Testing one-zone synchrotron-self-Compton models with spectral energy distributions of Mrk 421

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 463; no. 4; pp. 4481 - 4489
• Main Authors: Zhu, Qianqian, Yan, Dahai, Zhang, Pengfei, Yin, Qian-Qing, Zhang, Li, Zhang, Shuang-Nan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Oxford University Press 21.12.2016
• Subjects: Astronomy; Doppler effect; Electron energy distribution; Flares; Markov analysis; Mathematical models; Monte Carlo methods; Monte Carlo simulation; Parabolas; Parameters; Spectral energy distribution; Spectrum analysis; Symbols
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1093/mnras/stw2346

We test one-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) models with high-quality multiwavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) data of Mrk 421. We use Markov chain Monte Carlo technique to fit 12 day-scale SEDs of Mrk 421 with one-zone SSC models. Three types of electron energy distribution (EED), a log-parabola (LP) EED, a power-law log-parabola (PLLP) EED and a broken power-law (BPL) EED, are assumed in fits. We find that the one-zone SSC model with the PLLP EED provides successful fits to all the 12 SEDs. However, the one-zone SSC model with the LP and BPL EEDs fail to provide acceptable fits to the highest energy X-ray data or GeV data in several states. We therefore conclude that the one-zone SSC model works well in explaining the SEDs of Mrk 421, and the PLLP EED is preferred over the LP and BPL EEDs for Mrk 421 during the flare in 2010 March. We derive magnetic field B' ~ 0.01 G, Doppler factor ... ~30-50 and the curvature parameter of EED r ~ 1-10 in the model with the PLLP EED. The evolutions of model parameters are explored. The physical implications of our results are discussed. (ProQuest: ... denotes formulae/symbols omitted.)