Nature Communications (Aug 2020)

Gamma-ray flares from relativistic magnetic reconnection in the jet of the quasar 3C 279

  • A. Shukla,
  • K. Mannheim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17912-z
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Blazars show variable non-thermal emission across the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. Here, the authors show blazar 3C 279 reveals a characteristic peak-in-peak variability pattern on time scales of minutes if particle acceleration is due to relativistic magnetic reconnection.