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RAPID VARIABILITY OF BLAZAR 3C 279 DURING FLARING STATES IN 2013−2014 WITH JOINT<i>FERMI</i>-LAT,<i>NuSTAR</i>,<i>SWIFT</i>, AND GROUND-BASED MULTI-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS

M. HayashidaInstitute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8582, Japan; [email protected]Krzysztof NalewajkoW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]G. M. MadejskiW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]M. SikoraNicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, 00-716 Warsaw, PolandR. ItohDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanM. AjelloDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Kinard Lab of Physics, Clemson, SC 29634-0978, USAR. D. BlandfordW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]S. BusonDipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “G. Galilei,” Università di Padova, I-35131 Padova, ItalyJ. ChiangW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]Y. FukazawaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanA. FurnissW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]C. M. UrryYale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics Department, Yale University, PO Box 208120, New Haven, CT 06520-8120, USAImran HasanYale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics Department, Yale University, PO Box 208120, New Haven, CT 06520-8120, USAFiona A. HarrisonCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAD. M. AlexanderDepartment of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UKMislav BalokovićCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAD. BarretCNRS, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, 9 Av. Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, FranceSteven E. BoggsSpace Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USAFinn E. ChristensenDTU Space, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Lyngby, DenmarkWilliam W. CraigCNRS, Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, 9 Av. Colonel Roche, BP 44346, F-31028 Toulouse Cedex 4, FranceKarl FörsterCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAP. GiommiASI Science Data Center, Via del Politecnico snc I-00133, Roma, ItalyBrian W. GrefenstetteCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USACharles J. HaileyColumbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USAA. HornstrupDTU Space, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Lyngby, DenmarkT. KitaguchiCore of Research for the Energetic Universe, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanJason E. KoglinW. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; [email protected]Kristin K. MadsenCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAP. H. MaoCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAH. MiyasakaCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAKaya MoriColumbia Astrophysics Laboratory, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USAM. PerriASI Science Data Center, Via del Politecnico snc I-00133, Roma, ItalyM. J. PivovaroffLawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USASimonetta PuccettiASI Science Data Center, Via del Politecnico snc I-00133, Roma, ItalyVikram RanaCahill Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USADaniel SternJet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USAG. TagliaferriINAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Via E, Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate, ItalyN. J. WestergaardDTU Space, National Space Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Elektrovej 327, DK-2800 Lyngby, DenmarkW. W. ZhangHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanAndreas ZoglauerSpace Science Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USAMark GurwellHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 USAMakoto UemuraHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanHiroshi AkitayaHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanKoji S. KawabataHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanKotaro KawaguchiDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanYuka KandaDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanYuki MoritaniHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanK. TakakiDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanTakahiro UiDepartment of Physical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanM. YoshidaHiroshima Astrophysical Science Center, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8526, JapanAditi AgarwalAryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Manora Peak, Nainital—263 002, IndiaAlok C. GuptaAryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Manora Peak, Nainital—263 002, India
2015en
ABI

Abstract

We report the results of a multiband observing campaign on the famous blazar 3C 279 conducted during a phase of increased activity from 2013 December to 2014 April, including first observations of it with NuSTAR. The gamma-ray emission of the source measured by Fermi-LAT showed multiple distinct flares reaching the highest flux level measured in this object since the beginning of the Fermi mission, with F(E &gt; 100 MeV) of 10^(-5) photons cm^(-2) s^(-1), and with a flux-doubling time scale as short as 2 hr. The gamma-ray spectrum during one of the flares was very hard, with an index of Gamma(gamma) = 1.7 +/- 0.1, which is rarely seen in flat-spectrum radio quasars. The lack of concurrent optical variability implies a very high Compton dominance parameter L-gamma/L-syn &gt; 300. Two 1 day NuSTAR observations with accompanying Swift pointings were separated by 2 weeks, probing different levels of source activity. While the 0.5 - 70 keV X-ray spectrum obtained during the first pointing, and fitted jointly with Swift-XRT is well-described by a simple power law, the second joint observation showed an unusual spectral structure: the spectrum softens by Delta Gamma(X) similar or equal to 0.4 at similar to 4 keV. Modeling the broadband spectral energy distribution during this flare with the standard synchrotron plus inverse-Compton model requires: (1) the location of the gamma-ray emitting region is comparable with the broad-line region radius, (2) a very hard electron energy distribution index p similar or equal to 1, (3) total jet power significantly exceeding the accretion-disk luminosity L-j/L-d greater than or similar to 10, and (4) extremely low jet magnetization with L-B/L-j less than or similar to 10^(-4). We also find that single-zone models that match the observed gamma-ray and optical spectra cannot satisfactorily explain the production of X-ray emission.

Identifiers

DOI
10.1088/0004-637x/807/1/79

Citations and references

Cited by 30 references
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