Multiple simultaneous Gamma-ray emission sites in 3C 84

TL;DR

This study uses multi-frequency VLBI observations of 3C 84 to identify multiple gamma-ray emission sites, revealing that gamma-ray variability originates near the SMBH while other emission arises from a separate, slowly moving feature.

Contribution

It provides evidence for multiple gamma-ray emission sites in 3C 84, combining high-resolution radio observations with gamma-ray variability analysis.

Findings

Gamma-ray emission originates near the supermassive black hole.

A second gamma-ray emission site is identified in a slow-moving radio feature.

Gamma-ray variability correlates with activity near the SMBH.

Abstract

The mis-aligned active galactic nuclei (AGN), 3C\,84, has been observed approximately monthly at four frequencies simultaneously (22\,GHz -- 129\,GHz) on the Korean VLBI Network (KVN) since 2013 as part of the interferometric monitoring of $\gamma$-ray bright AGN (iMOGABA) program. 3C\,84 is known to have to sites of bright radio emission, with the first thought to be near the central super-massive black hole and the second in a slowly moving emission feature, several milliarcseconds south of the core. Analysis of this data suggests that the highly variable Gamma-ray emission originates near the SMBH and the slowly rising $\gamma$-ray emission originates in the slow moving feature.