Synchrotron emission from the blazar PG 1553+113. An analysis of its flux and polarization variability

© 2016 The Authors.In 2015 July 29-September 1, the satellite XMM-Newton pointed at the BL Lac object PG 1553+133 six times, collecting data for 218 h. During one of these epochs, simultaneous observations by the Swift satellite were requested to compare the results of the X-ray and optical-UV instruments. Optical, near-infrared and radio monitoring was carried out by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration for the whole observing season. We here present the results of the analysis of all these data, together with an investigation of the source photometric and polarimetric behaviour over the last 3 yr. The 2015 EPIC spectra show slight curvature and the corresponding light curves display fast X-ray variability with a time-scale of the order of 1 h. In contrast to previous results, during the brightest X-ray states detected in 2015 the simple log-parabolic model that best fits the XMM-Newton data also reproduces reasonably well the whole synchrotron bump, suggesting a peak in the near- UV band. We found evidence of a wide rotation of the polarization angle in 2014, when the polarization degree was variable, but the flux remained almost constant. This is difficult to interpret with deterministic jet emission models, while it can be easily reproduced by assuming some turbulence of the magnetic field

Investigation of the correlation patterns and the Compton dominance variability of Mrk 421 in 2017

Aims. We present a detailed characterisation and theoretical interpretation of the broadband emission of the paradigmatic TeV blazar Mrk 421, with a special focus on the multi-band flux correlations.Methods. The dataset has been collected through an extensive multi-wavelength campaign organised between 2016 December and 2017 June. The instruments involved are MAGIC, FACT, Fermi-LAT, Swift, GASP-WEBT, OVRO, Medicina, and Metsahovi. Additionally, four deep exposures (several hours long) with simultaneous MAGIC and NuSTAR observations allowed a precise measurement of the falling segments of the two spectral components.Results. The very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma rays and X-rays are positively correlated at zero time lag, but the strength and characteristics of the correlation change substantially across the various energy bands probed. The VHE versus X-ray fluxes follow different patterns, partly due to substantial changes in the Compton dominance for a few days without a simultaneous increase in the X-ray flux (i.e., orphan gamma-ray activity). Studying the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) during the days including NuSTAR observations, we show that these changes can be explained within a one-zone leptonic model with a blob that increases its size over time. The peak frequency of the synchrotron bump varies by two orders of magnitude throughout the campaign. Our multi-band correlation study also hints at an anti-correlation between UV-optical and X-ray at a significance higher than 3 sigma. A VHE flare observed on MJD 57788 (2017 February 4) shows gamma-ray variability on multi-hour timescales, with a factor ten increase in the TeV flux but only a moderate increase in the keV flux. The related broadband SED is better described by a two-zone leptonic scenario rather than by a one-zone scenario. We find that the flare can be produced by the appearance of a compact second blob populated by high energetic electrons spanning a narrow range of Lorentz factors, from gamma(min)' = 2 x 10(4) to gamma(max)' = 6 x 10(5).</p

Synchrotron emission from the blazar PG 1553+113. An analysis of its flux and polarization variability

In 2015 July 29-September 1, the satellite XMM-Newton pointed at the BL Lac object PG 1553+133 six times, collecting data for 218 h. During one of these epochs, simultaneous observations by the Swift satellite were requested to compare the results of the X-ray and optical-UV instruments. Optical, near-infrared and radio monitoring was carried out by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration for the whole observing season. We here present the results of the analysis of all these data, together with an investigation of the source photometric and polarimetric behaviour over the last 3 yr. The 2015 EPIC spectra show slight curvature and the corresponding light curves display fast X-ray variability with a time-scale of the order of 1 h. In contrast to previous results, during the brightest X-ray states detected in 2015 the simple log-parabolic model that best fits the XMM-Newton data also reproduces reasonably well the whole synchrotron bump, suggesting a peak in the near- UV band. We found evidence ofa wide rotation of the polarization angle in 2014, when the polarization degree was variable, but the flux remained almost constant. This is difficult to interpret with deterministic jet emission models, while it can be easily reproduced by assuming some turbulence of the magnetic field.Peer reviewe

Synchrotron emission from the blazar PG 1553+113. An analysis of its flux and polarization variability

© 2016 The Authors.In 2015 July 29-September 1, the satellite XMM-Newton pointed at the BL Lac object PG 1553+133 six times, collecting data for 218 h. During one of these epochs, simultaneous observations by the Swift satellite were requested to compare the results of the X-ray and optical-UV instruments. Optical, near-infrared and radio monitoring was carried out by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration for the whole observing season. We here present the results of the analysis of all these data, together with an investigation of the source photometric and polarimetric behaviour over the last 3 yr. The 2015 EPIC spectra show slight curvature and the corresponding light curves display fast X-ray variability with a time-scale of the order of 1 h. In contrast to previous results, during the brightest X-ray states detected in 2015 the simple log-parabolic model that best fits the XMM-Newton data also reproduces reasonably well the whole synchrotron bump, suggesting a peak in the near- UV band. We found evidence of a wide rotation of the polarization angle in 2014, when the polarization degree was variable, but the flux remained almost constant. This is difficult to interpret with deterministic jet emission models, while it can be easily reproduced by assuming some turbulence of the magnetic field

Synchrotron emission from the blazar PG 1553+113. An analysis of its flux and polarization variability

© 2016 The Authors.In 2015 July 29-September 1, the satellite XMM-Newton pointed at the BL Lac object PG 1553+133 six times, collecting data for 218 h. During one of these epochs, simultaneous observations by the Swift satellite were requested to compare the results of the X-ray and optical-UV instruments. Optical, near-infrared and radio monitoring was carried out by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) collaboration for the whole observing season. We here present the results of the analysis of all these data, together with an investigation of the source photometric and polarimetric behaviour over the last 3 yr. The 2015 EPIC spectra show slight curvature and the corresponding light curves display fast X-ray variability with a time-scale of the order of 1 h. In contrast to previous results, during the brightest X-ray states detected in 2015 the simple log-parabolic model that best fits the XMM-Newton data also reproduces reasonably well the whole synchrotron bump, suggesting a peak in the near- UV band. We found evidence of a wide rotation of the polarization angle in 2014, when the polarization degree was variable, but the flux remained almost constant. This is difficult to interpret with deterministic jet emission models, while it can be easily reproduced by assuming some turbulence of the magnetic field