Spectroscopic Redshift of the Gamma-Ray Blazar B2 1215+30 from Ly alpha Emission
- We report on Cosmic Origin Spectrograph observations of the gamma-ray bright blazar B2 1215+30, collected in 2015 November. These observations allow for the confirmation of the source redshift from the detection of a Lyα emission feature at λ ~ 1374 Å. The emission feature places the source at a redshift of z = 0.1305 ± 0.003, confirming the source's ground-based spectral measurement. The gamma-ray emission of the source is discussed in the context of the source distance, required for the accurate reconstruction of the intrinsic gamma-ray emission taking the absorption by the extragalactic background light into account. The source distance is found to be low enough that the previously reported detection of an exceptional flaring event from B2 1215+30 in 2014 cannot be used to investigate opacity-specific spectral and variability characteristics introduced by possible ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray propagation.
Author details: | Amy FurnissORCiD, Gabor WorseckORCiD, Michele FumagalliORCiD, Caitlin A. JohnsonORCiD, David A. WilliamsORCiD, P. Pontrelli, J. Xavier ProchaskaORCiD |
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DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/aaf28b |
ISSN: | 0004-6256 |
ISSN: | 1538-3881 |
Title of parent work (English): | The astronomical journal |
Publisher: | IOP Publ. Ltd. |
Place of publishing: | Bristol |
Publication type: | Article |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2019/01/07 |
Publication year: | 2019 |
Release date: | 2021/04/19 |
Tag: | galaxies: individual (B2 1215+30); galaxies:distances and redshifts; gamma rays: galaxies; ultraviolet: galaxies |
Volume: | 157 |
Issue: | 2 |
Number of pages: | 4 |
Funding institution: | Space Telescope Institute [HST-GO-13651]; Science and Technology Facilities CouncilScience & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) [ST/P000541/1]; European Research Council (ERC) under the European Council (ERC) [757535]; U.S. National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation (NSF) [PHY-1307311, PHY-1707432] |
Organizational units: | Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät / Institut für Physik und Astronomie |
DDC classification: | 5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 52 Astronomie / 520 Astronomie und zugeordnete Wissenschaften |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access / Hybrid Open-Access |
License (English): | Creative Commons - Namensnennung 3.0 Unported |