Synchrotron self-Compton emission by relativistic electrons under stochastic acceleration: application to Mrk 421 and Mrk 501

We examine the applicability of the stochastic electron acceleration to two high synchrotron peaked blazars, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501, assuming synchrotron self-Compton emission of gamma-rays. Our model considers an emitting region moving at relativistic speed, where non-thermal electrons are accelerated...

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Veröffentlicht in:Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2015-05, Vol.449 (1), p.551-558
Hauptverfasser: Kakuwa, Jun, Toma, Kenji, Asano, Katsuaki, Kusunose, Masaaki, Takahara, Fumio
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:We examine the applicability of the stochastic electron acceleration to two high synchrotron peaked blazars, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501, assuming synchrotron self-Compton emission of gamma-rays. Our model considers an emitting region moving at relativistic speed, where non-thermal electrons are accelerated and attain a steady-state energy spectrum together with the photons they emit. The kinetic equations of the electrons and photons are solved numerically, given a stationary wavenumber spectrum of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) disturbances, which are responsible for the electron acceleration and escape. Our simple formulation appears to reproduce the two well-sampled, long-term averaged photon spectra. In order to fit the model to the emission component from the radio to the X-ray bands, we need both a steeper wave spectral index than the Kolmogorov spectrum and efficient particle escape. Although the model provides a natural explanation for the high-energy cutoff of the electron energy distribution, the derived physical parameters raise a problem with an energy budget if the MHD waves with the Alfvén velocity are assumed to be the acceleration agent.
ISSN:0035-8711
1365-2966
DOI:10.1093/mnras/stv281