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Register a new userExploring the nature of broadband variability in the FSRQ 3C 273
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Detailed investigation of broadband flux variability in the blazar 3C 273 allows us to probe the location and size of emission regions and their physical conditions. We report the results on correlation studies of the flaring activity observed between 2008 and 2012. The observed broadband variations were investigated using the structure function and the discrete correlation function, and power spectral density analysis (PSD) methods. The PSD analysis showed that the optical/IR light curve slopes are consistent with the slope of white noise processes, while, the PSD slopes at radio, X-ray and gamma-ray energies are consistent with red-noise processes. The flux variations at gamma-ray and mm-radio bands are found to be significantly correlated. Using the estimated time lag of (110pm27) days between gamma-ray and radio light curves, we constrained the location of the gamma-ray emission region at a de-projected distance of 1.2pm0.9 pc from the jet apex. Flux variations at X-ray bands were found to have a significant correlation with variations at both radio and gamma-rays energies. The correlation between X-rays and gamma-rays light curves suggests presence of two components responsible for the X-ray emission. A negative time lag of -(50pm20) days, where the X-rays are leading the emission, suggests X-rays are emitted closer to the jet apex from a compact region at a distance of ~(0.5pm0.4) pc from the jet apex. A positive time lag of (110pm20) days suggests jet-base origin of the other X-ray component at ~(4--5)~pc from the jet apex. The flux variations at radio frequencies were found to be well correlated with each other such that the variations at higher frequencies are leading the lower frequencies, which could be expected in the standard shock-in-jet model.
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We present a gamma-ray photon flux and spectral variability study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C 273 over a rapid flaring activity period between September 2009 to April 2010. Five major flares are observed in the source during this period. The most rapid flare observed in the source has a flux doubling time of 1.1 hr. The rapid gamma-ray flares allow us to constrain the location and size of the gamma-ray emission region in the source. The gamma gamma-opacity constrains the Doppler factor, $delta_{gamma} geq$ 10 for the highest energy (15 GeV) photon observed by the {it Fermi}-Large Area Telescope (LAT). Causality arguments constrain the size of the emission region to 1.6$times 10^{15}$ cm. The gamma-ray spectra measured over this period show clear deviations from a simple power law with a break in 1-2 GeV energy range. We discuss possible explanations for the origin of the gamma-ray spectral breaks. Our study suggests that the gamma-ray emission region in 3C 273 is located within the broad line region ($<$1.6 pc). The spectral behavior and temporal characteristics of the individual flares indicate the presence of multiple shock scenarios at the base of the jet.
We present an update of 3C 273s database hosted by the ISDC, completed with data from radio to gamma-ray observations over the last 10 years. We use this large data set to study the multiwavelength properties of this quasar,especially focussing on its variability behaviour. We study the amplitude of the variations and the maximum variability time scales across the broad-band spectrum and correlate the light curves in different bands, specifically with the X-rays, to search for possible connections between the emission at different energies. 3C 273 shows variability at all frequencies, with amplitudes and time scales strongly depending on the energy and being the signatures of the different emission mechanisms. The variability properties of the X-ray band imply the presence of either two separate components (possibly a Seyfert-like and a blazar-like) or at least two parameters with distinct timing properties to account for the X-ray emission below and above ~20 keV. The dominant hard X-ray emission is most probably not due to electrons accelerated by the shock waves in the jet as their variability does not correlate with the flaring millimeter emission, but seems to be associated to long-timescale variations in the optical. This optical component is consistent with being optically thin synchrotron radiation from the base of the jet and the hard X-rays would be produced through inverse Compton processes (SSC and/or EC) by the same electron population. We show evidence that this synchrotron component extends from the optical to the near-infrared domain, where it is blended by emission of heated dust that we find to be located within about 1 light-year from the ultraviolet source.
We analyze the 2.5--10 keV X-ray spectra of the luminous quasar 3C 273 and simultaneous observations in UV wavelengths from XMM--Newton between 2000 and 2015. The lowest flux level ever was observed in 2015. The continuum emission from 3C 273 is generally best described by an absorbed power-law but during extremely low states the addition of fluorescence from the K-shell iron line improves the fit. We study the spectral evolution of the source during its extended quiescent state and also examine connections between the X-ray and ultraviolet emissions, which have been seen in some, but not all, previous work. We detect a possible anti-correlation between these two bands during the low state that characterized 3C 273 for most of this period; however, this was not present during a flaring state. A harder-when-brighter trend for the X-ray spectrum was observed in these long-term observations of 3C 273 for the first time. We suggest that the X-ray emission in 3C 273 is the result of inverse Compton scattering of soft UV seed photons (emitted from the local environment of the AGN), most likely in a thermal corona. We can explain the significant temporal variation of the spectral continuum as an outcome of changing optical depth of the comptonizing medium, along the lines of the wind-shock model proposed by Courvoisier and Camenzind (1989).
We have analysed the first 15 months of Fermi/LAT data of the radio loud quasar 3C 273. Intense gamma-ray activity has been detected, showing an average flux of F(> 100 MeV) = 1.4e-6 ph/cm^2/s, with a peak at F(> 100 MeV) = 5.6e-6 ph/cm^2/s detected during a flare in September 2009. Together with the brightening of the source, a possible hardening of the gamma-ray spectrum is observed, pointing to a shift of the inverse Compton peak toward higher energies than the 1-10 MeV range in which 3C 273 inverse Compton emission is typically observed to peak. During the 15 months of observations the photon index is measured to vary between 2.4 and 3.3, with an average value of 2.78 +/- 0.03. When compared to the observations at other wavelengths, the gamma-rays show the largest flux variations and we discuss the possibility that two different components are responsible for the inverse Compton hump emission below and above the MeV peak.
Aims. The high energy spectrum of 3C 273 is usually understood in terms of inverse-Compton emission in a relativistic leptonic jet. This model predicts variability patterns and delays that could be tested with simultaneous observations from the radio to the GeV range. Methods. The instruments IBIS, SPI, JEM-X on board INTEGRAL, PCA on board RXTE, and LAT on board Fermi have enough sensitivity to follow the spectral variability of 3C 273 from the keV to the GeV. We looked for correlations between the different energy bands, including radio data at 37 GHz collected at the Metsahovi Radio Observatory and built quasi-simultaneous multiwavelength spectra in the high energy domain when the source is flaring either in the X-rays or in the {gamma} rays. Results. Both temporal and spectral analysis suggest a two-component model to explain the complete high energy spectrum. X-ray emission is likely dominated by a Seyfert-like component while the {gamma}-ray emission is dominated by a blazar-like component produced by the relativistic jet. The variability of the blazar-like component is discussed, comparing the spectral parameters in the two different spectral states. Changes of the electron Lorentz factor are found to be the most likely source of the observed variability.
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