The characterization of the distant blazar GB6 J1239+0443 from flaring and low activity periods
Abstract
In 2008, AGILE and Fermi detected gamma-ray flaring activity from the unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1236+0457, recently associated with a flat spectrum radio quasar (GB6 J1239+0443) at z = 1.762. The optical counterpart of the gamma-ray source underwent a flux enhancement of a factor of 15–30 in six years, and of ~10 in six months. Here, we interpret this flare-up in terms of a transition from an accretion-disc-dominated emission to a synchrotron-jet-dominated one. We analysed a Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) archival optical spectrum taken during a period of low radio and optical activity of the source. We estimated the mass of the central black hole using the width of the C iv emission line. In our work, we have also investigated SDSS archival optical photometric data and ultraviolet GALEX observations to estimate the thermal disc emission contribution of GB6 J1239+0443. This analysis of the gamma-ray data taken during the flaring episodes indicates a flat gamma-ray spectrum, with an extension of up to 15 GeV, with no statistically relevant sign of absorption from the broad-line region, suggesting that the blazar zone is located beyond the broad-line region. Our result is confirmed by the modelling of the broad-band spectral energy distributionmore »
- Authors:
- more »
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- Contributing Org.:
- Fermi LAT Collaboration
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1356724
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 425; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 0035-8711
- Publisher:
- Royal Astronomical Society
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; radiation mechanisms: non-thermal; galaxies: active; galaxies: individual: GB6 J1239+0443; quasars: general
Citation Formats
Pacciani, L., Donnarumma, I., Denney, K. D., Assef, R. J., Ikejiri, Y., Yamanaka, M., Uemura, M., Domingo, A., Giommi, P., Tarchi, A., Verrecchia, F., Longo, F., Rainó, S., Giusti, M., Vercellone, S., Chen, A. W., Striani, E., Vittorini, V., Tavani, M., Bulgarelli, A., Giuliani, A., Pucella, G., Argan, A., Barbiellini, G., Caraveo, P., Cattaneo, P. W., Colafrancesco, S., Costa, E., De Paris, G., Monte, E. Del, Cocco, G. Di, Evangelista, Y., Ferrari, A., Feroci, M., Fiorini, M., Fuschino, F., Galli, M., Gianotti, F., Labanti, C., Lapshov, I., Lazzarotto, F., Lipari, P., Marisaldi, M., Mereghetti, S., Morelli, E., Moretti, E., Morselli, A., Pellizzoni, A., Perotti, F., Piano, G., Picozza, P., Pilia, M., Prest, M., Rapisarda, M., Rappoldi, A., Rubini, A., Sabatini, S., Soffitta, P., Trifoglio, M., Trois, A., Vallazza, E., Zanello, D., Pittori, C., Santolamazza, P., Lucarelli, F., Salotti, L., and Valentini, G. The characterization of the distant blazar GB6 J1239+0443 from flaring and low activity periods. United States: N. p., 2012.
Web. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21540.x.
Pacciani, L., Donnarumma, I., Denney, K. D., Assef, R. J., Ikejiri, Y., Yamanaka, M., Uemura, M., Domingo, A., Giommi, P., Tarchi, A., Verrecchia, F., Longo, F., Rainó, S., Giusti, M., Vercellone, S., Chen, A. W., Striani, E., Vittorini, V., Tavani, M., Bulgarelli, A., Giuliani, A., Pucella, G., Argan, A., Barbiellini, G., Caraveo, P., Cattaneo, P. W., Colafrancesco, S., Costa, E., De Paris, G., Monte, E. Del, Cocco, G. Di, Evangelista, Y., Ferrari, A., Feroci, M., Fiorini, M., Fuschino, F., Galli, M., Gianotti, F., Labanti, C., Lapshov, I., Lazzarotto, F., Lipari, P., Marisaldi, M., Mereghetti, S., Morelli, E., Moretti, E., Morselli, A., Pellizzoni, A., Perotti, F., Piano, G., Picozza, P., Pilia, M., Prest, M., Rapisarda, M., Rappoldi, A., Rubini, A., Sabatini, S., Soffitta, P., Trifoglio, M., Trois, A., Vallazza, E., Zanello, D., Pittori, C., Santolamazza, P., Lucarelli, F., Salotti, L., & Valentini, G. The characterization of the distant blazar GB6 J1239+0443 from flaring and low activity periods. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21540.x
Pacciani, L., Donnarumma, I., Denney, K. D., Assef, R. J., Ikejiri, Y., Yamanaka, M., Uemura, M., Domingo, A., Giommi, P., Tarchi, A., Verrecchia, F., Longo, F., Rainó, S., Giusti, M., Vercellone, S., Chen, A. W., Striani, E., Vittorini, V., Tavani, M., Bulgarelli, A., Giuliani, A., Pucella, G., Argan, A., Barbiellini, G., Caraveo, P., Cattaneo, P. W., Colafrancesco, S., Costa, E., De Paris, G., Monte, E. Del, Cocco, G. Di, Evangelista, Y., Ferrari, A., Feroci, M., Fiorini, M., Fuschino, F., Galli, M., Gianotti, F., Labanti, C., Lapshov, I., Lazzarotto, F., Lipari, P., Marisaldi, M., Mereghetti, S., Morelli, E., Moretti, E., Morselli, A., Pellizzoni, A., Perotti, F., Piano, G., Picozza, P., Pilia, M., Prest, M., Rapisarda, M., Rappoldi, A., Rubini, A., Sabatini, S., Soffitta, P., Trifoglio, M., Trois, A., Vallazza, E., Zanello, D., Pittori, C., Santolamazza, P., Lucarelli, F., Salotti, L., and Valentini, G. Mon .
"The characterization of the distant blazar GB6 J1239+0443 from flaring and low activity periods". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21540.x. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1356724.
@article{osti_1356724,
title = {The characterization of the distant blazar GB6 J1239+0443 from flaring and low activity periods},
author = {Pacciani, L. and Donnarumma, I. and Denney, K. D. and Assef, R. J. and Ikejiri, Y. and Yamanaka, M. and Uemura, M. and Domingo, A. and Giommi, P. and Tarchi, A. and Verrecchia, F. and Longo, F. and Rainó, S. and Giusti, M. and Vercellone, S. and Chen, A. W. and Striani, E. and Vittorini, V. and Tavani, M. and Bulgarelli, A. and Giuliani, A. and Pucella, G. and Argan, A. and Barbiellini, G. and Caraveo, P. and Cattaneo, P. W. and Colafrancesco, S. and Costa, E. and De Paris, G. and Monte, E. Del and Cocco, G. Di and Evangelista, Y. and Ferrari, A. and Feroci, M. and Fiorini, M. and Fuschino, F. and Galli, M. and Gianotti, F. and Labanti, C. and Lapshov, I. and Lazzarotto, F. and Lipari, P. and Marisaldi, M. and Mereghetti, S. and Morelli, E. and Moretti, E. and Morselli, A. and Pellizzoni, A. and Perotti, F. and Piano, G. and Picozza, P. and Pilia, M. and Prest, M. and Rapisarda, M. and Rappoldi, A. and Rubini, A. and Sabatini, S. and Soffitta, P. and Trifoglio, M. and Trois, A. and Vallazza, E. and Zanello, D. and Pittori, C. and Santolamazza, P. and Lucarelli, F. and Salotti, L. and Valentini, G.},
abstractNote = {In 2008, AGILE and Fermi detected gamma-ray flaring activity from the unidentified EGRET source 3EG J1236+0457, recently associated with a flat spectrum radio quasar (GB6 J1239+0443) at z = 1.762. The optical counterpart of the gamma-ray source underwent a flux enhancement of a factor of 15–30 in six years, and of ~10 in six months. Here, we interpret this flare-up in terms of a transition from an accretion-disc-dominated emission to a synchrotron-jet-dominated one. We analysed a Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) archival optical spectrum taken during a period of low radio and optical activity of the source. We estimated the mass of the central black hole using the width of the C iv emission line. In our work, we have also investigated SDSS archival optical photometric data and ultraviolet GALEX observations to estimate the thermal disc emission contribution of GB6 J1239+0443. This analysis of the gamma-ray data taken during the flaring episodes indicates a flat gamma-ray spectrum, with an extension of up to 15 GeV, with no statistically relevant sign of absorption from the broad-line region, suggesting that the blazar zone is located beyond the broad-line region. Our result is confirmed by the modelling of the broad-band spectral energy distribution (well constrained by the available multiwavelength data) of the flaring activity periods and by the accretion disc luminosity and black hole mass estimated by us using archival data.},
doi = {10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21540.x},
journal = {Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society},
number = 3,
volume = 425,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Mon Aug 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}
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