Synthetic X-ray light curves of BL Lacs from relativistic hydrodynamic simulations

¹ Max-Planck-Institut für Astropysik, Postfach 1312, 85741 Garching, Germany
² Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik, Postfach 1603, 85740 Garching, Germany

Corresponding author: P. Mimica, pere@mpa-garching.mpg.de

Received: 2 September 2003
Accepted: 12 February 2004

Abstract

We present the results of relativistic hydrodynamic simulations of the collision of two dense shells in a uniform external medium, as envisaged in the internal shock model for BL Lac jets. The non-thermal radiation produced by highly energetic electrons injected at the relativistic shocks is computed following their temporal and spatial evolution. The acceleration of electrons at the relativistic shocks is parametrized using two different models and the corresponding X-ray light curves are computed. We find that the interaction time scale of the two shells is influenced by an interaction with the external medium. For the chosen parameter sets, the efficiency of the collision in converting dissipated kinetic energy into the observed X-ray radiation is of the order of one percent.