Gamma Ray and Neutrino Emission as a Probe of Relativistic Jets

TL;DR

This paper investigates how gamma-ray and neutrino observations can reveal the physical conditions and processes in relativistic jets, especially focusing on variability, jet dynamics, and neutrino production constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a method to use gamma-ray variability to map emission regions and constrain jet parameters, and estimates neutrino yields from TeV blazars.

Findings

Rapid gamma-ray variability constrains jet Doppler factors.

Neutrino yields from TeV blazars are below detection thresholds.

Discrepancies exist between jet Lorentz factors from different methods.

Abstract

Constraints on the dynamics, dissipation, and production of VHE neutrinos in relativistic jets are derived using opacity calculations and VHE $\gamma$-ray observations. In particular, it is demonstrated how rapid variability of the $\gamma$-ray emission at very high energies ($> 100$ GeV) can be used to map the location of the $\gamma$-spheres, to derive lower limits on the Doppler factor of the $\gamma$-ray emission zone, and to constrain the photopion production opacity. The apparent discrepancy between jet Lorentz factors inferred from superluminal motions and source statistics in the TeV blazars and those derived from the $\gamma$-ray emission is discussed. The relation to the high-energy emission from the HST1 knot in M87 is briefly mentioned. Estimates of neutrino yields in upcoming neutrino telescopes are given for various sources. It is shown that for TeV blazars, the rapid variability of the TeV emission implies neutrino yields well below detection limit.