# Statistical analysis on X-ray flares from the nucleus and HST-1 knot in the M87 jet

## TL;DR

This study analyzes X-ray flares from the M87 jet's nucleus and HST-1, revealing power-law distributions consistent with magnetic reconnection processes, indicating a similar physical origin for the flares in both regions.

## Contribution

It provides the first statistical analysis of X-ray flares from both the nucleus and HST-1 in M87, demonstrating their distributions follow a power-law consistent with SOC systems.

## Key findings

- Flares follow power-law distributions with similar indices in both regions.
- Results support magnetic reconnection as the trigger for the flares.
- Flares in nucleus and HST-1 likely share a common physical origin.

## Abstract

The statistical properties of X-ray flares from two separate locations (nucleus and HST-1) in the M87 jet are investigated to reveal the physical origin of the flares. We analyse the archival \textit{Chandra} data for M87, and identify 14 flares in the nucleus and 9 flares in HST-1. The peak intensity ($I_{\rm{P}}$) and the flaring duration time ($T_{\rm{fl}}$) for each flare are obtained. It is found that the distributions of both $I_{\rm{P}}$ and $T_{\rm{fl}}$ for the nucleus obey a power-law form with a similar index. A similar result is also obtained for HST-1, and no significant inconsistency between the nucleus and HST-1 is found for the indices. Similar to solar X-ray flares, the power-law distributions of the flare event parameters can be well explained by a self-organized criticality (SOC) system, which are triggered by magnetic reconnection. Our results suggest that the flares from nucleus and HST-1 are possibly triggered by magnetic reconnection process. The consistent indices for the distributions of $I_{\rm{P}}$ and $T_{\rm{fl}}$ in the CORE and HST-1 indicate that the dimensions of the energy dissipation of the magnetic reconnection is identical in the two regions. A strong correlation between the flares in the two regions also suggests a similar physical origin for the flares.