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Title: Investigating broadband variability of the TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650

Abstract

We summarize broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar 1ES 1959 650, including optical R-band observations by the robotic telescopes Super-LOTIS and iTelescope, UV observations by Swift UVOT, X-ray observations by the Swift X-ray Telescope, high-energy gamma-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope, and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations by VERITAS above 315 GeV, all taken between 2012 April 17 and 2012 June 1 (MJD 56034 and 56079). The contemporaneous variability of the broadband spectral energy distribution is explored in the context of a simple synchrotron self Compton (SSC) model. In the SSC emission scenario, we find that the parameters required to represent the high state are significantly different than those in the low state. Motivated by possible evidence of gas in the vicinity of the blazar, we also investigate a reflected emission model to describe the observed variability pattern. This model assumes that the non-thermal emission from the jet is reflected by a nearby cloud of gas, allowing the reflected emission to re-enter the blob and produce an elevated gamma-ray state with no simultaneous elevated synchrotron flux. The model applied here, although not required to explain the observed variability pattern, represents one possible scenario which can describe the observations. Asmore » applied to an elevated VHE state of 66% of the Crab Nebula flux, observed on a single night during the observation period, the reflected emission scenario does not support a purely leptonic non-thermal emission mechanism. The reflected model does, however, predict a reflected photon field with sufficient energy to enable elevated gamma-ray emission via pion production with protons of energies between 10 and 100 TeV.« less

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Contributing Org.:
The VERITAS Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1167125
Report Number(s):
SLAC-PUB-16188
Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357; arXiv:1412.1031
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal (Online)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 797; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1538-4357
Publisher:
Institute of Physics (IOP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; gamma rays; galaxies; BL Lacertae objects; individual

Citation Formats

Aliu, E., Archambault, S., Arlen, T., Aune, T., Barnacka, A., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., Berger, K., Bird, R., Bouvier, A., Buckley, J. H., Bugaev, V., Cerruti, M., Chen, X., Ciupik, L., Collins-Hughes, E., Connolly, M. P., Cui, W., Dumm, J., Eisch, J. D., Falcone, A., Federici, S., Feng, Q., Finley, J. P., Fleischhack, H., Fortin, P., Fortson, L., Furniss, A., Galante, N., Gillanders, G. H., Griffin, S., Griffiths, S. T., Grube, J., Gyuk, G., Håkansson, N., Hanna, D., Holder, J., Hughes, G., Hughes, Z., Humensky, T. B., Johnson, C. A., Kaaret, P., Kar, P., Kertzman, M., Khassen, Y., Kieda, D., Krawczynski, H., Krennrich, F., Lang, M. J., Madhavan, A. S., Majumdar, P., McArthur, S., McCann, A., Meagher, K., Millis, J., Moriarty, P., Mukherjee, R., Nelson, T., Nieto, D., de Bhróithe, A. O'Faoláin, Ong, R. A., Otte, A. N., Park, N., Perkins, J. S., Pohl, M., Popkow, A., Prokoph, H., Quinn, J., Ragan, K., Rajotte, J., Reyes, L. C., Reynolds, P. T., Richards, G. T., Roache, E., Sadun, A., Santander, M., Sembroski, G. H., Shahinyan, K., Sheidaei, F., Smith, A. W., Staszak, D., Telezhinsky, I., Theiling, M., Tyler, J., Varlotta, A., Vassiliev, V. V., Vincent, S., Wakely, S. P., Weekes, T. C., Weinstein, A., Welsing, R., Wilhelm, A., Williams, D. A., Zitzer, and B., Böttcher, M., and Fumagalli, M. Investigating broadband variability of the TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/797/2/89.
Aliu, E., Archambault, S., Arlen, T., Aune, T., Barnacka, A., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., Berger, K., Bird, R., Bouvier, A., Buckley, J. H., Bugaev, V., Cerruti, M., Chen, X., Ciupik, L., Collins-Hughes, E., Connolly, M. P., Cui, W., Dumm, J., Eisch, J. D., Falcone, A., Federici, S., Feng, Q., Finley, J. P., Fleischhack, H., Fortin, P., Fortson, L., Furniss, A., Galante, N., Gillanders, G. H., Griffin, S., Griffiths, S. T., Grube, J., Gyuk, G., Håkansson, N., Hanna, D., Holder, J., Hughes, G., Hughes, Z., Humensky, T. B., Johnson, C. A., Kaaret, P., Kar, P., Kertzman, M., Khassen, Y., Kieda, D., Krawczynski, H., Krennrich, F., Lang, M. J., Madhavan, A. S., Majumdar, P., McArthur, S., McCann, A., Meagher, K., Millis, J., Moriarty, P., Mukherjee, R., Nelson, T., Nieto, D., de Bhróithe, A. O'Faoláin, Ong, R. A., Otte, A. N., Park, N., Perkins, J. S., Pohl, M., Popkow, A., Prokoph, H., Quinn, J., Ragan, K., Rajotte, J., Reyes, L. C., Reynolds, P. T., Richards, G. T., Roache, E., Sadun, A., Santander, M., Sembroski, G. H., Shahinyan, K., Sheidaei, F., Smith, A. W., Staszak, D., Telezhinsky, I., Theiling, M., Tyler, J., Varlotta, A., Vassiliev, V. V., Vincent, S., Wakely, S. P., Weekes, T. C., Weinstein, A., Welsing, R., Wilhelm, A., Williams, D. A., Zitzer, and B., Böttcher, M., & Fumagalli, M. Investigating broadband variability of the TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/797/2/89
Aliu, E., Archambault, S., Arlen, T., Aune, T., Barnacka, A., Beilicke, M., Benbow, W., Berger, K., Bird, R., Bouvier, A., Buckley, J. H., Bugaev, V., Cerruti, M., Chen, X., Ciupik, L., Collins-Hughes, E., Connolly, M. P., Cui, W., Dumm, J., Eisch, J. D., Falcone, A., Federici, S., Feng, Q., Finley, J. P., Fleischhack, H., Fortin, P., Fortson, L., Furniss, A., Galante, N., Gillanders, G. H., Griffin, S., Griffiths, S. T., Grube, J., Gyuk, G., Håkansson, N., Hanna, D., Holder, J., Hughes, G., Hughes, Z., Humensky, T. B., Johnson, C. A., Kaaret, P., Kar, P., Kertzman, M., Khassen, Y., Kieda, D., Krawczynski, H., Krennrich, F., Lang, M. J., Madhavan, A. S., Majumdar, P., McArthur, S., McCann, A., Meagher, K., Millis, J., Moriarty, P., Mukherjee, R., Nelson, T., Nieto, D., de Bhróithe, A. O'Faoláin, Ong, R. A., Otte, A. N., Park, N., Perkins, J. S., Pohl, M., Popkow, A., Prokoph, H., Quinn, J., Ragan, K., Rajotte, J., Reyes, L. C., Reynolds, P. T., Richards, G. T., Roache, E., Sadun, A., Santander, M., Sembroski, G. H., Shahinyan, K., Sheidaei, F., Smith, A. W., Staszak, D., Telezhinsky, I., Theiling, M., Tyler, J., Varlotta, A., Vassiliev, V. V., Vincent, S., Wakely, S. P., Weekes, T. C., Weinstein, A., Welsing, R., Wilhelm, A., Williams, D. A., Zitzer, and B., Böttcher, M., and Fumagalli, M. 2014. "Investigating broadband variability of the TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637x/797/2/89. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1167125.
@article{osti_1167125,
title = {Investigating broadband variability of the TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650},
author = {Aliu, E. and Archambault, S. and Arlen, T. and Aune, T. and Barnacka, A. and Beilicke, M. and Benbow, W. and Berger, K. and Bird, R. and Bouvier, A. and Buckley, J. H. and Bugaev, V. and Cerruti, M. and Chen, X. and Ciupik, L. and Collins-Hughes, E. and Connolly, M. P. and Cui, W. and Dumm, J. and Eisch, J. D. and Falcone, A. and Federici, S. and Feng, Q. and Finley, J. P. and Fleischhack, H. and Fortin, P. and Fortson, L. and Furniss, A. and Galante, N. and Gillanders, G. H. and Griffin, S. and Griffiths, S. T. and Grube, J. and Gyuk, G. and Håkansson, N. and Hanna, D. and Holder, J. and Hughes, G. and Hughes, Z. and Humensky, T. B. and Johnson, C. A. and Kaaret, P. and Kar, P. and Kertzman, M. and Khassen, Y. and Kieda, D. and Krawczynski, H. and Krennrich, F. and Lang, M. J. and Madhavan, A. S. and Majumdar, P. and McArthur, S. and McCann, A. and Meagher, K. and Millis, J. and Moriarty, P. and Mukherjee, R. and Nelson, T. and Nieto, D. and de Bhróithe, A. O'Faoláin and Ong, R. A. and Otte, A. N. and Park, N. and Perkins, J. S. and Pohl, M. and Popkow, A. and Prokoph, H. and Quinn, J. and Ragan, K. and Rajotte, J. and Reyes, L. C. and Reynolds, P. T. and Richards, G. T. and Roache, E. and Sadun, A. and Santander, M. and Sembroski, G. H. and Shahinyan, K. and Sheidaei, F. and Smith, A. W. and Staszak, D. and Telezhinsky, I. and Theiling, M. and Tyler, J. and Varlotta, A. and Vassiliev, V. V. and Vincent, S. and Wakely, S. P. and Weekes, T. C. and Weinstein, A. and Welsing, R. and Wilhelm, A. and Williams, D. A. and Zitzer, and B. and Böttcher, M. and Fumagalli, M.},
abstractNote = {We summarize broadband observations of the TeV-emitting blazar 1ES 1959 650, including optical R-band observations by the robotic telescopes Super-LOTIS and iTelescope, UV observations by Swift UVOT, X-ray observations by the Swift X-ray Telescope, high-energy gamma-ray observations with the Fermi Large Area Telescope, and very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations by VERITAS above 315 GeV, all taken between 2012 April 17 and 2012 June 1 (MJD 56034 and 56079). The contemporaneous variability of the broadband spectral energy distribution is explored in the context of a simple synchrotron self Compton (SSC) model. In the SSC emission scenario, we find that the parameters required to represent the high state are significantly different than those in the low state. Motivated by possible evidence of gas in the vicinity of the blazar, we also investigate a reflected emission model to describe the observed variability pattern. This model assumes that the non-thermal emission from the jet is reflected by a nearby cloud of gas, allowing the reflected emission to re-enter the blob and produce an elevated gamma-ray state with no simultaneous elevated synchrotron flux. The model applied here, although not required to explain the observed variability pattern, represents one possible scenario which can describe the observations. As applied to an elevated VHE state of 66% of the Crab Nebula flux, observed on a single night during the observation period, the reflected emission scenario does not support a purely leptonic non-thermal emission mechanism. The reflected model does, however, predict a reflected photon field with sufficient energy to enable elevated gamma-ray emission via pion production with protons of energies between 10 and 100 TeV.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637x/797/2/89},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1167125}, journal = {The Astrophysical Journal (Online)},
issn = {1538-4357},
number = 2,
volume = 797,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 2014},
month = {Wed Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 2014}
}

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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1 Fig. 1: The VERITAS-measured spectra of 1ES 1959+650 averaged over both dark-runs and excluding the flaring period (MJD 56034-56079; green) and during the flare (MJD 56067; red). The spectrum measured over both dark-runs (without the data from 56067) is used for the low state of the SSC modeling. The spectramore » are shown with 1σ statistical errors. The power-law fitting results are summarized in Table 1.« less

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Empirical multi-wavelength prediction method for very high energy gamma-ray emitting BL Lacertae objects
journal, December 2017


Broadband characterisation of the very intense TeV flares of the blazar 1ES 1959+650 in 2016
journal, June 2020


The long-term Swift observations of the high-energy peaked BL Lacertae source 1ES 1959+650
journal, January 2016


High-energy neutrino flux from individual blazar flares
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Strong X-Ray and Multiwavelength Flaring Activity for 1ES 1959+650, 2016 August–2017 November
journal, September 2018


Multi-TeV Flaring from High-energy Blazars: An Evidence of the Photohadronic Process
journal, October 2019


Broadband characterisation of the very intense TeV flares of the blazar 1ES 1959+650 in 2016
text, January 2020


High energy neutrino flux from individual blazar flares
text, January 2019


Multi-TeV flaring from high energy blazars: An evidence of the photohadronic process
text, January 2019


Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.