The 2010 May Flaring Episode of Cygnus X-3 in Radio, X-Rays, and γ-Rays

Abstract

In 2009, Cygnus X-3 (Cyg X-3) became the first microquasar to be detected in the GeV γ-ray regime, via the satellites Fermi and AGILE. The addition of this new band to the observational toolbox holds promise for building a more detailed understanding of the relativistic jets of this and other systems. We present a rich dataset of radio, hard and soft X-ray, and γ-ray observations of Cyg X-3 made during a flaring episode in 2010 May. We detect a ~3-d softening and recovery of the X-ray emission, followed almost immediately by a ~1-Jy radio flare at 15 GHz, followed by a 4.3σ γ-ray flare (E > 100 MeV) ~1.5 d later. The radio sampling is sparse, but we use archival data to argue that it is unlikely the γ-ray flare was followed by any significant unobserved radio flares. In this case, the sequencing of the observed events is difficult to explain in a model in which the γ-ray emission is due to inverse Compton scattering of the companion star's radiation field. Our observations suggest that other mechanisms may also be responsible for γ-ray emission from Cyg X-3.

arXiv comment6 pages, 3 figures, accepted ApJL

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Cited by in corpus (15)

• Observational constraints on the powering mechanism of transient relativistic jets
• A giant radio flare from Cygnus X-3 with associated Gamma-ray emission
• Gamma-ray observations of the microquasars Cygnus X-1, Cygnus X-3, GRS 1915+105, and GX 339-4 with the Fermi Large Area Telescope
• The gamma-ray emitting region of the jet in Cyg X-3
• A comprehensive study of high-energy gamma-ray and radio emission from Cyg X-3
• The hypersoft state of Cygnus X-3 - A key to jet quenching in X-ray binaries?
• Energy-dependent orbital modulation of X-rays and constraints on emission of the jet in Cyg X-3
• AGILE detection of Cygnus X-3 γ-ray active states during the period mid-2009/mid-2010
• The radio/X-ray correlation in Cyg X-3 and the nature of its hard spectral state
• The 5 hr pulse period and broadband spectrum of the Symbiotic X-ray Binary 3A 1954+319
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• Inverse Compton Emission from Relativistic Jets in Binary Systems
• State-Dependent Orbital Modulation of X-rays in CYG X-3
• Broadband Emission Spectra from the Cygnus X-3 Jet in the Soft Spectral State
• Isolated Millimeter Flares of Cyg X-3