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Mfuphi Ntshatsha

Publications and source records attributed to Mfuphi Ntshatsha.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Compton-induced HE -- VHE $γ$-rays from pair cascade emissions in the SEDs of radio galaxies: NGC 1275

In the scheme of active galactic nuclei (AGNi), the blazar subclass is particularly bright in $γ$-rays. This is because of their emissions being beamed into our line of sight, as opposed to their misaligned parent population, radio galaxies. This work presents results of a Monte-Carlo code that propagates jet-collimated $γ$-rays through the magnetized AGN environment, leading to secondary cascade emissions from relativistic electron-positron pairs. The resulting multi-wavelength emissions are used to fit the broadband spectral energy distribution (SED) of the radio galaxy NGC 1275. Using known physical parameters of NGC 1275 from the literature, we find that cascade emissions from stochastic processes have the potential to reproduce the broadband SEDs of radio galaxies. We also find that the interplay between accretion disk and broad-line region (BLR) photons may provide insights into the production region(s) of $γ$-rays in AGNi. While dense accretion disk and BLR radiation fields are vital to the development of cascades, excessive densities lead to the suppression of cascade synchrotron emission and attenuation of \,TeV $γ$-rays. Furthermore, the magnetic field is important in shaping the cascade $γ$-ray spectrum.

astro-ph.HE

Compton-induced $γ$-ray Cascade Emissions in Radio Galaxy NGC 1275

Among active galactic nuclei (AGNi), blazars are the brightest emitters of high-energy (HE, $E \geq 100$ MeV) to very-high-energy (VHE, $E \geq 100$ GeV) $γ$-rays from their jets. Radio galaxies, being the misaligned parent population of the blazar class, were historically not detected at these frequencies. However, advances in experiments and observatories have led to their detection in the HE--VHE $γ$-ray band. In this work, we leverage and refine a Monte-Carlo photon and electron-positron (e$^\pm$) pair tracking code in the AGN environment of the radio galaxy NGC 1275. In the code, we consider the isotropic broad-line region (BLR) and anisotropic Shakura-Sunyaev (SS) accretion disk radiation fields, with mild magnetic fields in the AGN environment. We find that cascade $γ$-rays from inverse-Compton scattering by relativistic e$^\pm$ pairs of these external radiation fields can explain the Fermi Large Area Telescope's (LAT) and Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment's observations from the radio galaxy NGC 1275. We present a set of plausible parameters obtained from the code by fitting the source's spectral energy distribution (SED) during flaring events reported during the period December 2022 to January 2023.

astro-ph.HE