region may reduce the gamma-ray flux only if its production site were very close to the central engine. However, if jet photons interact with a bath of optical-UV seed photons produced by a narrow-line region extended over the parsec scale, the consequent
γ
γ
process may cause absorption features detectable at a few hundreds of GeV. The detection of such absorption features is facilitated in sources with spectra reaching TeV energies, and specifically HBLs and EHBLs (extreme blazars) may represent exceptional probes to investigate this topic. We discuss recent observations of an extreme blazar named 2WHSP J073326.7+515354 (or PGC 2402248), which shows evidence of such an absorption feature in its gamma-ray spectrum and narrow emission lines in the optical spectrum, suggesting the presence of narrow-line regions in its large-scale environment. Finally, we discuss how sub-TeV absorption features in the spectra of BL Lac objects may affect their broadband modeling and eventually represent a powerful diagnostic tool to constrain the gamma-ray production site and the jet environment.
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.
Modelling the kinked jet of the Crab nebula Mignone, A; Striani, E; Tavani, M ...
Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society,
12/2013, Volume:
436, Issue:
2
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
We investigate the dynamical propagation of the South-East jet from the Crab pulsar interacting with supernova ejecta by means of three-dimensional relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) numerical ...simulations with the pluto code. The initial jet structure is set up from the inner regions of the Crab nebula. We study the evolution of hot, relativistic hollow outflows initially carrying a purely azimuthal magnetic field. Our jet models are characterized by different choices of the outflow magnetization (σ parameter) and the bulk Lorentz factor (γj). We show that the jet is heavily affected by the growth of current-driven kink instabilities causing considerable deflection throughout its propagation length. This behaviour is partially stabilized by the combined action of larger flow velocities and/or reduced magnetic field strengths. We find that our best jet models are characterized by relatively large values of σ ( 1) and small values of γj 2. Our results are in good agreement with the recent X-ray (Chandra) data of the Crab nebula South-East jet indicating that the jet changes direction of propagation on a time-scale of the order of few years. The 3D models presented here may have important implications in the investigation of particle acceleration in relativistic outflows.
Abstract
Astro-rivelatore Gamma a Immagini Leggero (AGILE) is a space mission launched in 2007 to study X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy. The AGILE team developed real-time analysis pipelines to detect ...transient phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and react to external science alerts received by other facilities. The AGILE anticoincidence system (ACS) comprises five panels surrounding the AGILE detectors to reject background-charged particles. It can also detect hard X-ray photons in the energy range 50–200 keV. The ACS data acquisition produces a time series for each panel. The time series are merged into a single multivariate time series (MTS). We present a new deep-learning model for the detection of GRBs in the ACS data using an anomaly detection technique. The model is implemented with a convolutional neural network autoencoder architecture trained in an unsupervised manner, using a data set of MTSs randomly extracted from the AGILE ACS data. The reconstruction error of the autoencoder is used as the anomaly score to classify the MTS. We calculated the associated
p
-value distribution, using more than 10
7
background-only MTSs, to define the statistical significance of the detections. We evaluate the trained model with a list of GRBs reported by the GRBWeb catalog. The results confirm the model’s capabilities to detect GRBs in the ACS data. We will implement this method in the AGILE real-time analysis pipeline.
ABSTRACT Blazars radiate from relativistic plasma jets with bulk Lorentz factors closely aligned along our line of sight. In a number of blazars of the flat-spectrum radio quasar type, such as 3C ...454.3 and 3C 279, gamma-ray flares have recently been detected with very high luminosity and few or no counterparts in the optical and soft X-ray bands. They challenge the current one-zone leptonic models of emissions from within the broad-line region (BLR). The latter envisage the optical/X-ray emissions to be produced as synchrotron radiation by the same population of highly relativistic electrons in the jet that would also yield the gamma rays by inverse Compton upscattering of surrounding soft photons. To meet the challenge, we present here a model based on primary synchrotron photons emitted in the BLR by a plasmoid moving out with the jet and scattered back toward the incoming plasmoid by an outer plasma clump acting as a mirror. We consider both a scenario based on a static mirror located outside the BLR and an alternative provided by a moving mirror geometry. We show that mirroring phenomena can locally enhance the density and anisotropy with associated relativistic boosting of soft photons within the jet, so as to trigger bright inverse Compton gamma-ray transients from nearly steady optical/X-ray synchrotron emissions. In this picture we interpret the peculiarly asymmetric light curves of the recently detected gamma-ray flares from 3C 279. Our scenario provides a promising start to understanding the widening class of bright and transient gamma-ray activities in blazars.
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.
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.
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