NuSTAR View of TeV Blazar Mrk 501

TL;DR

This study analyzes NuSTAR X-ray observations of the TeV blazar Mrk 501, revealing intraday variability, spectral changes, and spectral modeling insights that enhance understanding of its high-energy emission mechanisms.

Contribution

First detailed NuSTAR flux and spectral variability analysis of Mrk 501 across multiple observations, highlighting spectral behaviors and modeling implications.

Findings

Detected intraday variability in 3-79 keV X-ray light curves.

Observed 'harder-when-brighter' spectral behavior in some observations.

Most spectra fit curved log-parabola models, some fit simple power-laws.

Abstract

We report the results of flux and spectral variability studies of all seven {\it Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR)} observations of TeV $\gamma-$ray emitting blazar Markarian (or Mrk) 501. We found strong evidence of intraday variability in 3-79 keV X-ray light curves (LCs) of Mrk 501 during four out of these seven observations. We examined spectral variability using a model-independent hardness-ratio analysis and found a general "harder-when-brighter" behaviour in two observations. We also investigated the nature of 3-79 keV X-ray spectra of TeV blazar Mrk 501 and found that five out of seven spectra are well described by the curved log-parabola models with photon indices (at 10 keV) $\alpha \sim$ 2.12-2.32 and a curvature $\beta \sim$ 0.15-0.28. The two other spectra are somewhat better represented by simple power-law models with photon indices 2.70 and 2.75. We briefly discuss available physical models to explain our results.