A near magnetic-to-kinetic energy equipartition flare from the relativistic jet in AO 0235+164 during 2013-2019




Cheong Whee Yeon, Lee Sang-Sung, Kim Sang-Hyun, Kang Sincheol, Kim Jae Young, Rani Bindu, Readhead Anthony C S, Kiehlmann Sebastian, Lähteenmäki Anne, Tornikoski Merja, Tammi Joni, Ramakrishnan Venkatessh, Agudo Iván, Fuentes Antonio, Traianou Efthalia, Escudero Juan, Thum Clemens, Myserlis Ioannis, Casadio Carolina, Gurwell Mark

PublisherOXFORD UNIV PRESS

OXFORD

2024

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY

MON NOT R ASTRON SOC

527

1

882

894

13

0035-8711

1365-2966

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad3250

https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stad3250

https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387286551



We present the multiwavelength flaring activity of the blazar AO 0235 + 164 during its recent active period from 2013 to 2019. From a discrete correlation function analysis, we find a significant (>95 per cent) correlation between radio and gamma-ray light curves with flares at longer wavelengths following flares at shorter wavelengths. We identify a new jet component in 43 GHz Very Long Baseline Array data that was ejected from the radio core on MJD 57246-30+26 (2015 August 12), during the peak of the 2015 radio flare. From the analysis of the jet component, we derived a Doppler factor of δvar = 28.5 ± 8.4, a bulk Lorentz factor of Γ = 16.8-3.1+3.6, and an intrinsic viewing angle of θv = 1.42-0.52+1.07 degrees. Investigation of the quasi-simultaneous radio data revealed a partially absorbed spectrum with the turnover frequency varying in the range of 10-70 GHz and the peak flux density varying in the range of 0.7-4 Jy. We find the synchrotron self-absorption magnetic field strength to be BSSA = 15.3-14.0+12.6) mG at the peak of the 2015 radio flare, which is comparable to the equipartition magnetic field strength of BEQ=43.6-10.4+10.6 mG calculated for the same epoch. Additional analysis of the radio emission region in the relativistic jet of AO 0235 + 164 suggests that it did not significantly deviate from equipartition during its recent flaring activity.


Last updated on 2024-26-11 at 18:05