F. Massaro

IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFRARED NON-THERMAL EMISSION IN BLAZARS

Blazars constitute the most interesting and enigmatic class of extragalactic γ-ray sources dominated by non-thermal emission. In this Letter, we show how the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) infrared data make it possible to identify a distinct region of the [3.4]-[4.6]-[12] μm color-color diagram where the sources dominated by the thermal radiation are separated from those dominated by non-thermal emission, in particular the blazar population. This infrared non-thermal region, which we indicate as the WISE blazar strip (WBS), will constitute a new powerful diagnostic tool when the full WISE survey data are released. The WBS can be used to extract new blazar candidates, to identify those of uncertain type and also to search for the counterparts of unidentified γ-ray sources. We show one example of the value of the use of the WBS identifying the TeV source VER J0648+152, recently discovered by VERITAS.

UNVEILING THE NATURE OF UNIDENTIFIED GAMMA-RAY SOURCES. I. A NEW METHOD FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF GAMMA-RAY BLAZARS

We present a new method for identifying blazar candidates by examining the locus, i.e., the region occupied by the Fermi γ-ray blazars in the three-dimensional color space defined by the WISE infrared colors. This method is a refinement of our previous approach that made use of the two-dimensional projection of the distribution of WISE γ-ray-emitting blazars (the Strip) in the three WISE color-color planes. In this paper, we define the three-dimensional locus by means of a principal component analysis of the color distribution of a large sample of blazars composed of all the ROMA-BZCAT sources with counterparts in the WISE All-Sky Catalog associated with γ-ray sources in the second Fermi-LAT catalog (2FGL; the WISE Fermi blazars sample, WFB). Our new procedure yields a total completeness of c tot ~ 81% and a total efficiency of e tot ~ 97%. We also obtain local estimates of the efficiency and completeness as functions of the WISE colors and galactic coordinates of the candidate blazars. The catalog of all WISE candidate blazars associated with the WFB sample is also presented, complemented by archival multi-frequency information for the alternative associations. Finally, we apply the new association procedure to all γ-ray blazars in the 2FGL and provide a catalog containing all the γ-ray candidate blazars selected according to our procedure.

Chandra Observations of 3C Radio Sources with z < 0.3: Nuclei, Diffuse Emission, Jets, and Hotspots

We report on our Chandra Cycle 9 program to observe half of the 60 (unobserved by Chandra) 3C radio sources at z < 0.3 for 8 ks each. Here we give the basic data: the X-ray intensity of the nuclei and any features associated with radio structures such as hotspots and knots in jets. We have measured fluxes in soft, medium, and hard bands and are thus able to isolate sources with significant intrinsic column density. For the stronger nuclei, we have applied the standard spectral analysis which provides the best-fit values of X-ray spectral index and column density. We find evidence for intrinsic absorption exceeding a column density of 10(22) cm(-2) for one-third of our sources.

VERITAS 2008-2009 MONITORING OF THE VARIABLE GAMMA-RAY SOURCE M 87

M 87 is a nearby radio galaxy that is detected at energies ranging from radio to very high energy (VHE) gamma rays. Its proximity and its jet, misaligned from our line of sight, enable detailed morphological studies and extensive modeling at radio, optical, and X-ray energies. Flaring activity was observed at all energies, and multi-wavelength correlations would help clarify the origin of the VHE emission. In this paper, we describe a detailed temporal and spectral analysis of the VERITAS VHE gamma-ray observations of M 87 in 2008 and 2009. In the 2008 observing season, VERITAS detected an excess with a statistical significance of 7.2 standard deviations (σ ) from M 87 during a joint multi-wavelength monitoring campaign conducted by three major VHE experiments along with the Chandra X-ray Observatory. In 2008 February, VERITAS observed a VHE flare from M 87 occurring over a 4 day timespan. The peak nightly flux above 250 GeV was (1.14 ± 0.26) × 10 −11 cm −2 s −1 , which corresponded to 7.7% of the Crab Nebula flux. M 87 was marginally detected before this 4 day flare period, and was not detected afterward. Spectral analysis of the VERITAS observations showed no significant change in the photon index between the flare and pre-flare states. Shortly after the VHE flare seen by VERITAS, the Chandra X-ray Observatory detected the flux from the core of M 87 at a historical maximum, while the flux from the nearby knot HST-1 remained quiescent. Acciari et al. presented the 2008 contemporaneous VHE gamma-ray, Chandra X-ray, and Very Long Baseline Array radio observations which suggest the core as the most likely source of VHE emission, in contrast to the 2005 VHE flare that was simultaneous with an X-ray flare in the HST-1 knot. In 2009, VERITAS continued its monitoring of M 87 and marginally detected a 4.2σ excess corresponding to a flux of ∼1% of the Crab Nebula. No VHE flaring activity was observed in 2009.

X-Ray Spectral Curvature of High-frequency-peaked BL Lac Objects: A Predictor for the?TeV Flux

Most of the extragalactic sources detected at TeV energies are BL Lac objects. They belong to the subclass of high-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects (HBLs) exhibiting spectral energy distributions with a lower energy peak in the X-ray band; this is widely interpreted as synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons. The X-ray spectra are generally curved and well described in terms of a log-parabolic shape. In a previous investigation of TeV HBLs (TBLs) we found two correlations between their spectral parameters. (1) The synchrotron peak luminosity L{sub p} increases with its peak energy E{sub p} and (2) the curvature parameter b decreases as E{sub p} increases. The first is consistent with the synchrotron scenario, while the second is expected from statistical/stochastic acceleration mechanisms for the emitting electrons. Here, we present an extensive X-ray analysis of a sample of HBLs observed with XMM-Newton and Swift but undetected at TeV energies (UBLs), to compare their spectral behavior with that of TBLs. Investigating the distributions of their spectral parameters and comparing the TBL X-ray spectra with that of UBLs, we develop a criterion to select the best HBL candidates for future TeV observations.

EXTENDED X-RAY EMISSION IN RADIO GALAXIES: THE PECULIAR CASE OF 3C 305

Extended X-ray structures are common in active galactic nuclei. Here, we present the first case of a compact steep spectrum radio galaxy, 3C 305, in which the X-ray radiation appears to be associated with the optical emission line region, dominated by the [O III]5007. On the basis of a morphological study performed using a comparison between the X-rays, the optical, and the radio bands, we argue that the high-energy emission has a thermal nature and it is not directly linked to the radio jet and hotspots of this source. Finally, we discuss the origin of the extended X-ray structure connected with the optical emission line region following two different interpretations: as due to the interaction between matter outflows and shock-heated environment gas, or as due to gas photoionized by nuclear emission.

THE JET OF 3C 17 AND THE USE OF JET CURVATURE AS A DIAGNOSTIC OF THE X-RAY EMISSION PROCESS

We report on the X-ray emission from the radio jet of 3C 17 from Chandra observations and compare the X-ray emission with radio maps from the VLA archive and with the optical-IR archival images from the Hubble Space Telescope. X-ray detections of two knots in the 3C 17 jet are found and both of these features have optical counterparts. We derive the spectral energy distribution for the knots in the jet and give source parameters required for the various X-ray emission models, finding that both inverse Compton (IC)/cosmic microwave background (CMB) and synchrotron are viable to explain the high energy emission. A curious optical feature (with no radio or X-ray counterparts) possibly associated with the 3C 17 jet is described. We also discuss the use of curved jets for the problem of identifying IC X-ray emission via scattering on CMB photons.

X-RAY AND TeV EMISSIONS FROM HIGH-FREQUENCY-PEAKED BL LAC OBJECTS

The majority of the extragalactic sources yet detected at TeV photon energies belong to the class of high-frequency-peaked BL Lac objects (HBLs) that exhibit a spectral energy distribution with a lower peak in the X-ray band. Such spectra are well described in terms of a log-parabolic shape with considerable curvature, and widely interpreted as synchrotron emission from ultrarelativistic electrons outflowing in a relativistic jet; these are expected to radiate also in γ-rays through the inverse Compton process. Recently, we have compared the X-ray spectral parameter distributions of TeV detected HBLs (TBLs) with those undetected (UBLs), and found that the distributions of the peak energies Ep are similarly symmetric around a value of a few keVs for both subclasses, while the X-ray spectra are broader for TBLs than for UBLs. Here we propose an acceleration scenario to interpret both the Ep and the spectral curvature distributions in terms of a coherent and a stochastic acceleration mechanisms, respectively. We show how the curvature parameter b 0.3-0.7 of the synchrotron X-rays, which depends only on the latter acceleration component, can be related to the inverse Compton luminosity in γ-rays, thus introducing a link between the X-ray and the TeV observations of HBLs.

A CHANDRA SNAPSHOT SURVEY FOR 3C RADIO GALAXIES WITH REDSHIFTS BETWEEN 0.3 AND 0.5

This paper contains an analysis of short Chandra observations of 19 3C sources with redshifts between 0.3 and 0.5 not previously observed in the X-rays. This sample is part of a project to obtain Chandra data for all of the extragalactic sources in the 3C catalog. Nuclear X-ray intensities as well as any X-ray emission associated with radio jet knots, hotspots, or lobes have been measured in three energy bands: soft, medium, and hard. Standard X-ray spectral analysis for the four brightest nuclei has also been performed. X-ray emission was detected for all the nuclei of the radio sources in the current sample with the exception of 3C 435A. There is one compact steep spectrum source while all the others are FR II radio galaxies. X-ray emission from two galaxy clusters (3C 19 and 3C 320), from six hotspots in four radio galaxies (3C 16, 3C 19, 3C 268.2, 3C 313), and extended X-ray emission on kiloparsec scales in 3C 187 and 3C 313, has been detected.

GAMMA-RAY BURSTS IN THE FERMI ERA: THE SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION OF THE PROMPT EMISSION

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) show evidence of different light curves, duration, afterglows, and host galaxies and explode within a wide redshift range. However, their spectral energy distributions (SEDs) appear to be very similar, showing a curved shape. Band et al. proposed a phenomenological description of the integrated spectral shape for the GRB prompt emission, the so-called Band function. In this Letter, we suggest an alternative scenario to explain the curved shape of GRB SEDs: the log-parabolic model. In comparison with the Band spectral shape our model is statistically favored because it fits the GRB spectra with one parameter less than the Band function and is motivated by a theoretical acceleration scenario. The new Fermi observations of GRBs will be crucial for disentangling these two models.