Detection of cm to sub-mm band radio and gamma-ray correlated variability in Fermi bright blazars
Abstract
The exact location of the gamma-ray emitting region in blazars is still controversial. In order to attack this problem we performed a detailed statistical cross-correlation analysis between radio (cm/mm/sub-mm wavelengths, F-GAMMA program) and gamma-ray 3.5 year light curves of 54 Fermi bright blazars. In this talk, the main results of this analysis are highlighted including the first significant detection of multi-band radio/gamma-ray correlations using a stacking analysis. The radio bands are usually lagging the gamma rays with average time delays (source frame) ranging between 76+/-23 and 7+/-9 days, systematically decreasing from cm to mm/sub-mm bands following a power-law frequency dependence. The latter is in good agreement with synchrotron self-absorption dominated opacity effects, whereas a (positive) time lag of 12+/-8 days at 3 mm strongly suggests that the bulk gamma-ray production region is usually located within or even upstream of the innermost mm core region of these sources. Based on our findings we finally demonstrate that the gamma-ray emitting region of quasar 3C 454.3 is located at a distance of > 0.8-1.6 pc from the central supermassive black hole, i.e. at the outer edge of the Broad Line Region or beyond.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22330107F