2013/07/23 by Jin Zhang, En-Wei Liang, Xiao-Na Sun +3
Physics and Astronomy · #Active galactic nucleus #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysical jet #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Jet (fluid) #Luminosity #Quasar #Relativistic beaming #Synchrotron radiation #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/2041-8205/774/1/l5
7 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
arxiv created 2013/07/23 · openalex publication_date 2013/08/12 · arxiv updated 2015/06/16 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and GeV–TeV-selected radio-loud active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are compared based on our systematic modeling of the observed spectral energy distributions of a sample of AGNs with a single-zone leptonic model. We show that the correlation between the jet power ( P jet ) and the prompt gamma-ray luminosity ( L jet ) of GRBs is consistent, within the uncertainties, with the correlation between jet power and the synchrotron peak luminosity ( L s, jet ) of flat spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs). Their radiation efficiencies (ε) are also comparable (>10% for most sources), which increase with the bolometric jet luminosity ( L bol, jet ) for FSRQs and with the L jet for GRBs with similar power-law indices. BL Lac objects (BL Lacs) do not follow the P jet – L s, jet relation of FSRQs. They have lower ε and L bol, jet values than FSRQs, and a tentative L bol, jet –ε relation is also found, with a power-law index different from that of the FSRQs. The magnetization parameters (σ) of FSRQs are on average larger than that of BL Lacs. They are anti-correlated with ε for the FSRQs, but positively correlated with ε for the BL Lacs. GeV narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies potentially share similar properties with FSRQs. Based on the analogy between GRBs and FSRQs, we suggest that the prompt gamma-ray emission of GRBs is likely produced by the synchrotron process in a magnetized jet with high radiation efficiency, similar to FSRQs. The jets of BL Lacs, on the other hand, are less efficient and are likely more matter-dominated.