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Register a new userNew ALMA and Fermi/LAT Observations of the large-scale jet of PKS 0637-752 Strengthen the Case Against the IC/CMB Model
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The Chandra X-ray observatory has discovered several dozen anomalously X-ray-bright jets associated with powerful quasars. A popular explanation for the X-ray flux from the knots in these jets is that relativistic synchrotron-emitting electrons inverse-Compton scatter Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) photons to X-ray energies (the IC/CMB model). This model predicts a high gamma-ray flux which should be detectable by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) for many sources. GeV-band upper limits from Fermi/LAT for the well-known anomalous X-ray jet in PKS 0637-752 were previously shown in Meyer et al., (2015) to violate the predictions of the IC/CMB model. Previously, measurements of the jet synchrotron spectrum, important for accurately predicting the gamma-ray flux level, were lacking between radio and infrared wavelengths. Here we present new Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the large-scale jet at 100, 233, and 319 GHz which further constrain the synchrotron spectrum, supporting the previously published empirical model. We also present updated limits from the Fermi/LAT using the new `Pass 8 calibration and approximately 30% more time on source. With these deeper limits we rule out the IC/CMB model at the 8.7 sigma level. Finally, we demonstrate that complete knowledge of the synchrotron SED is critical in evaluating the IC/CMB model.
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The Chandra X-ray observatory has discovered dozens of resolved, kiloparsec-scale jets associated with powerful quasars in which the X-ray fluxes are observed to be much higher than the expected level based on the radio-optical synchrotron spectrum. The most popular explanation for the anomalously high and hard X-ray fluxes is that these jets do not decelerate significantly by the kiloparsec scale, but rather remain highly relativistic (Lorentz factors $Gammaapprox$10). By adopting a small angle to the line-of-sight, the X-rays can thus be explained by inverse Compton upscattering of CMB photons (IC/CMB), where the observed emission is strongly Doppler boosted. Using over six years of Fermi monitoring data, we show that the expected hard, steady gamma-ray emission implied by the IC/CMB model is not seen in PKS 0637-752, the prototype jet for which this model was first proposed. IC/CMB emission is thus ruled out as the source of the X-rays, joining recent results for the jets in 3C 273 (using the same method; Meyer et al. 2014) and PKS 1136-135 (using UV polarization; Cara et al., 2013). We further show that the Fermi observations give an upper limit of $delta<$6.5 for the four brightest X-ray knots of PKS 0637-752, and derive an updated limit of $delta<$7.8 for knots A and B1 of 3C 273 (assuming equipartition). Finally, we discuss the fact that high levels of synchrotron X-ray emission in a slow jet will unavoidably lead to a level of angle-integrated TeV emission which exceeds that of the TeV BL Lac class.
The quasar PKS 0637-753, the first celestial X-ray target of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, has revealed asymmetric X-ray structure extending from 3 to 12 arcsec west of the quasar, coincident with the inner portion of the jet previously detected in a 4.8 GHz radio image (Tingay et al. 1998). At a redshift of z=0.651, the jet is the largest (~100 kpc) and most luminous (~10^{44.6} ergs/s) of the few so far detected in X-rays. This letter presents a high resolution X-ray image of the jet, from 42 ks of data when PKS 0637-753 was on-axis and ACIS-S was near the optimum focus. For the inner portion of the radio jet, the X-ray morphology closely matches that of new ATCA radio images at 4.8 and 8.6 GHz. Observations of the parsec scale core using the VSOP space VLBI mission show structure aligned with the X-ray jet, placing important constraints on the X-ray source models. HST images show that there are three small knots coincident with the peak radio and X-ray emission. Two of these are resolved, which we use to estimate the sizes of the X-ray and radio knots. The outer portion of the radio jet, and a radio component to the east, show no X-ray emission to a limit of about 100 times lower flux. The X-ray emission is difficult to explain with models that successfully account for extra-nuclear X-ray/radio structures in other active galaxies. We think the most plausible is a synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) model, but this would imply extreme departures from the conventional minimum-energy and/or homogeneity assumptions. We also rule out synchrotron or thermal bremsstrahlung models for the jet X-rays, unless multicomponent or ad hoc geometries are invoked.
New images from the Hubble Space Telescope of the FRII radio galaxy Pictor A reveal a previously undiscovered tidal tail, as well as a number of jet knots coinciding with a known X-ray and radio jet. The tidal tail is approximately 5 wide (3 kpc projected), starting 18 (12 kpc) from the center of Pictor A, and extends more than 90 (60 kpc). The knots are part of a jet observed to be about 4 (160 kpc) long, extending to a bright hotspot. These images are the first optical detections of this jet, and by extracting knot flux densities through three filters we set constraints on emission models. While the radio and optical flux densities are usually explained by synchrotron emission, there are several emission mechanisms which might be used to explain the X-ray flux densities. Our data rule out Doppler boosted inverse Compton scattering as a source of the high energy emission. Instead, we find that the observed emission can be well described by synchrotron emission from electrons with a low energy index ($psim2$) that dominates the radio band, while a high energy index ($psim3$) is needed for the X-ray band and the transition occurs in the optical/infrared band. This model is consistent with a continuous electron injection scenario.
We report on multiwavelength observations of the blazar PKS 0537-441 (z = 0.896) obtained from microwaves through gamma rays by SMA, REM, ATOM, Swift and Fermi during 2008 August-2010 April. Strong variability has been observed in gamma rays, with two major flaring episodes (2009 July and 2010 March) and a harder-when-brighter behaviour, quite common for FSRQs and low-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacs, in 2010 March. In the same way the SED of the source cannot be modelled by a simple synchrotron self-Compton model, as opposed to many BL Lacs, but the addition of an external Compton component of seed photons from a dust torus is needed. The 230 GHz light curve showed an increase simultaneous with the gamma-ray one, indicating co-spatiality of the mm and gamma-ray emission region likely at large distance from the central engine. The low, average, and high activity SED of the source could be fit changing only the electron distribution parameters, but two breaks in the electron distribution are necessary. The ensuing extra spectral break, located at NIR-optical frequencies, together with that in gamma rays seem to indicate a common origin, most likely due to an intrinsic feature in the underlying electron distribution. An overall correlation between the gamma-ray band with the R-band and K-band has been observed with no significant time lag. On the other hand, when inspecting the light curves on short time scales some differences are evident. In particular, flaring activity has been detected in NIR and optical bands with no evident gamma-ray counterparts in 2009 September and November. Moderate variability has been observed in X-rays with no correlation between flux and photon index. An increase of the detected X-ray flux with no counter part at the other wavelengths has been observed in 2008 October, suggesting once more a complex correlation between the emission at different energy bands.
Over the past two decades, the most commonly adopted explanation for high and hard X-ray emission in resolved quasar jets has been inverse Compton upscattering of the Cosmic Microwave Background (IC/CMB), which requires jets which remain highly relativistic on 10-1000 kpc scales. In more recent years various lines of observational evidence, including gamma-ray upper limits, have disfavored this explanation in favor of a synchrotron origin. While the IC/CMB model generally predicts a high level of gamma-ray emission, it has never been detected. Here we report the detection of a low-state Fermi/LAT gamma-ray spectrum associated with two jetted AGN which is consistent with the predictions of the IC/CMB model for their X-ray emission. We have used archival multiwavelength observations to make precise predictions for the expected minimum flux in the GeV band, assuming that the X-ray emission from the kpc-scale jet is entirely due to the IC/CMB process. In both sources -- OJ 287 and PKS 1510-089 -- the minimum-detected gamma-ray flux level agrees with predictions. Both sources exhibit extreme superluminal proper motions relative to their jet power, which argues for the well-aligned jets required by the IC/CMB model. In the case of PKS~1510-089, it cannot be ruled out that the minimum gamma-ray flux level is due to a low state of the variable core which only matches the IC/CMB prediction by chance. Continued long-term monitoring with the Fermi/LAT could settle this issue by detecting a plateau signature in the recombined light-curve which would clearly signal the presence of a non-variable emission component.
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