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GeV-TeV \(\gamma \)-ray energy spectral break of BL Lac objects

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Abstract

In this paper, we compile the very-high-energy and high-energy spectral indices of 43 BL Lac objects from the literature. Based on a simple math model, \(\Delta \Gamma_{obs}= \alpha {{{z}}}+\beta \), we present evidence for the origin of an observed spectral break that is denoted by the difference between the observed very-high-energy and high-energy spectral indices, \(\Delta \Gamma_{obs}\). We find by linear regression analysis that \(\alpha \ne 0\) and \(\beta \ne 0\). These results suggest that the extragalactic background light attenuation and the intrinsic curvature dominate on the GeV-TeV \(\gamma \)-ray energy spectral break of BL Lac objects. We argue that the extragalactic background light attenuation is an exclusive explanation for the redshift evolution of the observed spectral break.

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Notes

  1. http://tevcat.uchicago.edu.

  2. http://www.asdc.asi.it/fermi3fgl/.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the anonymous referee for valuable comments and suggestions. This work is partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under grants 11463007, 11673060 and the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province grants 2017FD072.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, 650092, China

    W. Zhong, W. G. Liu & Y. G. Zheng

  2. Yunnan Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650011, China

    Y. G. Zheng

  3. Key Laboratory for the Structure and Evolution of Celestial Objects, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650011, China

    Y. G. Zheng

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  1. W. Zhong
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Zhong, W., Liu, W.G. & Zheng, Y.G. GeV-TeV \(\gamma \)-ray energy spectral break of BL Lac objects. Astrophys Space Sci 363, 179 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10509-018-3397-8

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