Blazar flaring patterns (B-FlaP) classifying blazar candidate of uncertain type in the third Fermi-LAT catalogue by artificial neural networks
Date Issued
2016
Author(s)
Abstract
The Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) is currently the most important facility for investigating the GeV γ-ray sky. With Fermi-LAT, more than three thousand γ-ray sources have been discovered so far. 1144 (∼40 per cent) of the sources are active galaxies of the blazar class, and 573 (∼20 per cent) are listed as blazar candidate of uncertain type (BCU), or sources without a conclusive classification. We use the empirical cumulative distribution functions and the artificial neural networks for a fast method of screening and classification for BCUs based on data collected at γ-ray energies only, when rigorous multiwavelength analysis is not available. Based on our method, we classify 342 BCUs as BL Lacs and 154 as flat-spectrum radio quasars, while 77 objects remain uncertain. Moreover, radio analysis and direct observations in ground-based optical observatories are used as counterparts to the statistical classifications to validate the method. This approach is of interest because of the increasing number of unclassified sources in Fermi catalogues and because blazars and in particular their subclass high synchrotron peak objects are the main targets of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes.
Volume
462
Issue
3
Start page
3180
Issn Identifier
0035-8711
Ads BibCode
2016MNRAS.462.3180C
Rights
open.access
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
stw1830.pdf
Description
Pdf editoriale
Size
8.86 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
2f3d4f571f41d811c4a645c443a178af