Bibcode
MAGIC Collaboration; Abe, H.; Abe, S.; Acciari, V. A.; Agudo, I.; Aniello, T.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Arbet Engels, A.; Arcaro, C.; Artero, M.; Asano, K.; Baack, D.; Babić, A.; Baquero, A.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Batković, I.; Baxter, J.; Becerra González, J.; Bernardini, E.; Bernete, J.; Berti, A.; Besenrieder, J.; Bigongiari, C.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnoli, G.; Bošnjak, Ž.; Burelli, I.; Busetto, G.; Campoy-Ordaz, A.; Carosi, A.; Carosi, R.; Carretero-Castrillo, M.; Castro-Tirado, A. J.; Chai, Y.; Cifuentes, A.; Cikota, S.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; D'Amico, G.; D'Ammando, F.; D'Elia, V.; Da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; Del Popolo, A.; Delfino, M.; Delgado, J.; Delgado Mendez, C.; Depaoli, D.; Di Pierro, F.; Di Venere, L.; Dominis Prester, D.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Elsaesser, D.; Emery, G.; Escudero, J.; Fariña, L.; Fattorini, A.; Foffano, L.; Font, L.; Fukami, S.; Fukazawa, Y.; García López, R. J.; Gasparyan, S.; Gaug, M.; Giesbrecht Paiva, J. G.; Giglietto, N.; Giordano, F.; Gliwny, P.; Grau, R.; Green, J. G.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Heckmann, L.; Herrera, J.; Hrupec, D.; Hütten, M.; Imazawa, R.; Inada, T.; Iotov, R.; Ishio, K.; Jiménez Martínez, I.; Jormanainen, J.; Kerszberg, D.; Kluge, G. W.; Kobayashi, Y.; Kouch, P. M.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; Láinez Lezáun, M.; Lamastra, A.; Leone, F.; Lindfors, E.; Linhoff, L. et al.
Bibliographical reference
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Advertised on:
2
2024
Journal
Citations
2
Refereed citations
1
Description
Aims: The BL Lac 1ES 2344+514 is known for temporary extreme properties characterised by a shift of the synchrotron spectral energy distribution (SED) peak energy νsynch, p above 1 keV. While those extreme states have only been observed during high flux levels thus far, additional multi-year observing campaigns are required to achieve a coherent picture. Here, we report the longest investigation of the source from radio to very high energy (VHE) performed so far, focussing on a systematic characterisation of the intermittent extreme states.
Methods: We organised a monitoring campaign covering a 3-year period from 2019 to 2021. More than ten instruments participated in the observations in order to cover the emission from radio to VHE. In particular, sensitive X-ray measurements by XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and AstroSat took place simultaneously with multi-hour MAGIC observations, providing an unprecedented constraint of the two SED components for this blazar.
Results: While our results confirm that 1ES 2344+514 typically exhibits νsynch, p > 1 keV during elevated flux periods, we also find periods where the extreme state coincides with low flux activity. A strong spectral variability thus happens in the quiescent state, and is likely caused by an increase in the electron acceleration efficiency without a change in the electron injection luminosity. On the other hand, we also report a strong X-ray flare (among the brightest for 1ES 2344+514) without a significant shift of νsynch, p. During this particular flare, the X-ray spectrum is among the softest of the campaign. It unveils complexity in the spectral evolution, where the common harder-when-brighter trend observed in BL Lacs is violated. By combining Swift-XRT and Swift-UVOT measurements during a low and hard X-ray state, we find an excess of the UV flux with respect to an extrapolation of the X-ray spectrum to lower energies. This UV excess implies that at least two regions significantly contribute to the infrared/optical/ultraviolet/X-ray emission. Using the simultaneous MAGIC, XMM-Newton, NuSTAR, and AstroSat observations, we argue that a region possibly associated with the 10 GHz radio core may explain such an excess. Finally, we investigate a VHE flare, showing an absence of simultaneous variability in the 0.3−2 keV band. Using time-dependent leptonic modelling, we show that this behaviour, in contradiction to single-zone scenarios, can instead be explained by a two-component model.