RAPID TeV VARIABILITY IN BLAZARS AS A RESULT OF JET-STAR INTERACTION
- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Saupfercheckweg 1, D-6917 Heidelberg (Germany)
- National Research Nuclear University (MEPHI), Kashirskoe shosse 31, Moscow 115409 (Russian Federation)
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science/JAXA, 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan)
We propose a new model for the description of ultra-short flares from TeV blazars by compact magnetized condensations (blobs), produced when red giant stars cross the jet close to the central black hole. Our study includes a simple dynamic model for the evolution of the envelope lost by the star in the jet and its high-energy nonthermal emission through different leptonic and hadronic radiation mechanisms. We show that the fragmented envelope of the star can be accelerated to Lorentz factors up to 100 and effectively radiate the available energy in gamma rays predominantly through proton synchrotron radiation or external inverse Compton scattering of electrons. The model can readily explain the minute-scale TeV flares on top of longer (typical timescales of days) gamma-ray variability as observed from the blazar PKS 2155-304. In the framework of the proposed scenario, the key parameters of the source are robustly constrained. In the case of proton synchrotron origin of the emission, a mass of the central black hole of M{sub BH} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }, a total jet power of L{sub j} Almost-Equal-To 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 47} erg s{sup -1}, and a Doppler factor of the gamma-ray emitting blobs of {delta} {>=} 40 are required. For the external inverse Compton model, parameters of M{sub BH} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 8} M{sub Sun }, L{sub j} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 46} erg s{sup -1}, and {delta} {>=} 150 are required.
- OSTI ID:
- 22020421
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 749, Issue 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0004-637X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
PKS 1502+106: A NEW AND DISTANT GAMMA-RAY BLAZAR IN OUTBURST DISCOVERED BY THE FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE
Through the ring of fire: γ-ray variability in blazars by a moving plasmoid passing a local source of seed photons