Reverberation mapping of the central regions of active galactic nuclei using high-energy gamma-ray observations

M. Böttcher; C. D. Dermer

Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · astro-ph/9504064

Reverberation mapping of the central regions of active galactic nuclei using high-energy gamma-ray observations

M. Böttcher·C. D. Dermer

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

We calculate the time- and energy-dependent opacity of high-energy gamma-rays attenuated by pair production interaction with accretion-flare photons that are scattered by gas and dust surrounding thenuclei of active galaxies. We show that the temporal behavior of the high-energy opacity cutoff can be used in conjunction with the time history of the accretion flare to determine the location of the gamma-ray emission site, as well as the column density and scale height of the material surrounding the central engine. Reverberation mapping using this technique is possible for nearby BL Lac objects and will be particularly valuable when the 10 -- 100 GeV gamma-ray window is opened, because there the attenuation of distant blazar radiation by the IIBR is negligible.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

M. Böttcher, C. D. Dermer. 1995-04-20. Reverberation mapping of the central regions of active galactic nuclei using high-energy gamma-ray observations. https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9504064

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Cosmic Conundrums with Quantum Corrections

Darh energy was discovered over 25 years ago and we do not have an explanation of it. Dark matter comprises 95% of matter in the universe and we still don't know what it is. The Webb telescope has been finding fully formed galaxies with massive black holes millions of times the mass of the sun in the early universe and we don't have any explanation. A quantum density limitation will be used to solve these and other outstanding problems.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2026

On binary pulsars and the force of gravity

The energy-momentum budget of the astrophysical systems can be studied by the exact local conservation equation derived by Landau and Lifshitz. We show that a similar equation is valid for the Einstein-Cartan gravity. We reanalyze a binary pulsar system using the Landau-Lifshitz conservation equation and show that the orbital period change rate can be completely understood as a curvature backreaction process. Taking into account the detailed theoretical and observational research of relativistic binary pulsar systems, especially the system of Hulse and Taylor, we conclude that general relativity and astrophysical observations rule out the existence of gravitational radiation. We comment upon the LIGO GW events and their alternative explanation, as well as the recent pulsar timing arrays data.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2026

Oscillation frequencies and mode lifetimes in alpha Centauri A

We analyse our recently-published velocity measurements of alpha Cen A (Butler et al. 2004). After adjusting the weights on a night-by-night basis in order to optimize the window function to minimize sidelobes, we extract 42 oscillation frequencies with l=0 to 3 and measure the large and small frequency separations. We give fitted relations to these frequencies that can be compared with theoretical models and conclude that the observed scatter about these fits is due to the finite lifetimes of the oscillation modes. We estimate the mode lifetimes to be 1-2 d, substantially shorter than in the Sun.

astro-ph↗