A giant radio flare from Cygnus X-3 with associated Gamma-ray emission

S. Corbel; G. Dubus; J. A. Tomsick; A. Szostek; R. H. D. Corbet; J. C. A. Miller-Jones; J. L. Richards; G. Pooley; S. Trushkin; R. Dubois; A. B. Hill; M. Kerr; W. Max-Moerbeck; A. C. S. Readhead; A. Bodaghee; V. Tudose; D. Parent; J. Wilms; K. Pottschmidt

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20517.x

arXiv · 1201.3356

A giant radio flare from Cygnus X-3 with associated Gamma-ray emission

S. Corbel·G. Dubus·J. A. Tomsick·A. Szostek·R. H. D. Corbet·J. C. A. Miller-Jones·J. L. Richards·G. Pooley·S. Trushkin·R. Dubois·A. B. Hill·M. Kerr·W. Max-Moerbeck·A. C. S. Readhead·A. Bodaghee·V. Tudose·D. Parent·J. Wilms·K. Pottschmidt

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Abstract

With frequent flaring activity of its relativistic jets, Cygnus X-3 is one of the most active microquasars and is the only Galactic black hole candidate with confirmed high energy Gamma-ray emission, thanks to detections by Fermi/LAT and AGILE. In 2011, Cygnus X-3 was observed to transit to a soft X-ray state, which is known to be associated with high-energy Gamma-ray emission. We present the results of a multi-wavelength campaign covering a quenched state, when radio emission from Cygnus X-3 is at its weakest and the X-ray spectrum is very soft. A giant (~ 20 Jy) optically thin radio flare marks the end of the quenched state, accompanied by rising non-thermal hard X-rays. Fermi/LAT observations (E >100 MeV) reveal renewed Gamma-ray activity associated with this giant radio flare, suggesting a common origin for all non-thermal components. In addition, current observations unambiguously show that the Gamma-ray emission is not exclusively related to the rare giant radio flares. A 3-week period of Gamma-ray emission is also detected when Cygnus X-3 was weakly flaring in radio, right before transition to the radio quenched state. No Gamma rays are observed during the ~ one-month long quenched state, when the radio flux is weakest. Our results suggest transitions into and out of the ultrasoft X-ray (radio quenched) state trigger Gamma-ray emission, implying a connection to the accretion process, and also that the Gamma-ray activity is related to the level of radio flux (and possibly shock formation), strengthening the connection to the relativistic jets.

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S. Corbel, G. Dubus, J. A. Tomsick, A. Szostek, R. H. D. Corbet, J. C. A. Miller-Jones, J. L. Richards, G. Pooley, S. Trushkin, R. Dubois, A. B. Hill, M. Kerr, W. Max-Moerbeck, A. C. S. Readhead, A. Bodaghee, V. Tudose, D. Parent, J. Wilms, K. Pottschmidt. 2012-01-16. A giant radio flare from Cygnus X-3 with associated Gamma-ray emission. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.20517.x

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