2021MNRAS.504..416S -
Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 504, 416-427 (2021/June-2)
Unveiling the broad-band spectral and temporal properties of PKS 0903-57 during its brightest flare.
SHAH Z., JITHESH V., SAHAYANATHAN S. and IQBAL N.
Abstract (from CDS):
We carried a detailed spectral and temporal study of blazar PKS 0903-57 using the Fermi-LAT and Swift-XRT/UVOT observations, during its brightest flaring period MJD 58931-58970. During this period, the maximum daily averaged γ-ray flux ( F_0.1-500 GeV_) of 9.42×10–6 ph cm–2 s–1 is observed on MJD 58951.5, the highest γ-ray flux detected from PKS 0903-57 till now. Several high-energy (HE) photons (> 10 GeV) consistent with the source location at high probability (>99 per cent) are detected, and the γ-ray light curve in the active state shows multiple substructures with asymmetric profile. In order to understand the possible physical scenario responsible for the flux enhancement, we carried a detailed broad-band spectral study of PKS 0903-57 by choosing different flux states from its active period. Neglecting the multiband variability in each of the selected time intervals, we could reproduce their averaged broad-band SEDs with a one-zone leptonic model whose parameters were derived with a χ2-fit. We found that the broad-band SED during different flux states can be reproduced by the synchrotron, synchrotron-self-Compton (SSC), and external-Compton (EC) processes. The seed photons for EC process from BLR or IR torus provide acceptable fits to the GeV spectrum in all the flux states; however, the detection of HE photons together with the equipartition condition suggests that the EC/IR process is a more likely scenario. Further, a detailed comparison between the fit parameters shows that the flux enhancement from quiescent-state to the flaring-state is mostly related to increase in the bulk Lorentz factor of the emission region and change in the break energy of the source spectrum.
Abstract Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s) Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Astronomical Society
Journal keyword(s):
galaxies: active - galaxies: jets - quasars: individual: PKS 0903-57 - radiation mechanisms: non-thermal - gamma-rays: galaxies
Simbad objects:
3
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