Contemporaneous observations of the radio galaxy NGC 1275 from radio to very high energy gamma-rays

摘要

The radio galaxy NGC 1275, recently identified as a very high energy (VHE, 100 GeV) gamma-ray emitter by MAGIC, is one of the few non-blazar AGN detected in the VHE regime. In order to better understand the origin of the gamma-ray emission and locate it within the galaxy, we study contemporaneous multi-frequency observations of NGC 1275 and model the overall spectral energy distribution (SED). We analyze unpublished MAGIC observations carried out between Oct. 2009 and Feb. 2010, and the already published ones taken between Aug. 2010 and Feb. 2011. We study the multi-band variability and correlations analyzing data of Fermi-LAT (0.1 - 100 GeV), Chandra (X-ray), KVA (optical) and MOJAVE (radio) taken during the same period. Using custom Monte Carlo simulations corresponding to early MAGIC stereo data, we detect NGC 1275 also in the earlier MAGIC campaign. The flux level and energy spectra are similar to the results of the second campaign. The monthly light curve above 100 GeV shows a hint of variability at the 3.6 sigma level. In the Fermi-LAT band, both flux and spectral shape variabilities are reported. The optical light curve is also variable and shows a clear correlation with the gamma-ray flux above 100 MeV. In radio, three compact components are resolved in the innermost part of the jet. One of them shows a similar trend as the LAT and KVA light curves. The 0.1 - 650 GeV gamma-ray spectra measured simultaneously with MAGIC and LAT are well fit either by a log-parabola or by a power-law with a sub-exponential cutoff for both campaigns. A single-zone synchrotron-self-Compton model, with an electron spectrum following a power-law with an exponential cutoff, can explain the broadband SED and the multi-frequency behavior of the source. However, this model suggests an untypical low bulk Lorentz factor or a velocity alignment closer to the line of sight than the pc-scale radio jet.