Gamma-ray flares from relativistic magnetic reconnection in the jet of the quasar 3C 279

被引:59
作者
Shukla, A. [1 ,2 ]
Mannheim, K. [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Wurzburg, Inst Theoret Phys & Astrophys, Emil Fischer Str 31, D-97074 Wurzburg, Germany
[2] Indian Inst Technol Indore, Discipline Astron Astrophys & Space Engn, Khandwa Rd, Indore 453552, India
关键词
KINK INSTABILITY; ENERGY; RADIATION; BLAZARS; VARIABILITY; ABSORPTION; TELESCOPE; SHOCKS;
D O I
10.1038/s41467-020-17912-z
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
Spinning black holes in the centres of galaxies can release powerful magnetised jets. When the jets are observed at angles of less than a few degrees to the line-of-sight, they are called blazars, showing variable non-thermal emission across the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. It is commonly believed that shock waves are responsible for this dissipation of jet energy. Here we show that gamma-ray observations of the blazar 3C 279 with the space-borne telescope Fermi-LAT reveal a characteristic peak-in-peak variability pattern on time scales of minutes expected if the particle acceleration is instead due to relativistic magnetic reconnection. The absence of gamma-ray pair attenuation shows that particle acceleration takes place at a distance of ten thousand gravitational radii from the black hole where the fluid dynamical kink instability drives plasma turbulence. Blazars show variable non-thermal emission across the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. Here, the authors show blazar 3C 279 reveals a characteristic peak-in-peak variability pattern on time scales of minutes if particle acceleration is due to relativistic magnetic reconnection.
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页数:8
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