arXiv subjects

P. Giommi

Publications and source records attributed to P. Giommi.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Log-parabolic spectra and particle acceleration in blazars - II: The BeppoSAX wide band X-ray spectra of Mkn 501

We present the results of a spectral and temporal study of the complete set of BeppoSAX NFI (11) and WFC (71) observations of the BL Lac object Mkn 501. The WFC 2-28 keV data, reported here for the first time, were collected over a period of about five years, from September 1996 to October 2001. These observations, although not evenly distributed, show that Mkn 501, after going through a very active phase from spring 1997 to early 1999, remained in a low brightness state until late 2001. The data from the LECS, MECS and PDS instruments, covering the wide energy interval 0.1-150 keV, have been used to study in detail the spectral variability of the source. We show that the X-ray energy distribution of Mkn 501 is well described by a log-parabolic law in all luminosity states. This model allowed us to obtain good estimates of the SED synchrotron peak energy and of its associated power. The strong spectral variability observed, consisting of strictly correlated changes between the synchrotron peak energy and bolometric flux, suggests that the main physical changes are not only due to variations of the maximum Lorentz factor of the emitting particles but that other quantities must be varying as well. During the 1997 flare the high energy part of the spectrum of Mkn 501 shows evidence of an excess above the best fit log-parabolic law suggesting the existence of a second emission component that may be responsible for most of the observed variability.

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arXiv2004

A Physical Classification Scheme for Blazars

Blazars are currently separated into BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) and flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQ) based on the strength of their emission lines. This is done rather arbitrarily by defining a diagonal line in the Ca H&K break value -- equivalent width plane, following Marcha et al. We readdress this problem and put the classification scheme for blazars on firm physical grounds. We study ~100 blazars and radio galaxies from the Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS) and 2 Jy radio survey and find a significant bimodality for the narrow emission line [OIII] 5007. This suggests the presence of two physically distinct classes of radio-loud AGN. We show that all radio-loud AGN, blazars and radio galaxies, can be effectively separated into weak- and strong-lined sources using the [OIII] 5007 -- [OII] 3727 equivalent width plane. This plane allows one to disentangle orientation effects from intrinsic variations in radio-loud AGN. Based on DXRBS, the strongly beamed sources of the new class of weak-lined radio-loud AGN are made up of BL Lacs at the ~75 per cent level, whereas those of the strong-lined radio-loud AGN include mostly (~97 per cent) quasars.

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arXiv2004

Chandra Observations of the X-ray Environs of SN 1998bw/GRB 980425

(Abrigded) We report X-ray studies of the environs of SN 1998bw and GRB 980425 using the Chandra X-Ray Observatory 1281 days after the GRB. Combining our observation of the supernova with others of the GRB afterglow, a smooth X-ray light curve, spanning ~1300 days, is obtained by assuming the burst and supernova were coincident at 35.6 Mpc. When this X-ray light curve is compared with those of the X-ray ``afterglows'' of ordinary GRBs, X-ray Flashes, and ordinary supernovae, evidence emerges for at least two classes of lightcurves, perhaps bounding a continuum. By three to ten years, all these phenomena seem to converge on a common X-ray luminosity, possibly indicative of the supernova underlying them all. This convergence strengthens the conclusion that SN 1998bw and GRB 980425 took place in the same object. One possible explanation for the two classes is a (nearly) standard GRB observed at different angles, in which case X-ray afterglows with intermediate luminosities should eventually be discovered. Finally, we comment on the contribution of GRB afterglows to the ULX source population.

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arXiv2003

Log-parabolic spectra and particle acceleration in the BL Lac object Mkn 421: spectral analysis of the complete BeppoSAX wide band X-ray data set

We report the results of a new analysis of 13 wide band BeppoSAX observations of the BL Lac object Mkn 421. The data from LECS, MECS and PDS, covering an energy interval from 0.1 to over 100 keV, have been used to study the spectral variability of this source. We show that the energy distributions in different luminosity states can be fitted very well by a log-parabolic law F(E)=K*(E/E_1)^(-(a+b*Log(E/E_1))), which provides good estimates of the energy and flux of the synchrotron peak in the SED. In the first four short observations of 1997 Mkn 421 was characterized by a very stable spectral shape, with average values a=2.25 and b=0.45. In the observations of 1998 smaller values for both parameters, a~2.07 and b~0.34, were found and the peak energy in the SED was in the range 0.5-0.8 keV. Also in the observations of May 1999 and April-May 2000 the log-parabolic model gave a satisfactory description of the overall SED of Mkn 421. In particular, in the observations of spring 2000 the source was brighter than the other observations and showed a large change of the spectral curvature. Spectral parameters estimates gave a~1.8 and b~0.19 and the energy of the maximum in the SED moved to the range 1-5.5 keV. We give a possible interpretation of the log-parabolic spectral model in terms of particle acceleration mechanisms. An energy distribution of emitting particles with curvature close to the one observed can be explained by a simple model for statistical acceleration with the assumption that the probability for a particle to increase its energy is a decreasing function of the energy itself. A consequence of this mechanism is the existence of a linear relation between the spectral parameters a and b, well confirmed by the estimated values of these two parameters for Mkn421.(Abridged)

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arXiv2003

BeppoSAX Observations of 1-Jy BL Lacertae Objects - II

We present new BeppoSAX LECS and MECS observations, covering the energy range 0.1 - 10 keV (observer's frame), of four BL Lacertae objects selected from the 1 Jy sample. All sources display a flat (alpha_x ~ 0.7) X-ray spectrum, which we interpret as inverse Compton emission. One object shows evidence for a low-energy steepening (Delta alpha_x ~ 0.9) which is likely due to the synchrotron component merging into the inverse Compton one around ~ 2 keV. A variable synchrotron tail would explain why the ROSAT spectra of our sources are typically steeper than the BeppoSAX ones (Delta alpha_x} ~ 0.7). The broad-band spectral energy distributions fully confirm this picture and model fits using a synchrotron inverse Compton model allow us to derive the physical parameters (intrinsic power, magnetic field, etc.) of our sources. By combining the results of this paper with those previously obtained on other sources we present a detailed study of the BeppoSAX properties of a well-defined sub-sample of 14 X-ray bright (f_x (0.1 - 10 keV) > 3 x 10^{-12} erg/cm^2/s) 1-Jy BL Lacs. We find a very tight proportionality between nearly simultaneous radio and X-ray powers for the 1-Jy sources in which the X-ray band is dominated by inverse Compton emission, which points to a strong link between X-ray and radio emission components in these objects.

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arXiv2003

Wide band X-ray and optical observations of the BL Lac object 1ES 1959+650 in high state

The blazar 1ES 1959+650 was observed twice by BeppoSAX in September 2001 simultaneously with optical observations. We report here the X-ray data together with the optical, R_C magnitude, light curve since August 1995. The BeppoSAX observations were triggered by an active X-ray status of the source. The X-ray spectra are brighter than the previously published X-ray observations, although the source was in an even higher state a few months later, as monitored by the ASM onboard RossiXTE, when it was also detected to flare in the TeV band. Our X-ray spectra are well represented by a continuosly curved model up to 45 keV and are interpreted as synchrotron emission, with the peak moving to higher energies. This is also confirmed by the slope of the X-ray spectrum which is harder than in previous observations. Based on our optical and X-ray data, the synchrotron peak turns out to be in the range 0.1-0.7 keV. We compare our data with non simultaneous radio to TeV data and model the spectral energy distribution with a homogeneous, one-zone synchrotron inverse Compton model. We derive physical parameters that are typical of low power High Energy peaked Blazar, characterised by a relatively large beaming factor, low luminosity and absence of external seed photons.

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arXiv2003

Evidence for a Significant Blazar Contamination in CMB Anisotropy Maps

The analysis of the recent WMAP source catalog shows that the vast majority of bright foreground extragalactic sources detected in CMB maps are Blazars. In this paper we calculate the contamination of CMB anisotropy maps by this type of flat-spectrum, strongly variable and polarized extragalactic radio sources using up-to-date results from recent deep multi-frequency surveys. We found that more than 50 known Blazars (or Blazar candidates) are included in the 90/150 GHz BOOMERANG anisotropy maps, a factor > 15 larger than previously reported. Using a recent derivation of the Blazar radio LogN-LogS we calculate that these sources induce an average sky brightness of 0.2 Jy/deg^2, corresponding to an average temperature of ~3-5 muK. Moreover, we find that the associated level of fluctuations is of the order of C_{l, Blazar}= 1.3 10^{-2} mu K^2 sr at 41 GHz. Taking into account both Blazar variability and the many steep-spectrum radio sources that flatten at high frequencies, as well as the contribution of radio-galaxies, we find that the level of residual fluctuation due to discrete extragalactic foreground sources could be factor of ~2 - 3 higher than the above estimate. We show that the Blazar induced fluctuations contaminate the CMB spectrum at the level of ~ 20-50 % at l = 500 and 50-100 % at l = 800. Careful cleaning for Blazar contamination of high sensitivity/high resolution CMB maps is therefore necessary before firm conclusions about weak features, like secondary high-l peaks of the CMB power spectrum or very weak signals like CMB polarization measurements, can be achieved.

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arXiv2003

XMM-Newton Observations of the Field of Gamma-Ray Burst 980425

The error box of GRB980425 has been observed by XMM-Newton in March 2002, with the aim of measuring the late epoch X-ray emission of the supernova 1998bw and of clarifying its supposed association with the GRB itself. We present here the preliminary results obtained with the EPIC PN camera. Our observations confirm the association between SN 1998bw and GRB980425. The EPIC PN measurement of the SN 1998bw flux is significantly below the extrapolation of the power-law temporal trend fitted to the BeppoSAX points and implies a faster temporal decay. We propose different physical interpretations of the SN X-ray light curve, according to whether it is produced by one or more radiation components.

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arXiv2003

What Types of Jets does Nature Make: A New Population of Radio Quasars

We use statistical results from a large sample of about 500 blazars, based on two surveys, the Deep X-ray Radio Blazar Survey (DXRBS), nearly complete, and the RASS-Green Bank survey (RGB), to provide new constraints on the spectral energy distribution of blazars, particularly flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQ). This reassessment is prompted by the discovery of a population of FSRQ with spectral energy distribution similar to that of high-energy peaked BL Lacs. The fraction of these sources is sample dependent, being ~ 10% in DXRBS and ~ 30% in RGB (and reaching ~ 80% for the Einstein Medium Sensitivity Survey). We show that these ``X-ray strong'' radio quasars, which had gone undetected or unnoticed in previous surveys, indeed are the strong-lined counterparts of high-energy peaked BL Lacs and have synchrotron peak frequencies, nu_peak, much higher than ``classical'' FSRQ, typically in the UV band for DXRBS. Some of these objects may be 100 GeV - TeV emitters, as are several known BL Lacs with similar broadband spectra. Our large, deep, and homogeneous DXRBS sample does not show anti-correlations between nu_peak and radio, broad line region, or jet power, as expected in the so-called ``blazar sequence'' scenario. However, the fact that FSRQ do not reach X-ray-to-radio flux ratios and nu_peak values as extreme as BL Lacs and the elusiveness of high nu_peak - high-power blazars suggest that there might be an intrinsic, physical limit to the synchrotron peak frequency that can be reached by strong-lined, powerful blazars. Our findings have important implications for the study of jet formation and physics and its relationship to other properties of active galactic nuclei.

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arXiv2003

The BL Lac objects OQ 530 and S5 0716+714. Simultaneous observations in the X-rays, radio, optical and TeV bands

We present the results of the BeppoSAX observations of two BL Lacs, OQ 530 and S5 0716+714, as part of a ToO program for the simultaneous observation at radio, optical, X-ray and TeV energies. Both sources are detected in the LECS and MECS, with S5 0716+714 visible also in the PDS band, up to about 60 keV. The X-ray spectra of both sources are better fitted by a double power-law model, with a steep soft X-ray component flattening at harder energies, with breaks at 0.3 and 1.5 keV, respectively. The concave shape of the spectra in both objects is consistent with soft X-rays being produced by the synchrotron and harder X-rays by the inverse Compton processes. Also the X-ray variability properties confirm this scenario, in particular for S5 0716+714 our observation shows variations by about a factor 3 over one hour below 3 keV and no variability above. Their simultaneous broad band energy spectral distributions can be successfully interpreted within the frame of a homogeneous synchrotron and inverse Compton model, including a possible contribution from an external source of seed photons with the different spectral states of S5 0716+714 being reproduced by changing the injected power. The resulting parameters are fully consistent with the two sources being intermediate objects within the "sequence" scenario proposed for blazars.

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arXiv2002

Parameter Correlations and Cosmological Properties of BL Lac Objects

Using three complete, radio flux limited, blazar samples we compare the LogN-LogS and the preliminary radio luminosity function of the general population of BL Lacs to those of the subclass of high energy synchrotron peaked (HBL) BL Lacs. We also examine recent results on the cosmological evolution in different samples of BL Lacs and we investigate the controversial issue of the correlation between the synchrotron peak frequency and radio luminosity in BL Lacertae objects. We find that the fraction of HBL objects is approximately the same at all observed radio fluxes and luminosities implying that there cannot be any strong correlation between the position of the synchrotron peak and radio luminosity. The amount of cosmological evolution in BL Lacs is confirmed to be low and negative at low radio fluxes, although the large number of objects without redshift prevents a precise estimation. At high radio fluxes the amount of cosmological evolution is zero or slightly positive but this could be induced by a possible contamination with Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars.

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arXiv2002

BeppoSAX Observations of Synchrotron X-ray Emission from Radio Quasars

We present new BeppoSAX LECS, MECS, and PDS observations of four flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQ) having effective spectral indices alpha_ro and alpha_ox typical of high-energy peaked BL Lacs. Our sources have X-ray-to-radio flux ratios on average ~ 70 times larger than ``classical'' FSRQ and lie at the extreme end of the FSRQ X-ray-to-radio flux ratio distribution. The collected data cover the energy range 0.1 - 10 keV (observer's frame), reaching ~ 100 keV for one object. The BeppoSAX band in one of our sources, RGB J1629+4008, is dominated by synchrotron emission peaking at ~ 2 x 10^16 Hz, as also shown by its steep (energy index alpha_x ~ 1.5) spectrum. This makes this object the FIRST known FSRQ whose X-ray emission is not due to inverse Compton radiation. Two other sources display a flat BeppoSAX spectrum (alpha_x ~ 0.7), with weak indications of steepening at low X-ray energies. The combination of BeppoSAX and ROSAT observations, (non-simultaneous) multifrequency data, and a synchrotron inverse Compton model suggest synchrotron peak frequencies ~ 10^15 Hz, although a better coverage of their spectral energy distributions is needed to provide firmer values. If confirmed, these values would be typical of ``intermediate'' BL Lacs for which the synchrotron and inverse Compton components overlap in the BeppoSAX band. Our sources, although firmly in the radio-loud regime, have powers more typical of high-energy peaked BL Lacs than of FSRQ, and indeed their radio powers put them near the low-luminosity end of the FSRQ luminosity function. We discuss this in terms of an anti-correlation between synchrotron peak frequency and total power, based on physical arguments, and also as possibly due to a selection effect.

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arXiv2002

The classification of BL Lacertae objects: the Ca H&K break

We investigate why BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) have values of the Ca H&K break (a stellar absorption feature) lower than low-power radio galaxies and if its use is justified to separate the two classes. For this purpose we relate this parameter to the radio and optical core emissions, as well as to the X-ray powers, for a sample of ~90 radio sources. We find that the Ca H&K break value decreases with increasing jet powers, and that it also anti-correlates with the radio core dominance parameter but not with extended radio emission. Based on this we conclude that the Ca H&K break value of BL Lacs and radio galaxies is a suitable indicator of orientation. From the luminosity ratios between objects with low and high Ca H&K break values we constrain the average Lorentz factors for BL Lacs and low-power radio galaxies in the radio and X-ray band to Gamma ~ 2 -- 4 and derive average viewing angles for the galaxies. Our values are in agreement with results from independent methods. We find that the correlations between Ca H&K break and radio core and X-ray luminosity hold independently for low- (LBL) and high-energy peaked BL Lacs (HBL). We derive average viewing angles for their parent populations, which turn out to be similar to the ones for our entire sample, and compare for the first time the luminosities of LBL and HBL at different orientations.

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arXiv2002

The BeppoSAX High Energy Large Area Survey -V. The nature of the hard X-ray source populations and its evolution

We present optical spectroscopic identifications of hard X-ray (5-10 keV) selected sources belonging to the HELLAS sample obtained with BeppoSAX down to a 5-10 keV flux limit of f_{5-10 keV}~3x10^-14 erg cm^-2 s^-1. The sample consists of 118 sources. 25 sources have been identified trough correlations with catalogues of known sources. 49 have been searched for spectroscopic identification at the telescope. 13 fields resulted empty down to R=21. 37 sources have been identified with type 1 AGN and 9 with type 2 AGN. The remaining are: 5 narrow emission line galaxies, 6 Clusters, 2 BL Lac, 1 Radio Galaxy and 1 Star. Combining these objects with other hard X-ray selected AGNs from ASCA and HEAO1, we find that the local luminosity function of type 1 AGN in the 2-10 keV band is fairly well represented by a double-power-law-function. There is evidence for significant cosmological evolution according to a pure luminosity evolution (PLE) model L_X(z)~(1+z)^k, with k=2.12 and k=2.22 in a (Omega_m,Omega_lambda)=(1.0,0.0) and in a (Omega_m,Omega_lambda)=(0.3,0.7) cosmology, respectively. The data show an excess of faint high redshift type 1 AGN which is well modeled by a luminosity dependent density evolution (LDDE), similarly to what observed in the soft X-rays. However, in both cosmologies, the statistic is not significant enough to distinguish between the PLE and LDDE models. The fitted models imply a contribution of AGN1 to the 2-10 keV X-ray background from 35% up to 60%.

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arXiv2002

BL Lacertae: complex spectral variability and rapid synchrotron flare detected with BeppoSAX

We report on two BeppoSAX observations of BL Lac (2200+420) performed respectively in June and December 1999, as part of a ToO program to monitor blazars in high states of activity. During both runs the source has been detected up to 100 keV, but it showed quite different spectra: in June it was concave with a very hard component above 5-6 keV (alpha_1 ~ 1.6; alpha_2 ~ 0.15); in December it was well fitted by a single power law (alpha ~ 0.6). During the first BeppoSAX observation BL Lac showed an astonishing variability episode: the 0.3 - 2 keV flux doubled in ~ 20 minutes, while the flux above 4 keV was almost constant. This frequency-dependent event is one of the shortest ever recordered for BL Lac objects and places lower limits on the dimension and the magnetic field of the emitting region and on the energy of the synchrotron radiating electrons. A similar but less extreme behaviour is detected also in optical light curves, that display non-simultaneous, smaller fluctuations of ~ 20% in 20 min. We fit the spectral energy distributions with a homogeneous, one-zone model to constrain the emission region in a very simple but effective SSC + external Compton scenario, highlightning the importance of the location of the emitting region with respect to the Broad Line Region and the relative spectral shape dependence. We compare our data with historical radio to gamma-ray Spectral Energy Distributions.

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arXiv2001

The BeppoSAX High Energy Large Area Survey HELLAS, II: Number counts and X-ray spectral properties

The BeppoSAX High Energy Large Area Survey (HELLAS) has surveyed about 85 deg^2 of sky in the 5-10 keV band down to a flux of 4-5 10^-14 erg cm-2 s-1. The source surface density of 16.9+-6.4 deg$^{-2}$ at the survey limit corresponds to a resolved fraction of the 5-10 keV X-ray background (XRB) of the order of 20-30 %. Hardness ratios analysis indicates that the spectra of a substantial fraction of the HELLAS sources (at least one third) are harder than a alpha_E = 0.6 power law. This hardness may be due to large absorbing columns. The hardness ratio analysis also indicates that many HELLAS sources may have a spectrum more complex than a single absorbed power law. A soft component, superimposed to a strongly cut-off power law, is likely to be present in several sources.

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arXiv2001

BeppoSAX Observations of 1 Jy BL Lacertae Objects. I

We present new BeppoSAX observations of seven BL Lacertae objects selected from the 1 Jy sample plus one additional source. The collected data cover the energy range 0.1 - 10 keV (observer's frame), reaching ~ 50 keV for one source (BL Lac). All sources characterized by a peak in their multifrequency spectra at infrared/optical energies (i.e., of the LBL type) display a relatively flat (alpha_x ~ 0.9) X-ray spectrum, which we interpret as inverse Compton emission. Four objects (2/3 of the LBL) show some evidence for a low-energy steepening which is likely due to the synchrotron tail merging into the inverse Compton component around ~ 1 - 3 keV. If this were generally the case with LBL, it would explain why the 0.1 - 2.4 keV ROSAT spectra of our sources are systematically steeper than the BeppoSAX ones (by ~ 0.5 in alpha_x). The broad-band spectral energy distributions fully confirm this picture and a synchrotron inverse Compton model allows us to derive the physical parameters (intrinsic power, magnetic field, etc.) of our sources. Combining our results with those obtained by BeppoSAX on BL Lacs covering a wide range of synchrotron peak frequencies, we confirm and clarify the dependence of the X-ray spectral index on synchrotron peak frequency originally found in ROSAT data.

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arXiv2001

Extreme synchrotron BL Lac objects

We performed an observational program with the X-ray satellite BeppoSAX to study objects with extreme synchrotron peak frequencies (nu_peak > 1 keV). Of the seven sources observed, four showed peak frequencies in the range 1-5 keV, while one (1ES 1426+428) displayed a flat power law spectrum (alpha= 0.92), locating its synchrotron peak at or above 100 keV. This is the third source of this type ever found, after Mkn 501 and 1ES 2344+514. Our data confirm the large nu_peak variability of this class of sources, compared with lower peaked objects. The high synchrotron peak energies, flagging the presence of high energy electrons, make the extreme BL Lacs also good candidates for TeV emission, and therefore good probes for the IR background.

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