Correlation between optical and $\gamma$-ray flux variations in BL Lacs

Abstract

We report here results on the analysis of correlated flux variations between the optical and GeV $\gamma$-ray bands in three bright BL Lac objects, namely AO\, 0235+164, OJ 287 and PKS 2155$-$304. This was based on the analysis of about 10 years of data from the {\it Fermi} Gamma-ray Space Telescope covering the period between 08 August 2008 to 08 August 2018 along with optical data covering the same period. For all the sources, during the flares analysed in this work, the optical and $\gamma$-ray flux variations are found to be closely correlated. From broad band spectral energy distribution modelling of different epochs in these sources using the one zone leptonic emission model, we found that the optical-UV emission is dominated by synchrotron emission from the jet. The $\gamma$-ray emission in the low synchrotron peaked sources AO\, 0235+164 and OJ 287 are found to be well fit with external Compton (EC) component, while, the $\gamma$-ray emission in the high synchrotron peaked source PKS 2155$-$304 is well fit with synchrotron self Compton component. Further we note that the $\gamma$-ray emission during the high flux state of AO 0235+164 (epochs A and B) requires seed photons from both the dusty torus and broad line region, while the $\gamma$-ray emission in OJ 287 and during epochs C and D of AO\,0235+164 can be modelled by EC scattering of infra-red photons from the torus.

arXiv comment17 pages, 26 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS (In the previous edition, a minor correction was made.)

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• Study of correlation between optical flux and polarization variations in BL Lac objects
• Multiwavelength variability of the blazar AO 0235+164
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• Hillas meets Eddington: The case for blazars as ultra-high-energy neutrino sources