Black hole physics. Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales

J Aleksić¹, S Ansoldi², L A Antonelli³, P Antoranz⁴, A Babic⁵, P Bangale⁶, J A Barrio⁷, J Becerra González⁸, W Bednarek⁹, E Bernardini¹⁰, B Biasuzzi², A Biland¹¹, O Blanch¹, S Bonnefoy⁷, G Bonnoli³, F Borracci⁶, T Bretz¹², E Carmona¹³, A Carosi³, P Colin⁶, E Colombo¹⁴, J L Contreras⁷, J Cortina¹, S Covino³, P Da Vela⁴, F Dazzi⁶, A De Angelis², G De Caneva¹⁰, B De Lotto², E de Oña Wilhelmi¹⁵, C Delgado Mendez¹³, D Dominis Prester⁵, D Dorner¹⁶, M Doro¹⁷, S Einecke¹⁸, D Eisenacher¹⁹, D Elsaesser¹⁶, M V Fonseca⁷, L Font²⁰, K Frantzen¹⁸, C Fruck⁶, D Galindo²¹, R J García López¹⁴, M Garczarczyk¹⁰, D Garrido Terrats²⁰, M Gaug²⁰, N Godinović⁵, A González Muñoz¹, S R Gozzini¹⁰, D Hadasch²², Y Hanabata²³, M Hayashida²³, J Herrera¹⁴, D Hildebrand¹¹, J Hose⁶, D Hrupec⁵, W Idec⁹, V Kadenius²⁴, H Kellermann⁶, K Kodani²³, Y Konno²³, J Krause⁶, H Kubo²³, J Kushida²³, A La Barbera³, D Lelas⁵, N Lewandowska¹⁶, E Lindfors²⁵, S Lombardi³, F Longo², M López⁷, R López-Coto¹, A López-Oramas¹, E Lorenz²⁶, I Lozano⁷, M Makariev²⁷, K Mallot¹⁰, G Maneva²⁷, N Mankuzhiyil²⁸, K Mannheim¹⁹, L Maraschi³, B Marcote²¹, M Mariotti¹⁷, M Martínez¹, D Mazin⁶, U Menzel⁶, J M Miranda⁴, R Mirzoyan⁶, A Moralejo¹, P Munar-Adrover²¹, D Nakajima²³, A Niedzwiecki⁹, K Nilsson²⁵, K Nishijima²³, K Noda⁶, R Orito²³, A Overkemping¹⁸, S Paiano¹⁷, M Palatiello², D Paneque⁶, R Paoletti⁴, J M Paredes²¹, X Paredes-Fortuny²¹, M Persic², J Poutanen²⁴, P G Prada Moroni²⁹, E Prandini¹¹, I Puljak⁵, R Reinthal²⁴, W Rhode¹⁸, M Ribó²¹, J Rico¹, J Rodriguez Garcia⁶, S Rügamer¹⁶, T Saito²³, K Saito²³, K Satalecka⁷, V Scalzotto¹⁷, V Scapin⁷, C Schultz¹⁷, T Schweizer⁶, S N Shore²⁹, A Sillanpää²⁴, J Sitarek³⁰, I Snidaric⁵, D Sobczynska⁹, F Spanier¹⁶, V Stamatescu³¹, A Stamerra³, T Steinbring¹⁶, J Storz¹⁶, M Strzys⁶, L Takalo²⁴, H Takami²³, F Tavecchio³, P Temnikov²⁷, T Terzić⁵, D Tescaro¹⁴, M Teshima³², J Thaele¹⁸, O Tibolla¹⁶, D F Torres³³, T Toyama⁶, A Treves³⁴, M Uellenbeck¹⁸, P Vogler¹¹, R Zanin²¹, M Kadler¹⁶, R Schulz³⁵, E Ros³⁶, U Bach³⁷, F Krauß³⁵, J Wilms³⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
² Università di Udine and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Trieste, I-33100 Udine, Italy, and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
³ INAF National Institute for Astrophysics, I-00136 Rome, Italy.
⁴ Università di Siena and INFN Pisa, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
⁵ Croatian MAGIC Consortium, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, University of Rijeka and University of Split, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, D-80805 München, Germany.
⁷ Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
⁸ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Present address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA, and Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
⁹ University of Łódz', PL-90236 Lodz, Poland.
¹⁰ Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany.
¹¹ ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
¹² Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Present address: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹³ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
¹⁴ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
¹⁵ Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain.
¹⁶ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
¹⁷ Università di Padova and INFN, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
¹⁸ Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany.
¹⁹ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. deisenacher@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de jsitarek@ifae.es mannheim@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de.
²⁰ Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Departament de Física, and Centro de Estudios e Investigación Espaciales-Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
²¹ Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya-Universitat de Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
²² Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain. Present address: Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
²³ Japanese MAGIC Consortium, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Japan.
²⁴ Finnish MAGIC Consortium, Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku and Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Finland.
²⁵ Finnish MAGIC Consortium, Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku and Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Finland. Present address: Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), Turku, Finland.
²⁶ Deceased.
²⁷ Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, BG-1784 Sofia, Bulgaria.
²⁸ Università di Udine and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Trieste, I-33100 Udine, Italy, and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy. Present address: Astrophysics Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India.
²⁹ Università di Pisa and INFN Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.
³⁰ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. deisenacher@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de jsitarek@ifae.es mannheim@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de.
³¹ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. Present address: School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
³² Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, D-80805 München, Germany. Japanese MAGIC Consortium, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Japan.
³³ ICREA and Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain.
³⁴ Università dell'Insubria and INFN Milano Bicocca, Como, I-22100 Como, Italy.
³⁵ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, ECAP, D-96049 Bamberg, Germany.
³⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, D-53121 Bonn, Germany. Observatori Astronòmic, Universitat de València, E-46980 Paterna, València, Spain. Departament d'Astronomia i Astrofísica, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, València, Spain.
³⁷ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
³⁸ Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, ECAP, D-96049 Bamberg, Germany.

PMID: 25378461
DOI: 10.1126/science.1256183

Black hole physics. Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales

J Aleksić et al. Science. 2014.

. 2014 Nov 28;346(6213):1080-4.

doi: 10.1126/science.1256183. Epub 2014 Nov 6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
² Università di Udine and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Trieste, I-33100 Udine, Italy, and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy.
³ INAF National Institute for Astrophysics, I-00136 Rome, Italy.
⁴ Università di Siena and INFN Pisa, I-53100 Siena, Italy.
⁵ Croatian MAGIC Consortium, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, University of Rijeka and University of Split, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia.
⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, D-80805 München, Germany.
⁷ Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
⁸ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. Present address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA, and Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
⁹ University of Łódz', PL-90236 Lodz, Poland.
¹⁰ Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany.
¹¹ ETH Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
¹² Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Present address: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
¹³ Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
¹⁴ Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
¹⁵ Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain.
¹⁶ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany.
¹⁷ Università di Padova and INFN, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
¹⁸ Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44221 Dortmund, Germany.
¹⁹ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. deisenacher@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de jsitarek@ifae.es mannheim@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de.
²⁰ Unitat de Física de les Radiacions, Departament de Física, and Centro de Estudios e Investigación Espaciales-Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
²¹ Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Ciències del Cosmos, Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya-Universitat de Barcelona, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain.
²² Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain. Present address: Institut für Astro- und Teilchenphysik, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
²³ Japanese MAGIC Consortium, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Japan.
²⁴ Finnish MAGIC Consortium, Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku and Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Finland.
²⁵ Finnish MAGIC Consortium, Tuorla Observatory, University of Turku and Department of Physics, University of Oulu, Finland. Present address: Finnish Centre for Astronomy with ESO (FINCA), Turku, Finland.
²⁶ Deceased.
²⁷ Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, BG-1784 Sofia, Bulgaria.
²⁸ Università di Udine and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Trieste, I-33100 Udine, Italy, and Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Trieste, I-34127 Trieste, Italy. Present address: Astrophysics Science Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India.
²⁹ Università di Pisa and INFN Pisa, I-56126 Pisa, Italy.
³⁰ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. deisenacher@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de jsitarek@ifae.es mannheim@astro.uni-wuerzburg.de.
³¹ Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Campus UAB, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain. Present address: School of Chemistry and Physics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia.
³² Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, D-80805 München, Germany. Japanese MAGIC Consortium, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Japan.
³³ ICREA and Institute of Space Sciences, E-08193 Barcelona, Spain.
³⁴ Università dell'Insubria and INFN Milano Bicocca, Como, I-22100 Como, Italy.
³⁵ Universität Würzburg, D-97074 Würzburg, Germany. Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, ECAP, D-96049 Bamberg, Germany.
³⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, D-53121 Bonn, Germany. Observatori Astronòmic, Universitat de València, E-46980 Paterna, València, Spain. Departament d'Astronomia i Astrofísica, Universitat de València, E-46100 Burjassot, València, Spain.
³⁷ Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, D-53121 Bonn, Germany.
³⁸ Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte Bamberg, Astronomisches Institut der Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, ECAP, D-96049 Bamberg, Germany.

PMID: 25378461
DOI: 10.1126/science.1256183

Abstract

Supermassive black holes with masses of millions to billions of solar masses are commonly found in the centers of galaxies. Astronomers seek to image jet formation using radio interferometry but still suffer from insufficient angular resolution. An alternative method to resolve small structures is to measure the time variability of their emission. Here we report on gamma-ray observations of the radio galaxy IC 310 obtained with the MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov) telescopes, revealing variability with doubling time scales faster than 4.8 min. Causality constrains the size of the emission region to be smaller than 20% of the gravitational radius of its central black hole. We suggest that the emission is associated with pulsar-like particle acceleration by the electric field across a magnetospheric gap at the base of the radio jet.

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Black hole physics. Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales

Affiliations

Black hole physics. Black hole lightning due to particle acceleration at subhorizon scales

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Affiliations

Abstract

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