Variability in the UV Spectrum of 3C 279: Testing Models for the Gamma-Ray Emission in Blazars

Details Variability in the UV Spectrum of 3C 279: Testing Models for the Gamma-Ray Emission in Blazars Variability in the UV Spectrum of 3C 279: Testing Models for the Gamma-Ray Emission in Blazars

Jul 2001

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2001hst..prop.9139k&link_type=abstract

HST Proposal ID #9139

Physics

Hst Proposal Id #9139 Agn/Quasars

Scientific paper

Gamma-ray emission dominates the power output of many luminous blazars, yet we do not know the physical scale on which it is produced i.e., where in the jet most of the kinetic power is dissipated. We know the production of Gamma- rays depends critically on the blazar line emission: ambient photons from broad emission lines {primarily LyAlpha} are upscattered to Gamma-ray energies by relativistic electrons in the blazar jet. Rapid large-amplitude Gamma-ray variability implies that both electrons and LyAlpha photons must vary rapidly. This suggests some broad-line clouds are photoionized by synchrotron flares in the jet {the ``mirror model''}. We propose a critical test to determine if Gamma- rays are produced on the scale of the broad line region, using multi-epoch STIS UV snapshots of 3C 279 to find and characterize its LyAlpha variability. This will validate the mirror model for generating the intense Gamma-ray emission from blazars, which could then be quantified with {much more resource intensive} coordinated Gamma-ray and HST observations. 3C 279 is the best-studied blazar from radio to Gamma-ray wavelengths, showing frequent large flares over days to months. Variability in the UV continuum and LyAlpha will directly reveal any coupling between the jet ionizing flux and the broad-line region emission, providing clues to the physics and energetics of all radio-loud AGN.

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