A First Synoptic Blazar Study Comprising Thirteen Blazars Visible in E>100 GeV Gamma-Rays

TL;DR

This study analyzes the intrinsic energy spectra and variability of thirteen blazars emitting above 100 GeV, revealing correlations with black hole mass and constraining the redshift of PG 1553+113.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive comparison of BL Lac blazars' spectra, variability, and their relation to black hole properties, accounting for extragalactic background light effects.

Findings

Flux--black hole mass connection identified

Spectral slope correlates with luminosity

Redshift of PG 1553+113 constrained

Abstract

Since 2002, the number of detected blazars at E_\gamma > 100 GeV has more than doubled. I study all currently known BL Lac-type objects with published energy spectra. Their intrinsic energy spectra are reconstructed by removing extragalactic background light attenuation effects. The emission properties are then compared and correlated among each other, with X-ray data, and with the individual black hole masses. In addition, I consider temporal properties of the very high energy gamma-ray flux. Key findings concern the flux--black hole mass and variability scale--black hole mass connections and the correlation of the spectral slope and the luminosity. As a specific application, the study allows to constrain the still undetermined redshift of the blazar PG 1553+113.