S. D. Bloom

The Third EGRET Catalog of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources

The third catalog of high-energy gamma-ray sources detected by the EGRET telescope on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory includes data from 1991 April 22 to 1995 October 3 (cycles 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the mission). In addition to including more data than the second EGRET catalog and its supplement, this catalog uses completely reprocessed data (to correct a number of mostly minimal errors and problems). The 271 sources (E > 100 MeV) in the catalog include the single 1991 solar flare bright enough to be detected as a source, the Large Magellanic Cloud, five pulsars, one probable radio galaxy detection (Cen A), and 66 high-confidence identifications of blazars (BL Lac objects, flat-spectrum radio quasars, or unidentified flat-spectrum radio sources). In addition, 27 lower confidence potential blazar identifications are noted. Finally, the catalog contains 170 sources not yet identified firmly with known objects, although potential identifications have been suggested for a number of those. A figure is presented that gives approximate upper limits for gamma-ray sources at any point in the sky, as well as information about sources listed in the second catalog and its supplement, that do not appear in this catalog.

MULTIEPOCH VERY LONG BASELINE ARRAY OBSERVATIONS OF EGRET-DETECTED QUASARS AND BL LACERTAE OBJECTS: SUPERLUMINAL MOTION OF GAMMA-RAY BRIGHT BLAZARS

We present the results of a program to monitor the structure of the radio emission in 42 ?-ray bright blazars (31 quasars and 11 BL Lac objects) with the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) at 43, 22, and occasionally 15 and 8.4 GHz, over the period from 1993 November to 1997 July. We determine proper motions in 33 sources and find that the apparent superluminal motions in ?-ray sources are much faster than for the general population of bright compact radio sources. This follows the strong dependence of the ?-ray flux on the level of relativistic beaming for both external radiation Compton and synchrotron self-Compton emission. There is a positive correlation (correlation coefficient r = 0.45) between the flux density of the VLBI core and the ?-ray flux and a moderate correlation (partial correlation coefficient r = 0.31) between ?-ray apparent luminosity and superluminal velocities of jet components, as expected if the ?-ray emission originates in a very compact region of the relativistic jet and is highly beamed. In 43% of the sources the jet bends by more than 20? on parsec scales, which is consistent with amplification by projection effects of modest actual changes in position angle. In 27 of the sources in the sample there is at least one non-core component that appears to be stationary during our observations. Different characteristics of stationary features close to and farther from the core lead us to suggest two different classes of stationary components: those within about 2 mas of the core, probably associated with standing hydrodynamical compressions, and those farther down the jet, which tend to be associated with bends in the jet.

EGRET Observations of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from Blazars: An Update

The Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has so far detected 51 blazars during phases 1, 2, and 3, and cycle 4 of the CGRO mission. We present here a summary of these observations, including flux variations and spectra of the blazars. The high luminosities and time variations seen in the gamma-ray data indicate that gamma rays are an important component of the relativistic jet thought to characterize blazars.

Multiepoch Very Long Baseline Array Observations of EGRET-detected Quasars and BL Lacertae Objects: Connection between Superluminal Ejections and Gamma-Ray Flares in Blazars

We examine the coincidence of times of high γ-ray flux and ejections of superluminal components from the core in EGRET blazars based on a Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) monitoring program at 22 and 43 GHz from 1993 November to 1997 July. In 23 cases of γ-ray flares for which sufficient VLBA data exist, 10 of the flares (in eight objects) fall within 1 σ uncertainties of the extrapolated epoch of zero separation from the core of a superluminal radio component. In each of two sources (0528+134 and 1730-130), two successive γ-ray flares were followed by the appearance of new superluminal components. We carried out statistical simulations that show that if the number of coincidences is ≥10, the radio and γ-ray events are associated with each other at greater than 99.999% confidence. Our analysis of the observed behavior, including variability of the polarized radio flux, of the sources before, during, and after the γ-ray flares suggests that the γ-ray events occur in the superluminal radio knots. This implies that the γ-ray flares are caused by inverse Compton scattering by relativistic electrons in the parsec-scale regions of the jet rather than closer to the central engine.

Multiepoch multiwavelength spectra and models for blazar 3C 279

Of the blazars detected by EGRET in GeV γ-rays, 3C 279 is not only the best observed by EGRET but also one of the best monitored at lower frequencies. We have assembled 11 spectra, from GHz radio through GeV γ-rays, from the time intervals of EGRET observations. Although some of the data have appeared in previous publications, most are new, including data taken during the high states in early 1999 and early 2000. All of the spectra show substantial γ-ray contribution to the total luminosity of the object; in a high state, the γ-ray luminosity dominates over that at all other frequencies by a factor of more than 10. There is no clear pattern of time correlation; different bands do not always rise and fall together, even in the optical, X-ray, and γ-ray bands. The spectra are modeled using a leptonic jet, with combined synchrotron self-Compton plus external Compton γ-ray production. Spectral variability of 3C 279 is consistent with variations of the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet, accompanied by changes in the spectral shape of the electron distribution. Our modeling results are consistent with the UV spectrum of 3C 279 being dominated by accretion disk radiation during times of low γ-ray intensity.

Observations of a Correlated Gamma-Ray and Optical Flare for BL Lacertae

BL Lacertae was detected by the EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory at the 10.2 σ level with an average flux of (171 ± 42) × 10 -->−8 photons cm-2 s-1, at energies greater than 100 MeV, during the optical outburst of 1997 July. This flux is more than 4 times the previously highest level. Within the July 15-22 observation there was a dramatic factor of 2.5 increase in the gamma-ray flux on July 18.75-19.08, apparently preceding, by several hours, a brief optical flare. The gamma-ray flux decreased to its previous level within 8 hr, and the optical flux decreased to its prior level in less than 2 hr. The gamma-ray photon spectral index of 1.68±0.12 indicates that the spectrum during the 7 day observation was harder than the previous detection.

Analyzing the Multiwavelength Spectrum of BL Lacertae during the 1997 July Outburst

The multiwavelength spectrum of BL Lacertae during its July 1997 outburst is analyzed in terms of different variations of the homogeneous leptonic jet model for the production of high-energy radiation from blazars. We find that a two-component γ-ray spectrum, consisting of a synchrotron self-Compton and an external Compton component, is required in order to yield an acceptable fit to the broadband spectrum. Our analysis indicates that in BL Lac, unlike other BL Lac objects, the broad emission-line region plays an important role for the high-energy emission. Several alternative blazar jet models are briefly discussed. In the Appendix, we describe the formalism in which this latter process is treated in the previously developed blazar jet simulation code which we use.

A systematic search for short-term variability of egret sources

The Third EGRET Catalog of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources contains 170 unidentified sources, and there is great interest in the nature of these sources. One means of determining source class is the study of flux variability on timescales of days; pulsars are believed to be stable on these timescales, while blazars are known to be highly variable. In addition, previous work has demonstrated that 3EG J0241-6103 and 3EG J1837-0606 are candidates for a new gamma-ray source class. These sources near the Galactic plane display transient behavior but cannot be associated with any known blazars. Although many instances of flaring active galactic nuclei have been reported, the EGRET database has not been systematically searched for occurrences of short-timescale (~1 day) variability. These considerations have led us to conduct a systematic search for short-term variability in EGRET data, covering all viewing periods through proposal cycle 4. Six 3EG catalog sources are reported here to display variability on short timescales; four of them are unidentified. In addition, three noncatalog variable sources are discussed.

MULTIWAVEBAND OBSERVATIONS OF QUASARS WITH FLAT RADIO SPECTRA AND STRONG MILLIMETER-WAVE EMISSION

We present multiwaveband observations of a well-selected sample of 28 quasars and two radio galaxies with flat radio spectra and strong millimeter-wave emission (referred to here as FSRQs). The data are analyzed to determine the radio to infrared and X-ray to γ-ray properties of FSRQs and the relationships between them. Specifically, the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) process is examined as a likely common radiation mechanism. For most sources, the broadband spectra are still incomplete, especially in the far-infrared and ultraviolet range. Therefore, precise analysis, such as model fitting of spectra, is not usually possible. To compensate partially for this, we have taken a statistical approach and examine the relationship between high- and low-energy emission by using the data set for the entire sample. We use very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) at 8.4 and 22 GHz—higher frequencies than those of previous surveys—in conjunction with nearly simultaneous radio to submillimeter-wave observations to determine the parameters of the synchrotron spectrum and to examine the compact angular structure of a subset of sources from our sample. These parameters are used to predict the SSC X-ray flux densities. Seven of 30 sources have predicted self-Compton X-ray flux densities well above the observed flux densities obtained with the ROSAT satellite unless one assumes that the radiating plasma experiences bulk relativistic motion directed toward the observers line of sight. Three of these seven sources are detected at γ-ray frequencies. Model spectra show that the X-rays are consistent with the first-order SSC process, with the simultaneous multiwaveband spectrum of the quasar 0836+710 obtained in 1992 March being very well fitted by SSC emission from a uniform, relativistically moving source. The γ-rays are not produced via second-order self-Compton scattering but rather by either first-order self-Compton scattering or some other process. A comparison of the ROSAT X-ray flux densities and those obtained earlier with the Einstein Observatory show that several FSRQs are X-ray variables on timescales of about a decade. Several sources that were observed more than once with ROSAT also show variability on timescales of 1-2 yr, with the X-ray variability in these cases often associated with millimeter-wave variability and lower VLBI core-to-jet flux ratios. Detections at γ-ray energies also appear to be related to increases in the radio to millimeter-wave flux densities. Statistical analysis shows that the millimeter-wave and X-ray luminosities for the sample are strongly correlated, with a linear regression slope ~0.65. The peak in the distribution of X-ray to millimeter spectral indices also indicates a strong connection between millimeter-wave and X-ray emission. Particularly interesting is a correlation between X-ray to millimeter spectral index and fraction of flux density contained in the VLBI core. This tendency toward higher X-ray fluxes from sources with stronger jet emission implies that the knots in the jet are prominent sources of X-rays.

Egret spectral index and the low-energy peak position in the spectral energy distribution of egret-detected blazars

In current theoretical models of the blazar subclass of active galaxies, the broadband emission consists of two components: a low-frequency synchrotron component with a peak in the IR to X-ray band and a high-frequency inverse Compton component with a peak in the gamma-ray band. In such models, the gamma-ray spectral index should be correlated with the location of the low-energy peak, with flatter gamma-ray spectra expected for blazars with synchrotron peaks at higher photon energies and vice versa. Using the EGRET-detected blazars as a sample, we examine this correlation and possible uncertainties in its construction.