Long-term multiwavelength periodicity on the light curves of Mrk~501: the case for an eclipsing supermassive binary black hole
Abstract
Using multifrequency observations, from radio to gamma-rays of the Blazar Mrk 501, we constructed their corresponding light curves, and built its periodograms using RobPer and Lomb-Scargle algorithms. Long-term variability was also studied using the Power Density Spectrum, the Detrended Function Analysis using the software VARTOOLS. The result of these techniques showed an achromatic periodicity <~ 229 d. This combined with the result of a pink colour noise in the spectra lead us to propose that the periodicity was produced by a secondary eclipsing supermassive binary black hole orbiting the primary one locked inside the central engine of Mrk 501. We built a relativistic eclipsing model of this phenomenon using Jacobi elliptical functions finding a periodic relativistic eclipse occurring every ~225 d in all the studied wavebands.
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- October 2022
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.2210.15884
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2210.15884
- Bibcode:
- 2022arXiv221015884M
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
- E-Print:
- 15 pages, 7 figures