arXiv subjects

M. Joshi

Publications and source records attributed to M. Joshi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

POLAMI Multi-Wavelength Polarization Study of AGN Jets: A Millimeter-Optical Comparison

Millimeter-band polarimetry offers a powerful probe of AGN jets, accessing regions less affected by opacity and Faraday rotation than at longer radio wavelengths. As part of the POLAMI program, we have conducted 14 years of 1 mm and 3 mm polarization monitoring of a sample of gamma-ray-bright blazars with the IRAM 30-m telescope, complemented here with long-term optical polarimetric observations from multiple facilities. We aim to test whether current models of parsec-scale jet physics are consistent with observed multi-band polarization behavior. Using a Bayesian framework, we derive intrinsic mean flux densities and modulation indices for total flux and fractional polarization, and characterize EVPA variability using circular statistics. We then examine how these quantities reflecting variability properties across millimeter and optical bands relate to synchrotron peak frequency, jet orientation, and radio/gamma-ray luminosities. BL Lac objects exhibit, on average, higher fractional polarization and lower EVPA variability than FSRQs at all wavelengths. Fractional polarization increases with frequency, consistent with increasingly ordered magnetic fields at shorter wavelengths. BL Lacs also show more frequent alignment of EVPAs between optical and millimeter bands, whereas FSRQs display weaker coherence. EVPA variability correlates positively with radio and gamma-ray luminosities and negatively with synchrotron peak frequency, most strongly in the optical. We further find a positive correlation between EVPA spread and fractional polarization variability, suggesting a direct link between magnetic-field structure and polarization dynamics.

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arXiv2026

Investigating Active Galactic Nuclei variability with the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory

Blazars, a type of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with relativistic jets pointed at the observer, exhibit flux variability across the electromagnetic spectrum due to particle acceleration in their jets. Power spectral density (PSD) studies show breaks at specific frequencies, particularly in X-rays, linked to the accretion regime and black hole mass. However, very-high-energy gamma-ray PSD breaks remain unexplored due to current instrument limitations. The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), with up to ten times greater sensitivity compared to current generation instruments, will allow precise PSD reconstruction and unprecedented study of blazar flares. These flares reveal key insights into particle acceleration, photon production, and jet properties. The AGN monitoring and flare programs in CTAO's Key Science Project aim to deepen our understanding of blazar emissions.

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arXiv2023

Bright blazar flares with CTA

The TeV extragalactic sky is dominated by blazars, radio-loud active galactic nuclei with a relativistic jet pointing towards the Earth. Blazars show variability that can be quite exceptional both in terms of flux (orders of magnitude of brightening) and time (down to the minute timescale). This bright flaring activity contains key information on the physics of particle acceleration and photon production in the emitting region, as well as the structure and physical properties of the jet itself. The TeV band is accessed from the ground by Cherenkov telescopes that image the pair cascade triggered by the interaction of the gamma ray with the Earth's atmosphere. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) represents the upcoming generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, with a significantly higher sensitivity and larger energy coverage with respect to current instruments. It will thus provide us with unprecedented statistics on blazar light-curves and spectra. In this contribution we present the results from realistic simulations of CTA observations of bright blazar flares, taking as input state-of-the-art numerical simulations of blazar emission models and including all relevant observational constraints.

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arXiv2020

Multiwavelength behaviour of the blazar 3C279: decade-long study from $\gamma$-ray to radio

We report the results of decade-long (2008-2018) $\gamma$-ray to 1 GHz radio monitoring of the blazar 3C 279, including GASP/WEBT, $\it{Fermi}$ and $\it{Swift}$ data, as well as polarimetric and spectroscopic data. The X-ray and $\gamma$-ray light curves correlate well, with no delay > 3 hours, implying general co-spatiality of the emission regions. The $\gamma$-ray-optical flux-flux relation changes with activity state, ranging from a linear to a more complex dependence. The behaviour of the Stokes parameters at optical and radio wavelengths, including 43 GHz VLBA images, supports either a predominantly helical magnetic field or motion of the radiating plasma along a spiral path. Apparent speeds of emission knots range from 10 to 37c, with the highest values requiring bulk Lorentz factors close to those needed to explain $\gamma$-ray variability on very short time scales. The Mg II emission line flux in the `blue' and `red' wings correlates with the optical synchrotron continuum flux density, possibly providing a variable source of seed photons for inverse Compton scattering. In the radio bands we find progressive delays of the most prominent light curve maxima with decreasing frequency, as expected from the frequency dependence of the $\tau=1$ surface of synchrotron self-absorption. The global maximum in the 86 GHz light curve becomes less prominent at lower frequencies, while a local maximum, appearing in 2014, strengthens toward decreasing frequencies, becoming pronounced at $\sim5$ GHz. These tendencies suggest different Doppler boosting of stratified radio-emitting zones in the jet.

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arXiv2019

Investigating the multiwavelength behaviour of the flat spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013-2017

We present a multiwavelength study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013-2017. We use radio-to-optical data obtained by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope, 15 GHz data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, 91 and 103 GHz data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, near-infrared data from the Rapid Eye Monitor telescope, as well as data from the Swift (optical-UV and X-rays) and Fermi ($\gamma$ rays) satellites to study flux and spectral variability and the correlation between flux changes at different wavelengths. Unprecedented $\gamma$-ray flaring activity was observed during 2016 November-2017 February, with four major outbursts. A peak flux of (2158 $\pm$ 63)$\times$10$^{-8}$ ph cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$, corresponding to a luminosity of (2.2 $\pm$ 0.1)$\times$10$^{50}$ erg s$^{-1}$, was reached on 2016 December 28. These four $\gamma$-ray outbursts have corresponding events in the near-infrared, optical, and UV bands, with the peaks observed at the same time. A general agreement between X-ray and $\gamma$-ray activity is found. The $\gamma$-ray flux variations show a general, strong correlation with the optical ones with no time lag between the two bands and a comparable variability amplitude. This $\gamma$-ray/optical relationship is in agreement with the geometrical model that has successfully explained the low-energy flux and spectral behaviour, suggesting that the long-term flux variations are mainly due to changes in the Doppler factor produced by variations of the viewing angle of the emitting regions. The difference in behaviour between radio and higher energy emission would be ascribed to different viewing angles of the jet regions producing their emission.

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arXiv2019

Time dependent spectral modeling of Markarian 421 during a violent outburst in 2010

We present the results of extensive modeling of the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the closest blazar (z=0.031) Markarian 421 (Mrk 421) during a giant outburst in February 2010. The source underwent rapid flux variations in both X-rays and very high energy (VHE) gamma-rays as it evolved from a low-flux state on 2010 February 13-15 to a high-flux state on 2010 February 17. During this period, the source exhibited significant spectral hardening from X-rays to VHE gamma-rays while exhibiting a "harder when brighter" behavior in these energy bands. We reproduce the broadband SED using a time-dependent multi-zone leptonic jet model with radiation feedback. We find that an injection of the leptonic particle population with a single power-law energy distribution at shock fronts followed by energy losses in an inhomogeneous emission region is suitable for explaining the evolution of Mrk 421 from low- to high-flux state in February 2010. The spectral states are successfully reproduced by a combination of a few key physical parameters, such as the maximum $\&$ minimum cutoffs and power-law slope of the electron injection energies, magnetic field strength, and bulk Lorentz factor of the emission region. The simulated light curves and spectral evolution of Mrk 421 during this period imply an almost linear correlation between X-ray flux at 1-10 keV energies and VHE gamma-ray flux above 200 GeV, as has been previously exhibited by this source. Through this study, a general trend that has emerged for the role of physical parameters is that, as the flare evolves from a low- to a high-flux state, higher bulk kinetic energy is injected into the system with a harder particle population and a lower magnetic field strength.

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arXiv2018

Leptonic and Hadronic Modeling of Fermi-LAT Hard Spectrum Quasars and Predictions for High-Energy Polarization

We present the results of a study of the time-averaged spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of eight flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) present in the second catalog of high energy sources detected beyond 50 GeV by the {\it Fermi}-Large Area Telescope (2FHL). Both leptonic and hadronic scenarios are adopted to explain the multi-wavelength SEDs and we find them to be marginally consistent with the 2FHL spectra above 50 GeV. We derive the expected degree of X-ray and $\gamma$-ray polarizations both for the average and elevated activity states and note that: (i) a hadronic radiative model consistently predicts a higher degree of high energy polarization compared to leptonic ones, and (ii) the X-ray polarization degree is higher than the $\gamma$-ray polarization in the leptonic scenario, but similar to the $\gamma$-ray polarization if the observed radiation is powered by hadronic processes. From the leptonic modeling, the location of the $\gamma$-ray emitting region is found to be at the outer edge of the broad line region (BLR) and is consistent with the $\gamma\gamma$ opacity estimates for the $\gamma$-ray absorption by the BLR. We conclude that a majority of the FSRQs could be detected by the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array, though future high energy polarimeters will be able to detect them only during elevated activity states, which could provide supportive evidence for the hadronic origin of the X-ray and $\gamma$-ray emission.

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arXiv2017

General Physical Properties of CGRaBS Blazars

We present the results of a multi-frequency, time-averaged analysis of blazars included in the Candidate Gamma-ray Blazar Survey catalog. Our sample consists of 324 $\gamma$-ray detected ($\gamma$-ray loud) and 191 non $\gamma$-ray detected ($\gamma$-ray quiet) blazars, and we consider all the data up to 2016 April 1. We find that both the $\gamma$-ray loud and the $\gamma$-ray quiet blazar populations occupy similar regions in the WISE color-color diagram, and in the radio and X-ray bands $\gamma$-ray loud sources are brighter. A simple one-zone synchrotron inverse-Compton emission model is applied to derive the physical properties of both populations. We find that the central black hole mass and the accretion disk luminosity ($L_{\rm disk}$) computed from the modeling of the optical-UV emission with a Shakura-Sunyaev disk reasonably matches with that estimated from the optical spectroscopic emission-line information. A significantly larger Doppler boosting in the $\gamma$-ray loud blazars is noted, and their jets are more radiatively efficient. On the other hand, the $\gamma$-ray quiet objects are more MeV-peaked, thus could be potential targets for next-generation MeV missions. Our results confirm the earlier findings about the accretion-jet connection in blazars; however, many of the $\gamma$-ray quiet blazars tend to deviate from the recent claim that the jet power exceeds $L_{\rm disk}$ in blazars. A broadband study, considering a larger set of $\gamma$-ray quiet objects and also including BL Lacs, will be needed to confirm/reject this hypothesis and also to verify the evolution of the powerful high-redshift blazars into their low-power nearby counterparts.

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arXiv2016

Polarization angle swings in blazars: The case of 3C 279

Over the past few years, several occasions of large, continuous rotations of the electric vector position angle (EVPA) of linearly polarized optical emission from blazars have been reported. These events are often coincident with high energy gamma-ray flares and they have attracted considerable attention, as they could allow one to probe the magnetic field structure in the gamma-ray emitting region of the jet. The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C279 is one of the most prominent examples showing this behaviour. Our goal is to study the observed EVPA rotations and to distinguish between a stochastic and a deterministic origin of the polarization variability. We have combined multiple data sets of R-band photometry and optical polarimetry measurements of 3C279, yielding exceptionally well-sampled flux density and polarization curves that cover a period of 2008-2012. Several large EVPA rotations are identified in the data. We introduce a quantitative measure for the EVPA curve smoothness, which is then used to test a set of simple random walk polarization variability models against the data. 3C279 shows different polarization variation characteristics during an optical low-flux state and a flaring state. The polarization variation during the flaring state, especially the smooth approx. 360 degrees rotation of the EVPA in mid-2011, is not consistent with the tested stochastic processes. We conclude that during the two different optical flux states, two different processes govern the polarization variation, possibly a stochastic process during the low-brightness state and a deterministic process during the flaring activity.

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arXiv2014

The Outburst of the Blazar S40954+658 in March-April 2011

We present the results of optical (R band) photometric and polarimetric monitoring and Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) imaging of the blazar S4 0954+658, along with Fermi and gamma;-ray data during a multi-waveband outburst in 2011 March-April. After a faint state with a brightness level R ~17.6 mag registered in the first half of January 2011, the optical brightness of the source started to rise and reached ~14.8 mag during the middle of March, showing flare-like behavior. The most spectacular case of intranight variability was observed during the night of 2011 March 9, when the blazar brightened by ~0.7 mag within ~7 hours. During the rise of the flux the position angle of optical polarization rotated smoothly over more than 300$\deg$. At the same time, within 1$\sigma$ uncertainty a new superluminal knot appeared with an apparent speed of 19.0$\pm$0.3 c. We have very strong evidence for association of this knot with the multi-waveband outburst in 2011 March-April. We also analyze the multi-frequency behavior of S4 0954+658 during a number of minor outbursts from August 2008 to April 2012. We find some evidence of connections between at least two more superluminal ejecta and near-simultaneous optical flares.

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arXiv2013

Analyzing polarization swings in 3C 279

Quasar 3C 279 is known to exhibit episodes of optical polarization angle rotation. We present new, well-sampled optical polarization data for 3C 279 and introduce a method to distinguish between random and deterministic electric vector position angle (EVPA) variations. We observe EVPA rotations in both directions with different amplitudes and find that the EVPA variation shows characteristics of both random and deterministic cases. Our analysis indicates that the EVPA variation is likely dominated by a random process in the low brightness state of the jet and by a deterministic process in the flaring state.

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arXiv2012

Variability of the blazar 4C 38.41 (B3 1633+382) from GHz frequencies to GeV energies

The quasar-type blazar 4C 38.41 (B3 1633+382) experienced a large outburst in 2011, which was detected throughout the entire electromagnetic spectrum. We present the results of low-energy multifrequency monitoring by the GASP project of the WEBT consortium and collaborators, as well as those of spectropolarimetric/spectrophotometric monitoring at the Steward Observatory. We also analyse high-energy observations of the Swift and Fermi satellites. In the optical-UV band, several results indicate that there is a contribution from a QSO-like emission component, in addition to both variable and polarised jet emission. The unpolarised emission component is likely thermal radiation from the accretion disc that dilutes the jet polarisation. We estimate its brightness to be R(QSO) ~ 17.85 - 18 and derive the intrinsic jet polarisation degree. We find no clear correlation between the optical and radio light curves, while the correlation between the optical and \gamma-ray flux apparently fades in time, likely because of an increasing optical to \gamma-ray flux ratio. As suggested for other blazars, the long-term variability of 4C 38.41 can be interpreted in terms of an inhomogeneous bent jet, where different emitting regions can change their alignment with respect to the line of sight, leading to variations in the Doppler factor \delta. Under the hypothesis that in the period 2008-2011 all the \gamma-ray and optical variability on a one-week timescale were due to changes in \delta, this would range between ~ 7 and ~ 21. If the variability were caused by changes in the viewing angle \theta\ only, then \theta\ would go from ~ 2.6 degr to ~ 5 degr. Variations in the viewing angle would also account for the dependence of the polarisation degree on the source brightness in the framework of a shock-in-jet model.

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arXiv2012

The structure and emission model of the relativistic jet in the quasar 3C 279 inferred from radio to high-energy gamma-ray observations in 2008-2010

We present time-resolved broad-band observations of the quasar 3C 279 obtained from multi-wavelength campaigns conducted during the first two years of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope mission. While investigating the previously reported gamma-ray/optical flare accompanied by a change in optical polarization, we found that the optical emission appears delayed with respect to the gamma-ray emission by about 10 days. X-ray observations reveal a pair of `isolated' flares separated by ~90 days, with only weak gamma-ray/optical counterparts. The spectral structure measured by Spitzer reveals a synchrotron component peaking in the mid-infrared band with a sharp break at the far-infrared band during the gamma-ray flare, while the peak appears in the mm/sub-mm band in the low state. Selected spectral energy distributions are fitted with leptonic models including Comptonization of external radiation produced in a dusty torus or the broad-line region. Adopting the interpretation of the polarization swing involving propagation of the emitting region along a curved trajectory, we can explain the evolution of the broad-band spectra during the gamma-ray flaring event by a shift of its location from ~ 1 pc to ~ 4 pc from the central black hole. On the other hand, if the gamma-ray flare is generated instead at sub-pc distance from the central black hole, the far-infrared break can be explained by synchrotron self-absorption. We also model the low spectral state, dominated by the mm/sub-mm peaking synchrotron component, and suggest that the corresponding inverse-Compton component explains the steady X-ray emission.

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arXiv2012

Parsec-Scale Jet Behavior of the Quasar 3C 454.3 during the High Gamma-Ray States in 2009 and 2010

We analyze total and polarized intensity images of the quasar 3C 454.3 obtained monthly with the VLBA at 43 GHz within the ongoing Boston U. monitoring program of gamma-ray blazars started in June 2007. The data are supplemented by VLBA observations performed during intense campaigns of 2 week duration when the quasar was observed 3 times per campaign. We find a strong increase of activity in the parsec-scale jet of the quasar during high gamma-ray states in December 2009, April 2010, and November 2010. We detect new superluminal knots, K09 and K10, associated with the autumn 2009 and 2010 outbursts, respectively, and compare their kinematic parameters. We analyze optical polarimetric behavior along with polarization parameters of the parsec-scale jet and outline similarities and differences in polarization properties across wavelengths. The results of the analysis support the conclusions that the optical polarized emission is produced in a region located in the vicinity of the mm-wave core of the jet of the quasar, and that the gamma-ray outbursts occur when a superluminal disturbance passes through the core.

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arXiv2011

Suppression of the water ice and snow albedo feedback on planets orbiting red dwarf stars and the subsequent widening of the habitable zone

M-stars comprise 80% of main-sequence stars, and so their planetary systems provide the best chance for finding habitable planets, i.e.: those with surface liquid water. We have modelled the broadband albedo or reflectivity of water ice and snow for simulated planetary surfaces orbiting two observed red dwarf stars (or M-stars) using spectrally resolved data of the Earth's cryosphere. The gradual reduction of the albedos of snow and ice at wavelengths greater than 1 ?m, combined with M-stars emitting a significant fraction of their radiation at these same longer wavelengths, mean that the albedos of ice and snow on planets orbiting M-stars are much lower than their values on Earth. Our results imply that the ice/snow albedo climate feedback is significantly weaker for planets orbiting M-stars than for planets orbiting G-type stars such as the Sun. In addition, planets with significant ice and snow cover will have significantly higher surface temperatures for a given stellar flux if the spectral variation of cryospheric albedo is considered, which in turn implies that the outer edge of the habitable zone around M-stars may be 10-30% further away from the parent star than previously thought.

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arXiv2011

The brightest gamma-ray flaring blazar in the sky: AGILE and multi-wavelength observations of 3C 454.3 during November 2010

Since 2005, the blazar 3C 454.3 has shown remarkable flaring activity at all frequencies, and during the last four years it has exhibited more than one gamma-ray flare per year, becoming the most active gamma-ray blazar in the sky. We present for the first time the multi-wavelength AGILE, SWIFT, INTEGRAL, and GASP-WEBT data collected in order to explain the extraordinary gamma-ray flare of 3C 454.3 which occurred in November 2010. On 2010 November 20 (MJD 55520), 3C 454.3 reached a peak flux (E>100 MeV) of F_gamma(p) = (6.8+-1.0)E-5 ph/cm2/s on a time scale of about 12 hours, more than a factor of 6 higher than the flux of the brightest steady gamma-ray source, the Vela pulsar, and more than a factor of 3 brighter than its previous super-flare on 2009 December 2-3. The multi-wavelength data make a thorough study of the present event possible: the comparison with the previous outbursts indicates a close similarity to the one that occurred in 2009. By comparing the broadband emission before, during, and after the gamma-ray flare, we find that the radio, optical and X-ray emission varies within a factor 2-3, whereas the gamma-ray flux by a factor of 10. This remarkable behavior is modeled by an external Compton component driven by a substantial local enhancement of soft seed photons.

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arXiv2010

Optical Spectral Variability of the Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Blazar 1ES 1011+496

We present results of five years of optical (UBVRI) observations of the very-high-energy gamma-ray blazar 1ES 1011+496 at the MDM Observatory. We calibrated UBVRI magnitudes of five comparison stars in the field of the object. Most of our observations were done during moderately faint states of 1ES 1011+496 with R > 15.0. The light curves exhibit moderate, closely correlated variability in all optical wavebands on time scales of a few days. A cross-correlation analysis between optical bands does not show significant evidence for time lags. We find a positive correlation (Pearson's r = 0.57; probability of non-correlation P(>r) ~ 4e-8) between the R-band magnitude and the B - R color index, indicating a bluer-when-brighter trend. Snap-shot optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) exhibit a peak within the optical regime, typically between the V and B bands. We find a strong (r = 0.78; probability of non-correlation P (>r) ~ 1e-15) positive correlation between the peak flux and the peak frequency, best fit by a relation $\nu F_{\nu}^{\rm pk} \propto \nu_{\rm pk}^k$ with k = 2.05 +/- 0.17. Such a correlation is consistent with the optical (synchrotron) variability of 1ES 1011+496 being primarily driven by changes in the magnetic field.

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arXiv2009

Results from the First Science Run of the ZEPLIN-III Dark Matter Search Experiment

The ZEPLIN-III experiment in the Palmer Underground Laboratory at Boulby uses a 12kg two-phase xenon time projection chamber to search for the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) that may account for the dark matter of our Galaxy. The detector measures both scintillation and ionisation produced by radiation interacting in the liquid to differentiate between the nuclear recoils expected from WIMPs and the electron recoil background signals down to ~10keV nuclear recoil energy. An analysis of 847kg.days of data acquired between February 27th 2008 and May 20th 2008 has excluded a WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering spin-independent cross-section above 8.1x10(-8)pb at 55GeV/c2 with a 90% confidence limit. It has also demonstrated that the two-phase xenon technique is capable of better discrimination between electron and nuclear recoils at low-energy than previously achieved by other xenon-based experiments.

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