The Gamma-ray Activity of the high-z Quasar 0836+71

¹ Institute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
² St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
³ Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Granada, Spain
⁴ Joint Institute for VLBI in Europe, Dwingeloo, the Netherlands
⁵ Max-Plank-Instítut für Radioastronomie, Bonn, Germany
⁶ Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA
⁷ California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
⁸ Aalto University Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Kylmälä, Finland
⁹ Instituto de Radioastronomía Milimétrica (IRAM), Granada, Spain

^a e-mail: jorstad@bu.edu

Published online: 9 December 2013

Abstract

The Fermi LAT detected an increase in γ-ray activity of the quasar 0836+710 (z=2.17) in Spring 2011 that culminated in a sharp γ-ray flare at the end of 2011 when the source reached a flux of 2.9×10⁻⁶ phot s⁻¹cm⁻² at 0.1-200 GeV. We monitor the quasar at optical wavelengths in photometric and polarimetric modes, at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths, and with the VLBA at 43 GHz. The optical brightness of the quasar increased by ~0.5 mag in R band and the degree of polarization oscillated between ~1% and ~6% during the highest γ-ray state, while the position angle of polarization rotated by ~300°. We have identified in the VLBA images a strong, highly polarized component that moves with an apparent speed of ~20 c. The component emerged from the core in the beginning of the γ-ray event and reached a flux maximum at the peak of the γ-ray outburst. We present the results of a correlative analysis of variations at different wavelengths along with the kinematic parameters of the parsec scale jet. We discuss the location of the high γ-ray emission in the relativistic jet, as well as the emission mechanisms responsible for γ-ray production.