Very rapid high-amplitude gamma-ray variability in luminous blazar PKS 1510–089 studied with Fermi-LAT

2013
journal article
article
117
dc.abstract.enHere we report on the detailed analysis of the $\gamma$-ray light curve of a luminous blazar PKS 1510−089 observed in the GeV range with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite during the period 2011 September–December. By investigating the properties of the detected three major flares with the shortest possible time binning allowed by the photon statistics, we find a variety of temporal characteristics and variability patterns. This includes a clearly asymmetric profile (with a faster flux rise and a slower decay) of the flare resolved on sub-daily timescales, a superposition of many short uncorrelated flaring events forming the apparently coherent longer-duration outburst, and a huge single isolated outburst unresolved down to the timescale of 3 hr. In the latter case we estimate the corresponding $\gamma$-ray flux doubling timescale to be below 1 hr, which is extreme and never previously reported for any active galaxy in the GeV range. The other unique finding is that the total power released during the studied rapid and high-amplitude flares constitutes the bulk of the power radiatively dissipated in the source and a significant fraction of the total kinetic luminosity of the underlying relativistic outflow. Our analysis allows us to access directly the characteristic timescales involved in shaping the energy dissipation processes in the source, and to provide constraints on the location and the structure of the blazar emission zone in PKS 1510−089.pl
dc.affiliationWydział Fizyki, Astronomii i Informatyki Stosowanej : Instytut – Obserwatorium Astronomicznepl
dc.contributor.authorSaito, S.pl
dc.contributor.authorStawarz, Łukasz - 132081 pl
dc.contributor.authorTanaka, Y. T.pl
dc.contributor.authorTakahashi, T.pl
dc.contributor.authorMadejski, G.pl
dc.contributor.authorD’Ammando, F.pl
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-09T07:59:26Z
dc.date.available2015-06-09T07:59:26Z
dc.date.issued2013pl
dc.date.openaccess12
dc.description.accesstimepo opublikowaniu
dc.description.number1pl
dc.description.versionostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volume766pl
dc.identifier.articleidL11pl
dc.identifier.doi10.1088/2041-8205/766/1/L11pl
dc.identifier.eissn2041-8213pl
dc.identifier.issn2041-8205pl
dc.identifier.urihttp://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/9060
dc.languageengpl
dc.language.containerengpl
dc.rights.licenceInna otwarta licencja
dc.share.typeotwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enacceleration of particlespl
dc.subject.engalaxies: activepl
dc.subject.engalaxies: jetspl
dc.subject.engamma rays: galaxiespl
dc.subject.enquasars: individual (PKS1510−089)pl
dc.subject.enradiation mechanisms: non-thermalpl
dc.subtypeArticlepl
dc.titleVery rapid high-amplitude gamma-ray variability in luminous blazar PKS 1510–089 studied with Fermi-LATpl
dc.title.journalThe Astrophysical Journal Letterspl
dc.typeJournalArticlepl
dspace.entity.typePublication
dc.abstract.enpl
Here we report on the detailed analysis of the $\gamma$-ray light curve of a luminous blazar PKS 1510−089 observed in the GeV range with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite during the period 2011 September–December. By investigating the properties of the detected three major flares with the shortest possible time binning allowed by the photon statistics, we find a variety of temporal characteristics and variability patterns. This includes a clearly asymmetric profile (with a faster flux rise and a slower decay) of the flare resolved on sub-daily timescales, a superposition of many short uncorrelated flaring events forming the apparently coherent longer-duration outburst, and a huge single isolated outburst unresolved down to the timescale of 3 hr. In the latter case we estimate the corresponding $\gamma$-ray flux doubling timescale to be below 1 hr, which is extreme and never previously reported for any active galaxy in the GeV range. The other unique finding is that the total power released during the studied rapid and high-amplitude flares constitutes the bulk of the power radiatively dissipated in the source and a significant fraction of the total kinetic luminosity of the underlying relativistic outflow. Our analysis allows us to access directly the characteristic timescales involved in shaping the energy dissipation processes in the source, and to provide constraints on the location and the structure of the blazar emission zone in PKS 1510−089.
dc.affiliationpl
Wydział Fizyki, Astronomii i Informatyki Stosowanej : Instytut – Obserwatorium Astronomiczne
dc.contributor.authorpl
Saito, S.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Stawarz, Łukasz - 132081
dc.contributor.authorpl
Tanaka, Y. T.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Takahashi, T.
dc.contributor.authorpl
Madejski, G.
dc.contributor.authorpl
D’Ammando, F.
dc.date.accessioned
2015-06-09T07:59:26Z
dc.date.available
2015-06-09T07:59:26Z
dc.date.issuedpl
2013
dc.date.openaccess
12
dc.description.accesstime
po opublikowaniu
dc.description.numberpl
1
dc.description.version
ostateczna wersja wydawcy
dc.description.volumepl
766
dc.identifier.articleidpl
L11
dc.identifier.doipl
10.1088/2041-8205/766/1/L11
dc.identifier.eissnpl
2041-8213
dc.identifier.issnpl
2041-8205
dc.identifier.uri
http://ruj.uj.edu.pl/xmlui/handle/item/9060
dc.languagepl
eng
dc.language.containerpl
eng
dc.rights.licence
Inna otwarta licencja
dc.share.type
otwarte czasopismo
dc.subject.enpl
acceleration of particles
dc.subject.enpl
galaxies: active
dc.subject.enpl
galaxies: jets
dc.subject.enpl
gamma rays: galaxies
dc.subject.enpl
quasars: individual (PKS1510−089)
dc.subject.enpl
radiation mechanisms: non-thermal
dc.subtypepl
Article
dc.titlepl
Very rapid high-amplitude gamma-ray variability in luminous blazar PKS 1510–089 studied with Fermi-LAT
dc.title.journalpl
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
dc.typepl
JournalArticle
dspace.entity.type
Publication
Affiliations

* The migration of download and view statistics prior to the date of April 8, 2024 is in progress.

No access

No Thumbnail Available