Hadronic processes at work in 5BZB J0630-2406

TL;DR

This paper models the high-energy emission processes in blazar 5BZB J0630-2406, exploring leptonic and hadronic scenarios to understand its potential as a neutrino source and its classification as an FSRQ.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the blazar's spectral energy distribution, testing various emission models and highlighting its possible neutrino production mechanisms.

Findings

Proton interactions with external photon fields can produce detectable neutrino flux.

The blazar's spectral features suggest significant hadronic processes.

The source may be a high-power FSRQ despite its BL Lac classification.

Abstract

Recent observations are shedding light on the important role that active galactic nuclei (AGN) play in the production of high-energy neutrinos. In this study, we focus on one object, 5BZB J0630-2406, which is among the blazars recently proposed as associated with neutrino emission during the first 7-yr IceCube observations. Modelling the quasi-simultaneous, broad-band spectral energy distribution, we explore various scenarios from purely leptonic to lepto-hadronic models, testing the inclusion of external photon fields. This theoretical study provides a complementary testing ground for the proposed neutrino-blazar association. Despite being historically classified as a BL Lac, our study shows that 5BZB J0630-2406 belongs to the relatively rare sub-class of high-power flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Our results indicate that interactions between protons and external radiation fields can produce a neutrino flux that is within the reach of the IceCube detector. Furthermore, the spectral shape of the X-ray emission suggests the imprint of hadronic processes related to very energetic protons.