Hadronic Production of TeV Gamma Ray Flares From Blazars
Abstract
We propose that TeV $\gamma$-ray emission from blazars is produced by collisions close to the line of sight of high energy jet protons with clouds from the broad emission-line region (BLR). Quasi quiescent emission is produced when the jet interacts with relatively many distant clouds in the BLR. Strong TeV $\gamma$-ray flares (GRFs) are produced when BLR clouds cross the line of sight at much closer distances. The observed properties of both the quasi quiescent emission and the GRFs are well reproduced, including those of the recently reported very short and strong TeV GRFs from the blazar Markarian 421. An hadronic origin of the TeV $\gamma$-ray emission from blazars implies that it is accompanied by a simultaneous emission of high energy neutrinos, electrons and positrons with similar intensities, light curves and energy spectra. The cooling of the hadronicly produced electrons and positrons by emission of synchrotron radiation and inverse Compton scattering produces delayed emission of optical photons, X-rays and $\gamma$-rays.Keywords
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