Relationship between the γ-ray variability and the parsec-scale jet in the blazar 3C 454.3

¹ Instituto Nacional de Astrofísica, Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro #1, Tonantzintla, Puebla 72840, Mexico
² Max-Planck-Institute für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, 53121 Bonn, Germany

^⋆ Corresponding author; epalafox.astro@gmail.com

Received: 15 September 2024
Accepted: 17 February 2025

Abstract

Context. The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 454.3 is known for its high variability across the electromagnetic spectrum, showing structural and flux variability in its parsec-scale jet and correlated variability among frequency bands.

Aims. This study aims to identify the structure, dynamics, and radiative processes common to the innermost regions of the blazar 3C 454.3. We investigate whether any jet component can be associated with γ-ray emission and variability. Additionally, we compare the flux variability of the parsec-scale jet components found in the VLBA observations to the variability in the γ-ray emission.

Methods. We analyzed the relationship between the variable γ-ray emission and parsec-scale jet properties in 3C 454.3 by combining γ-ray data spanning twelve years with contemporaneous VLBA multi-epoch images at 15 and 43 GHz. We conducted Spearman’s rank correlation tests to determine if the flux variability of any jet component is associated with γ-ray variability.

Results. The core emission at 43 and 15 GHz strongly correlates with γ-ray emission. The 43 GHz core (Q0) contributes around 37% of the observed γ-ray variability, while the 15 GHz core (K0) accounts for 30%. A quasi-stationary component at 43 GHz, at a projected distance of 4.6 pc, correlates with the γ-ray flux, accounting for 20% of its emission between 2016 and 2021. We found a mobile component (Q3 between 2010.18 and 2011.16) at 43 GHz with a projected distance between 0.8 and 2.3 pc and an apparent velocity of β_app = 9.9 ± 1.1 c that accounts for approximately 28% of the γ-ray emission. The observed simultaneous variability in emission regions beyond the central parsec strongly suggests synchrotron self-Compton as the primary mechanism for γ-ray production in these regions.

Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate the existence of multiple γ-ray emission regions within the blazar jet but also suggest that some of these regions are non-stationary over time. Additionally, our study pinpoints the exact locations of these emission regions within the blazar itself. These results are valuable for theoretical models and for gaining a deeper understanding of the complex nature of blazars.