학술논문
The Great Markarian 421 Flare of February 2010: Multiwavelength variability and correlation studies
Document Type
Working Paper
Author
Abeysekara, A. U.; Benbow, W.; Bird, R.; Brill, A.; Brose, R.; Buchovecky, M.; Buckley, J. H.; Christiansen, J. L.; Chromey, A. J.; Daniel, M. K.; Dumm, J.; Falcone, A.; Feng, Q.; Finley, J. P.; Fortson, L.; Furniss, A.; Galante, N.; Gent, A.; Gillanders, G. H.; Giuri, C.; Gueta, O.; Hassan, T.; Hervet, O.; Holder, J.; Hughes, G.; Humensky, T. B.; Johnson, C. A.; Kaaret, P.; Kar, P.; Kelley-Hoskins, N.; Kertzman, M.; Kieda, D.; Krause, M.; Krennrich, F.; Kumar, S.; Lang, M. J.; Moriarty, P.; Mukherjee, R.; Nelson, T.; Nieto, D.; Nievas-Rosillo, M.; O'Brien, S.; Ong, R. A.; Otte, A. N.; Park, N.; Petrashyk, A.; Pichel, A.; Pohl, M.; Prado, R. R.; Pueschel, E.; Quinn, J.; Ragan, K.; Reynolds, P. T.; Richards, G. T.; Roache, E.; Rovero, A. C.; Rulten, C.; Sadeh, I.; Santander, M.; Sembroski, G. H.; Shahinyan, K.; Stevenson, B.; Sushch, I.; Tyler, J.; Vassiliev, V. V.; Wakely, S. P.; Weinstein, A.; Wells, R. M.; Wilcox, P.; Wilhelm, A.; Williams, D. A.; Zitzer, B.; Acciari, V. A.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Engels, A. Arbet; Baack, D.; Babić, A.; Banerjee, B.; de Almeida, U. Barres; Barrio, J. A.; González, J. Becerra; Bednarek, W.; Bellizzi, L.; Bernardini, E.; Berti, A.; Besenrieder, J.; Bhattacharyya, W.; Bigongiari, C.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnoli, G.; Busetto, G.; Carosi, R.; Ceribella, G.; Chai, Y.; Cikota, S.; Colak, S. M.; Colin, U.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; D'Elia, V.; Da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; Delfino, M.; Delgado, J.; Di Pierro, F.; Espiñera, E. Do Souto; Prester, D. Dominis; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Einecke, S.; Elsaesser, D.; Ramazani, V. Fallah; Fattorini, A.; Fernández-Barral, A.; Ferrara, G.; Fidalgo, D.; Foffano, L.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fruck, C.; Galindo, D.; Gallozzi, S.; López, R. J. García; Garczarczyk, M.; Gasparyan, S.; Gaug, M.; Godinović, N.; Green, D.; Guberman, D.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Herrera, J.; Hoang, J.; Hrupec, D.; Inoue, S.; Ishio, K.; Iwamura, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; Lamastra, A.; Lelas, D.; Leone, F.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, M.; López-Coto, R.; López-Oramas, A.; Fraga, B. Machado de Oliveira; Maggio, C.; Majumdar, P.; Makariev, M.; Mallamaci, M.; Maneva, G.; Manganaro, M.; Mannheim, K.; Maraschi, L.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Masuda, S.; Mazin, D.; Miceli, D.; Minev, M.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Molina, E.; Moralejo, A.; Morcuende, D.; Moreno, V.; Moretti, E.; Munar-Adrover, P.; Neustroev, V.; Niedzwiecki, A.; Rosillo, M. Nievas; Nigro, C.; Nilsson, K.; Ninci, D.; Nishijima, K.; Noda, K.; Nogués, L.; Nöthe, M.; Paiano, S.; Palacio, J.; Palatiello, M.; Paneque, D.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Peñil, P.; Peresano, M.; Persic, M.; Moroni, P. G. Prada; Prandini, E.; Puljak, I.; Rhode, W.; Ribó, M.; Rico, J.; Righi, C.; Rugliancich, A.; Saha, L.; Sahakyan, N.; Saito, T.; Satalecka, K.; Schweizer, T.; Sitarek, J.; Šnidarić, I.; Sobczynska, D.; Somero, A.; Stamerra, A.; Strom, D.; Strzys, M.; Sun, S.; Surić, T.; Tavecchio, F.; Temnikov, P.; Terzić, T.; Teshima, M.; Torres-Albà, N.; Tsujimoto, S.; van Scherpenberg, J.; Vanzo, G.; Acosta, M. Vazquez; Vovk, I.; Will, M.; Zarić, D.; Aller, H. D.; Aller, M. F.; Carini, M. T.; Horan, D.; Jordan, B.; Jorstad, Svetlana G.; Kurtanidze, O. M.; Kurtanidze, S. O.; Lähteenmäki, A.; Larionov, V. M.; Larionova, E. G.; Madejski, G.; Marscher, Alan P.; Max-Moerbeck, W.; Moody, J. Ward; Morozova, D. A.; Nikolashvili, M. G.; Raiteri, C. M.; Readhead, A. C. S.; Richards, J. L.; Sadun, Alberto C.; Sakamoto, T.; Sigua, L. A.; Smith, P. S.; Talvikki, H.; Tammi, J.; Tornikoski, M.; Troitsky, I. S.; Villata, M.
Source
The Astrophysical Journal, Volume 890, Number 2 (2020)
Subject
Language
Abstract
We report on variability and correlation studies using multiwavelength observations of the blazar Mrk 421 during the month of February, 2010 when an extraordinary flare reaching a level of $\sim$27~Crab Units above 1~TeV was measured in very-high-energy (VHE) $\gamma$-rays with the VERITAS observatory. This is the highest flux state for Mrk 421 ever observed in VHE $\gamma$-rays. Data are analyzed from a coordinated campaign across multiple instruments including VHE $\gamma$-ray (VERITAS, MAGIC), high-energy (HE) $\gamma$-ray (Fermi-LAT), X-ray (Swift}, RXTE, MAXI), optical (including the GASP-WEBT collaboration and polarization data) and radio (Mets\"ahovi, OVRO, UMRAO). Light curves are produced spanning multiple days before and after the peak of the VHE flare, including over several flare `decline' epochs. The main flare statistics allow 2-minute time bins to be constructed in both the VHE and optical bands enabling a cross-correlation analysis that shows evidence for an optical lag of $\sim$25-55 minutes, the first time-lagged correlation between these bands reported on such short timescales. Limits on the Doppler factor ($\delta \gtrsim 33$) and the size of the emission region ($ \delta^{-1}R_B \lesssim 3.8\times 10^{13}\,\,\mbox{cm}$) are obtained from the fast variability observed by VERITAS during the main flare. Analysis of 10-minute-binned VHE and X-ray data over the decline epochs shows an extraordinary range of behavior in the flux-flux relationship: from linear to quadratic to lack of correlation to anti-correlation. Taken together, these detailed observations of an unprecedented flare seen in Mrk 421 are difficult to explain by the classic single-zone synchrotron self-Compton model.
Comment: 41 pages including 3 appendices, 13 figures; version accepted to Astrophysical Journal
Comment: 41 pages including 3 appendices, 13 figures; version accepted to Astrophysical Journal