FLARE-LIKE VARIABILITY OF THE Mg II {lambda}2800 EMISSION LINE IN THE {gamma}-RAY BLAZAR 3C 454.3

Journal Article · Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/763/2/L36· OSTI ID:22078299

Leon-Tavares, J ^[1]; Chavushyan, V; Patino-Alvarez, V; Carraminana, A; Carrasco, L ^[2]; Valtaoja, E ^[3]; Arshakian, T G ^[4]; Popovic, L C ^[5]; Tornikoski, M; Laehteenmaeki, A ^[6]; Lobanov, A ^[7]

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1. Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), University of Turku, Vaeisaelaentie 20, FI-21500 Piikkioe (Finland)
2. Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica Optica y Electronica (INAOE), Apartado Postal 51 y 216, 72000 Puebla (Mexico)
3. Tuorla Observatory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Turku, FI-20100 Turku (Finland)
4. I. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet zu Koeln, Zuelpicher Str. 77, D-50937 Koeln (Germany)
5. Astronomical Observatory, Volgina 7, 11160 Belgrade 74 (Serbia)
6. Aalto University Metsaehovi Radio Observatory, Metsaehovintie 114, FI-02540 Kylmaelae (Finland)
7. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

We report the detection of a statistically significant flare-like event in the Mg II {lambda}2800 emission line of 3C 454.3 during the outburst of autumn 2010. The highest levels of emission line flux recorded over the monitoring period (2008-2011) coincide with a superluminal jet component traversing through the radio core. This finding crucially links the broad emission line fluctuations to the non-thermal continuum emission produced by relativistically moving material in the jet and hence to the presence of broad-line region clouds surrounding the radio core. If the radio core were located at several parsecs from the central black hole, then our results would suggest the presence of broad-line region material outside the inner parsec where the canonical broad-line region is envisaged to be located. We briefly discuss the implications of broad emission line material ionized by non-thermal continuum in the context of virial black hole mass estimates and gamma-ray production mechanisms.

• OSTI ID: 22078299
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 763, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
BLACK HOLES
EMISSION
GAMMA RADIATION
MASS
RADIATION MONITORING
SOLAR FLARES