Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC

S. Ansoldi; L. A. Antonelli; C. Arcaro; D. Baack; A. Babić; B. Banerjee; P. Bangale; U. Barres De Almeida; J. A. Barrio; J. Becerra González; W. Bednarek; E. Bernardini; R. Ch Berse; A. Berti; W. Bhattacharyya; C. Bigongiari; A. Biland; O. Blanch; G. Bonnoli; R. Carosi; G. Ceribella; A. Chatterjee; S. M. Colak; P. Colin; E. Colombo; J. L. Contreras; J. Cortina; S. Covino; P. Cumani; V. D'Elia; P. Da Vela; F. Dazzi; A. De Angelis; B. De Lotto; M. Delfino; J. Delgado; F. Di Pierro; A. Domínguez; D. Dominis Prester; D. Dorner; M. Doro; S. Einecke; D. Elsaesser; V. Fallah Ramazani; A. Fattorini; A. Fernández-Barral; G. Ferrara; D. Fidalgo; L. Foffano; M. V. Fonseca; L. Font; C. Fruck; D. Galindo; S. Gallozzi; R. J. García López; M. Garczarczyk; M. Gaug; P. Giammaria; N. Godinović; D. Gora; D. Guberman; D. Hadasch; A. Hahn; T. Hassan; M. Hayashida; J. Herrera; J. Hoang; J. Hose; D. Hrupec; K. Ishio; Y. Konno; H. Kubo; J. Kushida; A. Lamastra; D. Lelas; F. Leone; E. Lindfors; S. Lombardi; F. Longo; M. López; C. Maggio; P. Majumdar; M. Makariev; G. Maneva; M. Manganaro; K. Mannheim; L. Maraschi; M. Mariotti; M. Martínez; S. Masuda; D. Mazin; K. Mielke; M. Minev; J. M. Miranda; R. Mirzoyan; A. Moralejo; V. Moreno; E. Moretti; T. Nagayoshi; V. Neustroev

doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC

S. Ansoldi, L. A. Antonelli, C. Arcaro, D. Baack, A. Babić, B. Banerjee, P. Bangale, U. Barres De Almeida, J. A. Barrio, J. Becerra González, W. Bednarek, E. Bernardini, R. Ch Berse, A. Berti, W. Bhattacharyya, C. Bigongiari, A. Biland, O. Blanch, G. Bonnoli, R. CarosiG. Ceribella, A. Chatterjee, S. M. Colak, P. Colin, E. Colombo, J. L. Contreras, J. Cortina, S. Covino, P. Cumani, V. D'Elia, P. Da Vela, F. Dazzi, A. De Angelis, B. De Lotto, M. Delfino, J. Delgado, F. Di Pierro, A. Domínguez, D. Dominis Prester, D. Dorner, M. Doro, S. Einecke, D. Elsaesser, V. Fallah Ramazani, A. Fattorini, A. Fernández-Barral, G. Ferrara, D. Fidalgo, L. Foffano, M. V. Fonseca, L. Font, C. Fruck, D. Galindo, S. Gallozzi, R. J. García López, M. Garczarczyk, M. Gaug, P. Giammaria, N. Godinović, D. Gora, D. Guberman, D. Hadasch, A. Hahn, T. Hassan, M. Hayashida, J. Herrera, J. Hoang, J. Hose, D. Hrupec, K. Ishio, Y. Konno, H. Kubo, J. Kushida, A. Lamastra, D. Lelas, F. Leone, E. Lindfors, S. Lombardi, F. Longo, M. López, C. Maggio, P. Majumdar, M. Makariev, G. Maneva, M. Manganaro, K. Mannheim, L. Maraschi, M. Mariotti, M. Martínez, S. Masuda, D. Mazin, K. Mielke, M. Minev, J. M. Miranda, R. Mirzoyan, A. Moralejo, V. Moreno, E. Moretti, T. Nagayoshi, V. Neustroev

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Abstract

© 2018 ESO. We report on the detection of flaring activity from the Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxy NGC 1275 in very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays with the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes. The observations were performed between 2016 September and 2017 February, as part of a monitoring programme. The brightest outburst, with ∼1.5 times the Crab Nebula flux above 100 GeV (C.U.), was observed during the night between 2016 December 31 and 2017 January 1. The flux is fifty times higher than the mean flux previously measured in two observational campaigns between 2009 October and 2010 February and between 2010 August and 2011 February. Significant variability of the day-by-day light curve was measured. The shortest flux-doubling timescale was found to be of (611 ± 101) min. The spectra calculated for this period are harder and show a significant curvature with respect to the ones obtained in the previous campaigns. The combined spectrum of the MAGIC data during the strongest flare state and simultaneous data from the Fermi-LAT around 2017 January 1 follows a power law with an exponential cutoff at the energy (492 ± 35) GeV. We further present simultaneous optical flux density measurements in the R-band obtained with the Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien (KVA) telescope and investigate the correlation between the optical and gamma-ray emission. Due to possible internal pair-production, the fast flux variability constrains the Doppler factor to values that are inconsistent with a large viewing angle as observed in the radio band. We investigate different scenarios for the explanation of fast gamma-ray variability, namely emission from magnetospheric gaps, relativistic blobs propagating in the jet (mini-jets), or an external cloud (or star) entering the jet. We find that the only plausible model to account for the luminosities here observed would be the production of gamma rays in a magnetospheric gap around the central black hole, only in the eventuality of an enhancement of the magnetic field threading the hole from its equipartition value with the gas pressure in the accretion flow. The observed gamma-ray flare therefore challenges all the discussed models for fast variability of VHE gamma-ray emission in active galactic nuclei.

Original language	English
Article number	A91
Journal	Astronomy and Astrophysics
Volume	617
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201832895
Publication status	Published - 1 Sept 2018

Keywords

Galaxies: active
Galaxies: individual: NGC 1275
Galaxies: jets
Gamma rays: galaxies

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10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

Cite this

Ansoldi, S., Antonelli, L. A., Arcaro, C., Baack, D., Babić, A., Banerjee, B., Bangale, P., Barres De Almeida, U., Barrio, J. A., Becerra González, J., Bednarek, W., Bernardini, E., Berse, R. C., Berti, A., Bhattacharyya, W., Bigongiari, C., Biland, A., Blanch, O., Bonnoli, G., ... Neustroev, V. (2018). Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC. Astronomy and Astrophysics, 617, [A91]. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

@article{7fe56b3b30834eb3abd753f73b19f960,

title = "Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC",

abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2018 ESO. We report on the detection of flaring activity from the Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxy NGC 1275 in very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays with the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes. The observations were performed between 2016 September and 2017 February, as part of a monitoring programme. The brightest outburst, with ∼1.5 times the Crab Nebula flux above 100 GeV (C.U.), was observed during the night between 2016 December 31 and 2017 January 1. The flux is fifty times higher than the mean flux previously measured in two observational campaigns between 2009 October and 2010 February and between 2010 August and 2011 February. Significant variability of the day-by-day light curve was measured. The shortest flux-doubling timescale was found to be of (611 ± 101) min. The spectra calculated for this period are harder and show a significant curvature with respect to the ones obtained in the previous campaigns. The combined spectrum of the MAGIC data during the strongest flare state and simultaneous data from the Fermi-LAT around 2017 January 1 follows a power law with an exponential cutoff at the energy (492 ± 35) GeV. We further present simultaneous optical flux density measurements in the R-band obtained with the Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien (KVA) telescope and investigate the correlation between the optical and gamma-ray emission. Due to possible internal pair-production, the fast flux variability constrains the Doppler factor to values that are inconsistent with a large viewing angle as observed in the radio band. We investigate different scenarios for the explanation of fast gamma-ray variability, namely emission from magnetospheric gaps, relativistic blobs propagating in the jet (mini-jets), or an external cloud (or star) entering the jet. We find that the only plausible model to account for the luminosities here observed would be the production of gamma rays in a magnetospheric gap around the central black hole, only in the eventuality of an enhancement of the magnetic field threading the hole from its equipartition value with the gas pressure in the accretion flow. The observed gamma-ray flare therefore challenges all the discussed models for fast variability of VHE gamma-ray emission in active galactic nuclei.",

keywords = "Galaxies: active, Galaxies: individual: NGC 1275, Galaxies: jets, Gamma rays: galaxies",

author = "S. Ansoldi and Antonelli, {L. A.} and C. Arcaro and D. Baack and A. Babi{\'c} and B. Banerjee and P. Bangale and {Barres De Almeida}, U. and Barrio, {J. A.} and {Becerra Gonz{\'a}lez}, J. and W. Bednarek and E. Bernardini and Berse, {R. Ch} and A. Berti and W. Bhattacharyya and C. Bigongiari and A. Biland and O. Blanch and G. Bonnoli and R. Carosi and G. Ceribella and A. Chatterjee and Colak, {S. M.} and P. Colin and E. Colombo and Contreras, {J. L.} and J. Cortina and S. Covino and P. Cumani and V. D'Elia and {Da Vela}, P. and F. Dazzi and {De Angelis}, A. and {De Lotto}, B. and M. Delfino and J. Delgado and {Di Pierro}, F. and A. Dom{\'i}nguez and {Dominis Prester}, D. and D. Dorner and M. Doro and S. Einecke and D. Elsaesser and {Fallah Ramazani}, V. and A. Fattorini and A. Fern{\'a}ndez-Barral and G. Ferrara and D. Fidalgo and L. Foffano and Fonseca, {M. V.} and L. Font and C. Fruck and D. Galindo and S. Gallozzi and {Garc{\'i}a L{\'o}pez}, {R. J.} and M. Garczarczyk and M. Gaug and P. Giammaria and N. Godinovi{\'c} and D. Gora and D. Guberman and D. Hadasch and A. Hahn and T. Hassan and M. Hayashida and J. Herrera and J. Hoang and J. Hose and D. Hrupec and K. Ishio and Y. Konno and H. Kubo and J. Kushida and A. Lamastra and D. Lelas and F. Leone and E. Lindfors and S. Lombardi and F. Longo and M. L{\'o}pez and C. Maggio and P. Majumdar and M. Makariev and G. Maneva and M. Manganaro and K. Mannheim and L. Maraschi and M. Mariotti and M. Mart{\'i}nez and S. Masuda and D. Mazin and K. Mielke and M. Minev and Miranda, {J. M.} and R. Mirzoyan and A. Moralejo and V. Moreno and E. Moretti and T. Nagayoshi and V. Neustroev",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1051/0004-6361/201832895",

language = "English",

volume = "617",

journal = "Astronomy and Astrophysics",

issn = "0004-6361",

}

Ansoldi, S, Antonelli, LA, Arcaro, C, Baack, D, Babić, A, Banerjee, B, Bangale, P, Barres De Almeida, U, Barrio, JA, Becerra González, J, Bednarek, W, Bernardini, E, Berse, RC, Berti, A, Bhattacharyya, W, Bigongiari, C, Biland, A, Blanch, O, Bonnoli, G, Carosi, R, Ceribella, G, Chatterjee, A, Colak, SM, Colin, P, Colombo, E, Contreras, JL, Cortina, J, Covino, S, Cumani, P, D'Elia, V, Da Vela, P, Dazzi, F, De Angelis, A, De Lotto, B, Delfino, M, Delgado, J, Di Pierro, F, Domínguez, A, Dominis Prester, D, Dorner, D, Doro, M, Einecke, S, Elsaesser, D, Fallah Ramazani, V, Fattorini, A, Fernández-Barral, A, Ferrara, G, Fidalgo, D, Foffano, L, Fonseca, MV, Font, L, Fruck, C, Galindo, D, Gallozzi, S, García López, RJ, Garczarczyk, M, Gaug, M, Giammaria, P, Godinović, N, Gora, D, Guberman, D, Hadasch, D, Hahn, A, Hassan, T, Hayashida, M, Herrera, J, Hoang, J, Hose, J, Hrupec, D, Ishio, K, Konno, Y, Kubo, H, Kushida, J, Lamastra, A, Lelas, D, Leone, F, Lindfors, E, Lombardi, S, Longo, F, López, M, Maggio, C, Majumdar, P, Makariev, M, Maneva, G, Manganaro, M, Mannheim, K, Maraschi, L, Mariotti, M, Martínez, M, Masuda, S, Mazin, D, Mielke, K, Minev, M, Miranda, JM, Mirzoyan, R, Moralejo, A, Moreno, V, Moretti, E, Nagayoshi, T & Neustroev, V 2018, 'Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC', Astronomy and Astrophysics, vol. 617, A91. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC

AU - Ansoldi, S.

AU - Antonelli, L. A.

AU - Arcaro, C.

AU - Baack, D.

AU - Babić, A.

AU - Banerjee, B.

AU - Bangale, P.

AU - Barres De Almeida, U.

AU - Barrio, J. A.

AU - Becerra González, J.

AU - Bednarek, W.

AU - Bernardini, E.

AU - Berse, R. Ch

AU - Berti, A.

AU - Bhattacharyya, W.

AU - Bigongiari, C.

AU - Biland, A.

AU - Blanch, O.

AU - Bonnoli, G.

AU - Carosi, R.

AU - Ceribella, G.

AU - Chatterjee, A.

AU - Colak, S. M.

AU - Colin, P.

AU - Colombo, E.

AU - Contreras, J. L.

AU - Cortina, J.

AU - Covino, S.

AU - Cumani, P.

AU - D'Elia, V.

AU - Da Vela, P.

AU - Dazzi, F.

AU - De Angelis, A.

AU - De Lotto, B.

AU - Delfino, M.

AU - Delgado, J.

AU - Di Pierro, F.

AU - Domínguez, A.

AU - Dominis Prester, D.

AU - Dorner, D.

AU - Doro, M.

AU - Einecke, S.

AU - Elsaesser, D.

AU - Fallah Ramazani, V.

AU - Fattorini, A.

AU - Fernández-Barral, A.

AU - Ferrara, G.

AU - Fidalgo, D.

AU - Foffano, L.

AU - Fonseca, M. V.

AU - Font, L.

AU - Fruck, C.

AU - Galindo, D.

AU - Gallozzi, S.

AU - García López, R. J.

AU - Garczarczyk, M.

AU - Gaug, M.

AU - Giammaria, P.

AU - Godinović, N.

AU - Gora, D.

AU - Guberman, D.

AU - Hadasch, D.

AU - Hahn, A.

AU - Hassan, T.

AU - Hayashida, M.

AU - Herrera, J.

AU - Hoang, J.

AU - Hose, J.

AU - Hrupec, D.

AU - Ishio, K.

AU - Konno, Y.

AU - Kubo, H.

AU - Kushida, J.

AU - Lamastra, A.

AU - Lelas, D.

AU - Leone, F.

AU - Lindfors, E.

AU - Lombardi, S.

AU - Longo, F.

AU - López, M.

AU - Maggio, C.

AU - Majumdar, P.

AU - Makariev, M.

AU - Maneva, G.

AU - Manganaro, M.

AU - Mannheim, K.

AU - Maraschi, L.

AU - Mariotti, M.

AU - Martínez, M.

AU - Masuda, S.

AU - Mazin, D.

AU - Mielke, K.

AU - Minev, M.

AU - Miranda, J. M.

AU - Mirzoyan, R.

AU - Moralejo, A.

AU - Moreno, V.

AU - Moretti, E.

AU - Nagayoshi, T.

AU - Neustroev, V.

PY - 2018/9/1

Y1 - 2018/9/1

N2 - © 2018 ESO. We report on the detection of flaring activity from the Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxy NGC 1275 in very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays with the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes. The observations were performed between 2016 September and 2017 February, as part of a monitoring programme. The brightest outburst, with ∼1.5 times the Crab Nebula flux above 100 GeV (C.U.), was observed during the night between 2016 December 31 and 2017 January 1. The flux is fifty times higher than the mean flux previously measured in two observational campaigns between 2009 October and 2010 February and between 2010 August and 2011 February. Significant variability of the day-by-day light curve was measured. The shortest flux-doubling timescale was found to be of (611 ± 101) min. The spectra calculated for this period are harder and show a significant curvature with respect to the ones obtained in the previous campaigns. The combined spectrum of the MAGIC data during the strongest flare state and simultaneous data from the Fermi-LAT around 2017 January 1 follows a power law with an exponential cutoff at the energy (492 ± 35) GeV. We further present simultaneous optical flux density measurements in the R-band obtained with the Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien (KVA) telescope and investigate the correlation between the optical and gamma-ray emission. Due to possible internal pair-production, the fast flux variability constrains the Doppler factor to values that are inconsistent with a large viewing angle as observed in the radio band. We investigate different scenarios for the explanation of fast gamma-ray variability, namely emission from magnetospheric gaps, relativistic blobs propagating in the jet (mini-jets), or an external cloud (or star) entering the jet. We find that the only plausible model to account for the luminosities here observed would be the production of gamma rays in a magnetospheric gap around the central black hole, only in the eventuality of an enhancement of the magnetic field threading the hole from its equipartition value with the gas pressure in the accretion flow. The observed gamma-ray flare therefore challenges all the discussed models for fast variability of VHE gamma-ray emission in active galactic nuclei.

AB - © 2018 ESO. We report on the detection of flaring activity from the Fanaroff-Riley I radio galaxy NGC 1275 in very-high-energy (VHE, E > 100 GeV) gamma rays with the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes. The observations were performed between 2016 September and 2017 February, as part of a monitoring programme. The brightest outburst, with ∼1.5 times the Crab Nebula flux above 100 GeV (C.U.), was observed during the night between 2016 December 31 and 2017 January 1. The flux is fifty times higher than the mean flux previously measured in two observational campaigns between 2009 October and 2010 February and between 2010 August and 2011 February. Significant variability of the day-by-day light curve was measured. The shortest flux-doubling timescale was found to be of (611 ± 101) min. The spectra calculated for this period are harder and show a significant curvature with respect to the ones obtained in the previous campaigns. The combined spectrum of the MAGIC data during the strongest flare state and simultaneous data from the Fermi-LAT around 2017 January 1 follows a power law with an exponential cutoff at the energy (492 ± 35) GeV. We further present simultaneous optical flux density measurements in the R-band obtained with the Kungliga Vetenskaps Akademien (KVA) telescope and investigate the correlation between the optical and gamma-ray emission. Due to possible internal pair-production, the fast flux variability constrains the Doppler factor to values that are inconsistent with a large viewing angle as observed in the radio band. We investigate different scenarios for the explanation of fast gamma-ray variability, namely emission from magnetospheric gaps, relativistic blobs propagating in the jet (mini-jets), or an external cloud (or star) entering the jet. We find that the only plausible model to account for the luminosities here observed would be the production of gamma rays in a magnetospheric gap around the central black hole, only in the eventuality of an enhancement of the magnetic field threading the hole from its equipartition value with the gas pressure in the accretion flow. The observed gamma-ray flare therefore challenges all the discussed models for fast variability of VHE gamma-ray emission in active galactic nuclei.

KW - Galaxies: active

KW - Galaxies: individual: NGC 1275

KW - Galaxies: jets

KW - Gamma rays: galaxies

U2 - 10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

DO - 10.1051/0004-6361/201832895

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-6361

VL - 617

JO - Astronomy and Astrophysics

JF - Astronomy and Astrophysics

M1 - A91

ER -

Gamma-ray flaring activity of NGC1275 in 2016-2017 measured by MAGIC

Abstract

Keywords

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