BL Lacertae objects are extreme extragalactic sources characterized by the emission of strong and rapidly variable nonthermal radiation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Synchrotron emission followed by inverse Compton scattering in a relativistic beaming scenario is generally thought to be the mechanism powering these 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.
We calculate the spectral energy distribution (SED) of electromagnetic radiation and the spectrum of high energy neutrinos from BL Lac objects in the context of the Synchrotron Proton Blazar Model. In this model, the high energy hump of the SED is due to accelerated protons, while most of the low energy hump is due to synchrotron radiation by co-accelerated electrons. To accelerate protons to sufficiently high energies to produce the high energy hump, rather high magnetic fields are required. Assuming reasonable emission region volumes and Doppler factors, we then find that in low-frequency peaked BL Lacs (LBLs), which have higher luminosities than high-frequency peaked BL Lacs (HBLs), there is a significant contribution to the high frequency hump of the SED from pion photoproduction and subsequent cascading, including synchrotron radiation by muons. In contrast, in HBLs we find that the high frequency hump of the SED is dominated by proton synchrotron radiation. We are able to model the SED of typical LBLs and HBLs, and to model the famous 1997 flare of Markarian 501. We also calculate the expected neutrino output of typical BL Lac objects, and estimate the diffuse neutrino intensity due to all BL Lacs. Because pion photoproduction is inefficient in HBLs, as protons lose energy predominantly by synchrotron radiation, the contribution of LBLs dominates the diffuse neutrino intensity. We suggest that nearby LBLs may well be observable with future high-sensitivity TeV gamma-ray telescopes.
Light curves of eight BL Lac objects in the BVRI bands have been analyzed. All of the objects tend to be bluer when brighter. However spectral slope changes differ quantitatively from those of a sample of QSOs analyzed in a previous paper (Trevese & Vagnetti 2002) and appear consistent with a different nature of the optical continuum. A simple model representing the variability of a synchrotron component can explain the spectral changes. Constraints on a possible thermal accretion disk component contributing to the optical luminosity are discussed.
The next generation of TeV detectors is expected to have a significantly enhanced performance. It is therefore constructive to search for new TeV candidates for observation. This paper focuses on TeV candidates among the high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacertae objects (HBLs) reported in the fourth catalog of active galactic nuclei detected by the Fermis Large Area Telescope, i.e., 4LAC. By cross-matching the Fermi data with radio and optical observations, we collected the multiwavelength features of 180 HBLs with known redshift. The data set contains 39 confirmed TeV sources and 141 objects whose TeV detection has not yet been reported (either not yet observed, or observed but not detected). Using two kinds of supervised machine-learning (SML) methods, we searched for new possible TeV candidates (PTCs) among the nondetected objects by assessing the similarity of their multi-wavelength properties to existing TeV-detected objects. The classification results of the two SML classifiers were combined and the 24 highest-confidence PTCs were proposed as the best candidates. We calculate, here, the 12 year averaged Fermi spectra of these PTCs and estimate their detectability by extrapolating the Fermi spectrum and including the extragalactic background light attenuation. Four candidates are suggested to have a high likelihood of being detected by the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory and 24 are candidates for the Cerenkov Telescope Array observations.
Since the last meeting on BL Lac objects 10 years ago, BL Lac host galaxies and their cluster environment have gained much attention. Hence, our current knowledge of the properties of BL Lac host galaxies and their cluster environment has improved considerably, which will be reviewed. The importance of future observing programs using (very) large telescopes is briefly outlined.
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