Disentangling two spectral components in the X-ray emission of the blazar 1ES 0229+200
X-ray observations are essential to achieve a deeper understanding of the broadband emission mechanism in blazars. Here, we present a long-term spectral and temporal analysis of X-ray and optical observations of 1ES 0229+200 collected with the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory from 2008 to 2024, complemented by hard X-ray observations from the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array ( NuSTAR ). The blazar 1ES 0229+200 is a high-frequency, peaked BL Lac object, known for its exceptionally hard very high-energy (VHE) γ -ray spectrum extending up to 10 TeV. In August 2021, NuSTAR observed the source in a low X-ray state, revealing a concave spectral shape with a distinct upturn around 25 keV. This feature contrasts with previous observations performed with NuSTAR and Swift -BAT, which showed no such spectral upturn. Previous observations of 1ES 0229+200 and broadband SED (spectral energy distribution) modelling suggest that its X-ray emission extends beyond 100 keV without a significant cutoff. The newly detected spectral upturn may indicate a transition between the synchrotron and inverse Compton components or could be linked to photohadronic processes involving high-energy neutrinos. We discuss the implications of this finding in the context of blazar spectral energy distributions, particularly the potential existence of a third SED bump in the kiloelectronvolt to megaelectronvolt range. The observed spectral features support the hypothesis that 1ES 0229+200 could be a source of high-energy neutrino emission.
Authors
- A. Wierzcholska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4472-7204)
- Hubert Siejkowski
Institutions
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences (PL)
- Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg (DE)
- AGH University of Krakow (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Published
- 2025-10-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202555323
- Primary Topic
- Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00