Diversity of gamma-ray and radio variability of bright blazars and implications for gamma-ray emission location

摘要

Violent multi-wavelength variabilities are observed in gamma-ray-selected blazars. We present an analysis of long-term light curves for eight bright blazars to explore the co-variation pattern in the gamma-ray and radio bands. We extract their gamma-ray light curves and spectra with data observed by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) since 2008. We find diverse co-variation patterns between the gamma-ray and radio (at 43 GHz) fluxes in these sources. The gamma-ray and radio fluxes of 3C454.3 and PKS 1633+382 are correlated without any time lag, suggesting that they are from the same radiation region. Similar correlation is also observed in 3C 273 and PKS 1222+216, but the radio flux lags behind the gamma-ray flux by approximately similar to 160d and similar to 290d, respectively. This likely suggests that their gamma-ray emission regions are located the upstream of their radio cores at 43 GHz. The gamma-ray and radio fluxes of the other four blazars are not correlated, implying that the gamma-ray and radio emission may be from different regions in their jets. The gamma-ray light curves of the eight blazars can be decomposed into some components with long-timescale variability and some fast spike flares. We propose that they may be attributed to the central engine activity and the magnetic reconnection process or turbulence in the local emission region, respectively.