Additional Acceleration of Protons and Energetic Neutrino Production in a Filamentary Jet of the Blazar Markarian 501

TL;DR

This paper models multi-stage shock acceleration in the filamentary jet of blazar Mrk 501, suggesting it can produce ultra-high-energy protons (EeV) and estimating the resulting neutrino fluxes for detection prospects.

Contribution

It introduces a multi-stage diffusive shock acceleration model in a filamentary jet to explain ultra-high-energy proton production in blazars.

Findings

EeV-protons can be produced in Mrk 501's jet.

Estimated neutrino fluxes are within detection range of IceCube.

The model supports blazars as sources of the highest energy cosmic rays.

Abstract

Blazars have been regarded as one of the most powerful sources of the highest energy cosmic rays and also their byproducts, neutrinos. Provided that a magnetized filamentary system is established in a blazar jet as well, we could apply the mechanism of multi-stage diffusive shock acceleration to a feasible TeV emitter, Mrk 501 to evaluate the achievable maximum energy of protons. Taking conceivable energy restriction into account systematically, it seems adequate to say that EeV-protons are produced at this site by our present model. We also estimate neutrino fluxes generated by these accelerated protons and discuss the detectability based on an updated kilometre-scale telescope such as IceCube.