A multiband study and exploration of the radio wave - $\gamma$-ray connection in 3C 84

TL;DR

This study analyzes decades of radio and gamma-ray data from 3C 84, revealing jet properties, magnetic field estimates, and the connection between radio and gamma-ray flares, supporting the Blandford-Znajek jet launching mechanism.

Contribution

It provides a detailed multiband analysis of 3C 84, including jet location, magnetic field strength, and flare timing, using cross-correlation and Gaussian process regression, which advances understanding of jet physics.

Findings

Jet particle and magnetic energy are in equipartition.

The jet apex is located 22-645 R_s upstream of the radio core.

Gamma-ray flares are associated with radio flare ejections.

Abstract

Total intensity variability light curves offer a unique insight into the ongoing debate about the launching mechanism of jets. For this work, we utilise the availability of radio and $\gamma$-ray light curves over a few decades of the radio source 3C 84 (NGC 1275). We calculate the multiband time lags between the flares identified in the light curves via discrete cross-correlation and Gaussian process regression. We find that the jet particle and magnetic field energy densities are in equipartition ($k_\textrm{r} = 1.08\pm0.18$). The jet apex is located $z_\textrm{91.5 GHz}= 22 - 645$ $R_\textrm{s}$ ($2 - 20 \times 10^{-3}$ pc) upstream of the 3 mm radio core; at that position, the magnetic field amplitude is $B_\textrm{core}^\textrm{91.5 GHz}= 3 - 10$ G. Our results are in good agreement with earlier studies, which utilised very-long-baseline interferometry. Furthermore, we investigate the temporal relation between the ejection of radio and $\gamma$-ray flares. Our results are in favour of the $\gamma$-ray emission being associated with the radio emission. We are able to tentatively connect the ejection of features identified at 43 and 86 GHz to prominent $\gamma$-ray flares. Finally, we compute the multiplicity parameter $\lambda$ and the Michel magnetisation $\sigma_\textrm{M}$ and find that they are consistent with a jet launched by the Blandford & Znajek 1977 mechanism.