Long-Term monitoring of bright blazars in the multi-GeV to TeV range with FACT

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198088
  • Blazars like Markarian 421 or Markarian 501 are active galactic nuclei (AGN), with their jets orientated towards the observer. They are among the brightest objects in the very high energy (VHE) gamma ray regime (>100 GeV). Their emitted gamma-ray fluxes are extremely variable, with changing activity levels on timescales between minutes, months, and even years. Several questions are part of the current research, such as the question of the emission regions or the engine of the AGN and the particle acceleration. A dedicated longterm monitoringBlazars like Markarian 421 or Markarian 501 are active galactic nuclei (AGN), with their jets orientated towards the observer. They are among the brightest objects in the very high energy (VHE) gamma ray regime (>100 GeV). Their emitted gamma-ray fluxes are extremely variable, with changing activity levels on timescales between minutes, months, and even years. Several questions are part of the current research, such as the question of the emission regions or the engine of the AGN and the particle acceleration. A dedicated longterm monitoring program is necessary to investigate the properties of blazars in detail. A densely sampled and unbiased light curve allows for observation of both high and low states of the sources, and the combination with multi-wavelength observation could contribute to the answer of several questions mentioned above. FACT (First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope) is the first operational telescope using silicon photomultiplier (SiPM, also known as Geigermode—Avalanche Photo Diode, G-APD) as photon detectors. SiPM have a very homogenous and stable longterm performance, and allow operation even during full moon without any filter, leading to a maximal duty cycle for an Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope (IACT). Hence, FACT is an ideal device for such a longterm monitoring of bright blazars. A small set of sources (e.g., Markarian 421, Markarian 501, 1ES 1959+650, and 1ES 2344+51.4) is currently being monitored. In this contribution, the FACT telescope and the concept of longterm monitoring of bright blazars will be introduced. The results of the monitoring program will be shown, and the advantages of densely sampled and unbiased light curves will be discussed.show moreshow less

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Author: Fabian Temme, Jan Adam, Max L. Ahnen, Dominik Baack, Matteo Balbo, Matthias Bergmann, Adrian Biland, Michael Blank, Thomas Bretz, Kai A. Brügge, Jens Buss, Anton Dmytriiev, Daniela Dorner, Sabrina Einecke, Christina Hempfling, Dorothee Hildebrand, Gareth Hughes, Lena Linhoff, Karl Mannheim, Sebastian Müller, Dominik Neise, Andrii Neronov, Max Nöthe, Aleksander Paravac, Felicitas Pauss, Wolfgang Rhode, Amit Shukla, Julia Thaele, Roland Walter
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-198088
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Physik und Astronomie / Institut für Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Galaxies
ISSN:2075-4434
Year of Completion:2017
Publisher:MDPI
Volume:5
Issue:1
Pagenumber:18
Source:Galaxies 2017, 5, 18; doi:10.3390/galaxies5010018
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/galaxies5010018
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 53 Physik / 530 Physik
Tag:First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope; Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope; long-term monitoring; silicon photo multiplier; very high energy gamma rays
Release Date:2020/04/02
Date of first Publication:2017/02/20
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International