On Spectral and Temporal Variability in Blazars and Gamma Ray Bursts

A simple model for variability in relativistic plasma outflows is studied, in which nonthermal electrons are continuously and uniformly injected in the comoving frame over a time interval dt. The evolution of the electron distribution is assumed to be dominated by synchrotron losses, and the energy- and time-dependence of the synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) fluxes are calculated for a power-law electron injection function with index s = 2. The mean time of a flare or pulse measured at photon energy E with respect to the onset of the injection event varies as E^{-1/2} and E^{-1/4} for synchrotron and SSC processes, respectively, until the time approaches the limiting intrinsic mean time (1+z)dt/(2 D), where z is the redshift and D is the Doppler factor. This dependence is in accord with recent analyses of blazar and GRB emissions, and suggests a method to discriminate between external Compton and SSC models of high-energy gamma radiation from blazars and GRBs. The qualititative behavior of the X-ray spectral index/flux relation observed from BL Lac objects can be explained with this model. This demonstrates that synchrotron losses are primarily responsible for the X-ray variability behavior and strengthens a new test for beaming from correlated hard X-ray/TeV observations.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters; uses aaspp4.sty, epsf.st

The ASCA X-ray spectrum of the powerful radio galaxy 3C109

We report the results from an ASCA X-ray observation of the powerful Broad Line Radio Galaxy, 3C109. The ASCA spectra confirm our earlier ROSAT detection of intrinsic X-ray absorption associated with the source. The absorbing material obscures a central engine of quasar-like luminosity. The luminosity is variable, having dropped by a factor of two since the ROSAT observations 4 years before. The ASCA data also provide evidence for a broad iron emission line from the source, with an intrinsic FWHM of ~ 120,000 km/s. Interpreting the line as fluorescent emission from the inner parts of an accretion disk, we can constrain the inclination of the disk to be $> 35$ degree, and the inner radius of the disk to be $< 70$ Schwarzschild radii. Our results support unified schemes for active galaxies, and demonstrate a remarkable similarity between the X-ray properties of this powerful radio source, and those of lower luminosity, Seyfert 1 galaxies.Comment: MNRAS in press. 7 pages, 5 figures in MNRAS LaTex styl

ASCA Observations of Blazars and Multiband Analysis

We present data for 18 blazars observed with ASCA, half of which were also observed contemporaneously with EGRET as parts of multi-wavelength campaigns. The observations show a clear difference in the spectra between three subclasses of blazars, namely the High-energy peaked BL Lac objects (HBLs), Low-energy peaked BL Lac objects (LBLs), and quasar-hosted blazars (QHBs). We find that the radiation process responsible for the HE peak for HBLs can be explained solely by Synchrotron-Self-Compton (SSC) emission, with the Doppler factor consistent with the VLBI and/or gamma-ray variability data. For many QHBs, on the other hand, the gamma-rays cannot be solely due to the SSC mechanism unless the Doppler factor is significantly in excess of that inferred from VLBI data. We consider an alternative scenario consistent with the measured values of the Doppler factor, where the SSC component is still present in QHBs and it dominates in the X-ray band, but it is below the observed gamma-ray spectrum. With an assumption that the peak of the SSC emission is on the extrapolation of the X-ray spectrum, and adopting the Doppler factor of 10, we infer the magnetic field to be 0.1 - 1 Gauss, and Lorentz factors of electrons radiating at the peak of the nu F(nu) spectrum of 10^3 for QHBs; this is much lower than 10^5 for HBLs. This difference is most likely due to the large photon density expected in QHBs.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, AAS Latex macro v4.0, to appear in The Astrophysical Journa