RXTE observations of 3C 279 during a high-energy flare

被引:12
作者
Lawson, AJ
McHardy, IM
Marscher, AP
机构
[1] Univ Southampton, Dept Phys & Astron, Southampton SO17 1BJ, Hants, England
[2] Boston Univ, Dept Astron, Boston, MA 02215 USA
关键词
galaxies : active; quasars : individual : 3C 279; X-rays : galaxies;
D O I
10.1046/j.1365-8711.1999.02563.x
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
We present details of a large X-ray flare in the blazar 3C 279 detected during a 3-week period of daily observations by the satellite RXTE in early 1996. The flare lasted for a total of 7 d. The shape of the flare is well described by a symmetrical, exponential rise and fall with e-folding time-scales in each case of 1.1 d. The peak measured flux is three times the quiescent level. The flare is superimposed on a well-defined quiescent level and appears to represent a separate emission component. There is no statistically significant variability of the X-ray spectral index during the observations, but the errors are large and the data hint at a hardening of about 0.1 at the peak of the flare. Such a hardening is required to allow the X-ray flare spectrum to join on, in a single power law, to the gamma-ray hare that occurred at the same time. The exponential rise and decay most likely correspond to a variation in the acceleration of relativistic electrons or in the flux of seed photons, if the latter do not originate in the jet, as the energy loss time-scales are shorter than the rise and decay time-scales and the flare profile does not match that expected if light-travel delays determine the light curve.
引用
收藏
页码:247 / 252
页数:6
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