Multiwavelength observation from radio through very-high-energy Gamma-ray of OJ 287 during the 12-year cycle flare in 2007

TL;DR

This study presents simultaneous multiwavelength observations of the blazar OJ 287 during a 12-year cycle flare in 2007, revealing flux increases across radio to X-ray bands but no significant VHE gamma-ray detection, and suggests electron population evolution as the flare driver.

Contribution

First simultaneous multiwavelength campaign during a cycle flare of OJ 287, providing insights into emission mechanisms and electron dynamics in blazar jets.

Findings

Flux increase from radio to X-ray during flare

No significant VHE gamma-ray detection with MAGIC

Electron population evolution likely causes flare

Abstract

We performed simultaneous multiwavelength observations of OJ 287 with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array for radio, the KANATA telescope and the KVA telescope for optical, the Suzaku satellite for X-ray and the MAGIC telescope for very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray in 2007. The observations were conducted for a quiescent state in April and in a flaring state in November-December. We clearly observed increase of fluxes from radio to X-ray bands during the flaring state while MAGIC could not detect significant VHE gamma-ray emission from the source. We could derive an upper limit (95% confidence level) of 1.7% of the Crab Nebula flux above 150 GeV from about 41.2 hours of the MAGIC observation. A simple SSC model suggests that the observed flaring activity could be caused by evolutions in the distribution of the electron population rather than changes of the magnetic field strength or Doppler beaming factor in the jet.