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Title: A combined radio and GeV γ-ray view of the 2012 and 2013 flares of Mrk 421

Abstract

In 2012 Markarian 421 underwent the largest flare ever observed in this blazar at radio frequencies. In the present study, we start exploring this unique event and compare it to a less extreme event in 2013. We use 15 GHz radio data obtained with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory 40-m telescope, 95 GHz millimetre data from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy, and GeV γ-ray data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Here, the radio light curves during the flaring periods in 2012 and 2013 have very different appearances, in both shape and peak flux density. Assuming that the radio and γ-ray flares are physically connected, we attempt to model the most prominent sub-flares of the 2012 and 2013 activity periods by using the simplest possible theoretical framework. We first fit a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to the less extreme 2013 flare and estimate parameters describing the emission region. We then model the major γ-ray and radio flares of 2012 using the same framework. The 2012 γ-ray flare shows two distinct spikes of similar amplitude, so we examine scenarios associating the radio flare with each spike in turn. In the first scenario, we cannot explain the sharpmore » radio flare with a simple SSC model, but we can accommodate this by adding plausible time variations to the Doppler beaming factor. In the second scenario, a varying Doppler factor is not needed, but the SSC model parameters require fine-tuning. Both alternatives indicate that the sharp radio flare, if physically connected to the preceding γ-ray flares, can be reproduced only for a very specific choice of parameters.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Aalto Univ. Metsahovi Radio Observatory, Kylmala (Finland); California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
  2. Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, IN (United States)
  3. Univ. of Turku, Piikkio (Finland)
  4. California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States)
  5. Aalto Univ. Metsahovi Radio Observatory, Kylmala (Finland); Aalto Univ. (Finland). Dept. of Radio Science and Engineering
  6. Univ. Bordeaux, Gradignan (France); CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, Gradignan (France)
  7. National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Socorro, NM (United States)
  8. Aalto Univ. Metsahovi Radio Observatory, Kylmala (Finland)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1355165
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 448; Journal Issue: 4; Journal ID: ISSN 0035-8711
Publisher:
Royal Astronomical Society
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; galaxies: active; BL Lacertae objects: individual: Markarian 421; galaxies: jets

Citation Formats

Hovatta, Talvikki, Petropoulou, M., Richards, J. L., Giannios, D., Wiik, K., Balokovi , M., Lahteenmaki, A., Lott, B., Max-Moerbeck, W., Ramakrishnan, V., and Readhead, A. C. S. A combined radio and GeV γ-ray view of the 2012 and 2013 flares of Mrk 421. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv220.
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Hovatta, Talvikki, Petropoulou, M., Richards, J. L., Giannios, D., Wiik, K., Balokovi , M., Lahteenmaki, A., Lott, B., Max-Moerbeck, W., Ramakrishnan, V., & Readhead, A. C. S. A combined radio and GeV γ-ray view of the 2012 and 2013 flares of Mrk 421. United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv220
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Hovatta, Talvikki, Petropoulou, M., Richards, J. L., Giannios, D., Wiik, K., Balokovi , M., Lahteenmaki, A., Lott, B., Max-Moerbeck, W., Ramakrishnan, V., and Readhead, A. C. S. Mon . "A combined radio and GeV γ-ray view of the 2012 and 2013 flares of Mrk 421". United States. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv220. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1355165.
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@article{osti_1355165,
title = {A combined radio and GeV γ-ray view of the 2012 and 2013 flares of Mrk 421},
author = {Hovatta, Talvikki and Petropoulou, M. and Richards, J. L. and Giannios, D. and Wiik, K. and Balokovi , M. and Lahteenmaki, A. and Lott, B. and Max-Moerbeck, W. and Ramakrishnan, V. and Readhead, A. C. S.},
abstractNote = {In 2012 Markarian 421 underwent the largest flare ever observed in this blazar at radio frequencies. In the present study, we start exploring this unique event and compare it to a less extreme event in 2013. We use 15 GHz radio data obtained with the Owens Valley Radio Observatory 40-m telescope, 95 GHz millimetre data from the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-Wave Astronomy, and GeV γ-ray data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Here, the radio light curves during the flaring periods in 2012 and 2013 have very different appearances, in both shape and peak flux density. Assuming that the radio and γ-ray flares are physically connected, we attempt to model the most prominent sub-flares of the 2012 and 2013 activity periods by using the simplest possible theoretical framework. We first fit a one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model to the less extreme 2013 flare and estimate parameters describing the emission region. We then model the major γ-ray and radio flares of 2012 using the same framework. The 2012 γ-ray flare shows two distinct spikes of similar amplitude, so we examine scenarios associating the radio flare with each spike in turn. In the first scenario, we cannot explain the sharp radio flare with a simple SSC model, but we can accommodate this by adding plausible time variations to the Doppler beaming factor. In the second scenario, a varying Doppler factor is not needed, but the SSC model parameters require fine-tuning. Both alternatives indicate that the sharp radio flare, if physically connected to the preceding γ-ray flares, can be reproduced only for a very specific choice of parameters.},
doi = {10.1093/mnras/stv220},
journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
number = 4,
volume = 448,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Mon Mar 09 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
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https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv220
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    Works referencing / citing this record:

    Long-term multi-wavelength variability and correlation study of Markarian 421 from 2007 to 2009
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    Resolving the High-Energy Universe with Strong Gravitational Lensing: the case of pks 1830–211
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    • The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 809, Issue 1
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    Particle diffusion and localized acceleration in inhomogeneous AGN jets – II. Stochastic variation
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    • Chen, Xuhui; Pohl, Martin; Böttcher, Markus
    • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 458, Issue 3
    • DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw528

    The presence of interstellar scintillation in the 15 GHz interday variability of 1158 OVRO-monitored blazars
    journal, September 2019

    • Koay, J. Y.; Jauncey, D. L.; Hovatta, T.
    • Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 489, Issue 4
    • DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stz2488

    On the Connection of Radio and γ-Ray Emission in Blazars
    journal, December 2018

    • Boula, Stella; Petropoulou, Maria; Mastichiadis, Apostolos
    • Galaxies, Vol. 7, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.3390/galaxies7010003

    X-Ray Flaring Activity of mrk 421 in the First half of 2013
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    4.5 Years of Multi-Wavelength Observations of mrk 421 During the Argo-Ybj and Fermi Common Operation time
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    Swift Observations of Mrk 421 in Selected Epochs. II. An Extreme Spectral Flux Variability in 2009–2012
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    3FHL: The Third Catalog of Hard Fermi -LAT Sources
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    • Ajello, M.; Atwood, W. B.; Baldini, L.
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    • DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/aa8221

    Long-term Optical Polarization Variability and Multiwavelength Analysis of Blazar Mrk 421
    journal, August 2017

    • Fraija, N.; Benítez, E.; Hiriart, D.
    • The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, Vol. 232, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.3847/1538-4365/aa82cc

    Particle diffusion and localized acceleration in inhomogeneous AGN jets – II. Stochastic variation
    text, January 2016

    • Chen, Xuhui; Pohl, Martin; Böttcher, Markus
    • Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg
    • DOI: 10.3204/pubdb-2017-00196

    3FHL: The Third Catalog of Hard Fermi -LAT Sources
    text, January 2017

    Long-term multi-wavelength variability and correlation study of Markarian 421 from 2007 to 2009
    text, January 2016

    • Ahnen, M. L.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.
    • Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, DESY, Hamburg
    • DOI: 10.3204/pubdb-2016-05883

    Resolving the High Energy Universe with Strong Gravitational Lensing: The Case of PKS 1830-211
    text, January 2015

    Long-term multi-wavelength variability and correlation study of Markarian 421 from 2007 to 2009
    text, January 2016

    3FHL: The Third Catalog of Hard Fermi-LAT Sources
    text, January 2017

    Long-term optical polarization variability and multiwavelength analysis of Blazar Mrk 421
    text, January 2017

    On the Connection of Radio and γ-Ray Emission in Blazars
    journal, December 2018

    • Boula, Stella; Petropoulou, Maria; Mastichiadis, Apostolos
    • Galaxies, Vol. 7, Issue 1
    • DOI: 10.3390/galaxies7010003

    Time-dependent neutrino emission from Mrk 421 during flares and predictions for IceCube
    text, January 2016

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