2026/02/28 by M. Cerruti, P. A. Duverne, G. Ganesaratnam +3
Physics and Astronomy · #astro-ph.HE
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.jheap.2026.100714
In press in JHEAP. Abstract abridged
arxiv created 2026/08/05 · arxiv updated 2026/08/06
The bright gamma-ray blazar S5 1044+71 has been identified as showing very significant quasi-periodic oscillations in the Fermi-LAT data in recent studies, with a periodicity of about 3 years. With the completion of a new gamma-ray cycle, we aim to revisit the periodicity in Fermi-LAT data, and analyze all available multi-wavelength (MWL) data to search for possible correlations and time-lags. These observations will be used to test for the compatibility of the observed periodicity with a precessing jet from the supermassive black hole. We analyze data from Fermi-LAT, NuSTAR, Swift, AstroSat, ASAS-SN, ZTF, Pan-STARRS, and NEOWISE. In addition we present an analysis from historical observations from Palomar and Pulkovo. Single-band spectral variability, MWL correlations, and cross-correlations are computed. We then model the Fermi-LAT light curve with a precessing jet model, providing constraints on the geometry of the system and the evolution of the Doppler factor. The latter is used as a geometrical constraint in the modeling of the spectral energy distributions. We confirm previous claims on the existence of a periodic gamma-ray signal. We detect significant spectral variability in gamma-ray, X-rays, and optical/UV data. We detect significant correlation between low-energy (infrared/optical/ultraviolet) data and gamma-rays, with a correlation index of about 1; the correlation between X-rays and gamma-ray is milder, with a correlation index of about 0.3. We do not detect any significant time-lag between bands. The Fermi-LAT light curve is successfully fit by a precessing jet model. The fit to the spectral energy distributions indicate that S5 1044+71 is a typical blazar, in which the gamma-ray emission is located beyond the broad-line region. All MWL observations we present in this work are consistent with the existence of a precessing relativistic jet from the supermassive black hole.