Amit Shukla

• P. hD
• Professor (Assistant) at Indian Institute of Technology Indore

Variable γ-ray flares upto minute timescales reflect extreme particle acceleration sites. However, for high-redshift blazars, the detection of such rapid variations remains limited by current telescope sensitivities. Gravitationally lensed blazars serve as powerful tools to probe γ-ray production zones in distant sources, with time delays between l...

Variable $\gamma$-ray flares upto minute timescales reflect extreme particle acceleration sites. However, for high-redshift blazars, the detection of such rapid variations remains limited by current telescope sensitivities. Gravitationally lensed blazars serve as powerful tools to probe $\gamma$-ray production zones in distant sources, with time de...

Relativistic jets from accreting supermassive black holes at cosmological distances can be powerful emitters of γ -rays. However, the precise mechanisms and locations responsible for the dissipation of energy within these jets, leading to observable γ -ray radiation, remain elusive. We detect evidence for an intrinsic absorption feature in the γ -r...

Relativistic jets from accreting supermassive black holes at cosmological distances can be powerful emitters of $\gamma$-rays. However, the precise mechanisms and locations responsible for the dissipation of energy within these jets, leading to observable $\gamma$-ray radiation, remain elusive. We detect evidence for an intrinsic absorption feature...

The evolution of the spectral energy distribution during flares constrains models of particle acceleration in blazar jets. The archetypical blazar BL Lacertae provided a unique opportunity to study spectral variations during an extended strong flaring episode from 2020 to 2021. During its brightest γ-ray state, the observed flux (0.1–300 GeV) reach...

Very high energy {\gamma}-rays are one of the most important messengers of the non-thermal Universe. The major motivation of very high energy {\gamma}-ray astronomy is to find sources of high energy cosmic rays. Several astrophysical sources are known to accelerate cosmic rays to very high energies under extreme conditions. Very high energy {\gamma...

Very high energy \(\gamma \)-rays are one of the most important messengers of the relativistic non-thermal Universe. The major motivation of very high energy \(\gamma \)-ray astronomy is to find sources of high energy cosmic rays. Several astrophysical sources are known to accelerate cosmic rays to very high energies under extreme conditions. Very...

The blazar 3C 279 emits a flux of gamma rays that is variable on timescales as short as the light-crossing time across the event horizon of its central black hole. It is commonly reported that the spectral energy distribution (SED) does not show signs of pair attenuation due to interactions of the gamma rays with ambient ultraviolet photons, conclu...

Beams of ultra-relativistic electrons in blazar jets develop pair cascades interacting with ambient soft photons. Employing coupled kinetic equations with escape terms, we model the unsaturated pair cascade spectrum. We assume that the gamma rays predominantly scatter off recombination-line photons from clouds photoionised by the irradiation from t...

The blazar 3C 279 emits a flux of gamma-rays that is variable on timescales as short as the light-crossing time across the event horizon of its central black hole. It is commonly reported that the spectral energy distribution (SED) does not show signs of pair attenuation due to interactions of the gamma rays with ambient ultraviolet photons, conclu...

Context. The origin of the γ -ray emission of the blazar Mrk 421 is still a matter of debate. Aims. We used 5.5 years of unbiased observing campaign data, obtained using the FACT telescope and the Fermi -LAT detector at TeV and GeV energies, the longest and densest so far, together with contemporaneous multi-wavelength observations, to characterise...

The origin of the {\gamma}-ray emission of the blazar Mrk 421 is still a matter of debate. We used 5.5 years of unbiased observing campaign data, obtained using the FACT telescope and the Fermi LAT detector at TeV and GeV energies, the longest and densest so far, together with contemporaneous multi-wavelength observations, to characterise the varia...

Gamma-ray emission from the bright radio source 3C 84, associated with the Perseus cluster, is ascribed to the radio galaxy NGC 1275 residing at the centre of the cluster. Study of the correlated X-ray/gamma-ray emission from this active galaxy, and investigation of the possible disk-jet connection, are hampered because the X-ray emission, particul...

Spinning black holes in the centres of galaxies can release powerful magnetised jets. When the jets are observed at angles of less than a few degrees to the line-of-sight, they are called blazars, showing variable non-thermal emission across the electromagnetic spectrum from radio waves to gamma rays. It is commonly believed that shock waves are re...

Extreme high-frequency BL Lacs (EHBL) feature their synchrotron peak of the broad-band spectral energy distribution (SED) at ν_s ≥ 10¹⁷ Hz. The BL Lac object 1ES 2344+514 was included in the EHBL family because of its impressive shift of the synchrotron peak in 1996. During the following years, the source appeared to be in a low state without showi...

Context. Markarian 501 (Mrk 501) is a very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray blazar located at z = 0.034, which is regularly monitored by a wide range of multi-wavelength instruments, from radio to VHE gamma rays. During a period of almost two weeks in July 2014, the highest X-ray activity of Mrk 501 was observed in ∼14 years of operation of the Neil Geh...

Mrk 421 is a high-synchrotron-peaked blazar featuring bright and persistent GeV and TeV emission. We use the longest and densest ongoing unbiased observing campaign obtained at TeV and GeV energies during 5.5 years with the FACT telescope and the Fermi-LAT detector. The contemporaneous multi-wavelength observations were used to characterize the var...

Mrk 421 is a high-synchrotron-peaked blazar featuring bright and persistent GeV and TeV emission. We use multi-wavelength light curves of Mrk 421 spanning 5.5 years with FACT (TeV) and Fermi LAT (GeV) in the gamma rays, Swift BAT, Swift XRT and MAXI in the X-rays, together with optical and radio data and investigate the physical processes driving t...

Active Galactic Nuclei emit radiation over the whole electromagnetic spectrum up to TeV energies. Blazars are one subtype with their jets pointing towards the observer. One of their typical features is extreme variability on timescales, from minutes to years. The fractional variability is an often used parameter for investigating the degree of vari...

Blazars are known to show variability on time scales from minutes to years covering a wide range of flux states. Studying the flux distribution of a source allows for various insights. The shape of the flux distribution can provide information on the nature of the underlying variability processes. The level of a possible quiescent state can be deri...

HAGAR is a system of seven Non-imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located at Hanle in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayas at an altitude of 4270 meters amsl. Since 2008, we have observed the Crab Nebula to assess the performance of the HAGAR telescopes. We describe the analysis technique for the estimation of γ-ray signal amidst cosmic...

HAGAR is a system of seven Non-imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes located at Hanle in the Ladakh region of the Indian Himalayas at an altitude of 4270 meters {\it amsl}. Since 2008, we have observed the Crab Nebula to assess the performance of the HAGAR telescopes. We describe the analysis technique for the estimation of $\gamma$-ray signal a...

Aims. We aim to characterize the multiwavelength emission from Markarian 501 (Mrk 501), quantify the energy-dependent variability, study the potential multiband correlations, and describe the temporal evolution of the broadband emission within leptonic theoretical scenarios. Methods. We organized a multiwavelength campaign to take place between Mar...

The TeV blazar Ton 599 has exhibited a peculiar flare in 2017 November. The temporal variation of the source is studied using simultaneous γ-ray data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope and radio data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory's 40 m telescope, over the period of 9 yr. Four major flaring periods are observed in the γ-ray energy band o...

The TeV blazar Ton 599 has exhibited a peculiar flare in 2017 November. The temporal variation of the source is studied using simultaneous $\gamma$-ray data from $\textit{Fermi}$ Large Area Telescope and radio data from Owens Valley Radio Observatory's 40 m telescope, over the period of nine years. Four major flaring periods are observed in the $\g...

A multiwavelength campaign was organized to take place between March and July of 2012. Excellent temporal coverage was obtained with more than 25 instruments, including the MAGIC, FACT and VERITAS Cherenkov telescopes, the instruments on board the Swift and Fermi spacecraft, and the telescopes operated by the GASP-WEBT collaboration. Mrk 501 showed...

The flat-spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 experienced a prolonged state of enhanced activity across the entire observed electromagnetic spectrum during 2016–2017, most pronounced during a major outburst between 2016 December and 2017 May. Fermi-LAT observed a flux of (2.2 ± 0.2) × 10⁻⁵ photons cm⁻² s⁻¹ at energies above 100 MeV on 2017 April 19 during...

Aims. The nearby TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650 ( z = 0.047) was reported to be in flaring state during June–July 2016 by Fermi -LAT, FACT, MAGIC and VERITAS collaborations. We studied the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in different states of the flare during MJD 57530–57589 using simultaneous multiwaveband data with the aim of understanding the pos...

Aim : The nearby TeV blazar 1ES 1959+650 (z=0.047) was reported to be in flaring state during June - July 2016 by Fermi-LAT, FACT, MAGIC and VERITAS collaborations. We studied the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) in different states of the flare during MJD 57530 - 57589 using simultaneous multiwaveband data to understand the possible broadband...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted in extensive air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs using mass produced and light weight mirror facets. However, as the overall image is the sum of the individual mirror facet ima...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted in extensive air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs using mass produced and light weight mirror facets. However, as the overall image is the sum of the individual mirror facet ima...

Blazars like Markarian 421 or Markarian 501 are active galactic nuclei (AGN), with their jets orientated towards the observer. They are among the brightest objects in the very high energy (VHE) gamma ray regime (>100 GeV). Their emitted gamma-ray fluxes are extremely variable, with changing activity levels on timescales between minutes, months, and...

The First G-APD Cherenkov Telescope (FACT) demonstrates the usability of novel Geiger-mode operated Avalanche Photo Diodes (G-APD, often called SiPM) for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT). The camera consists of 1440 pixels with dedicated electronics operating at 2 Gigasamples per second. It is installed on the refurbished HEGRA teles...

Context: At the low accretion-rates typical for BL Lac-objects, magnetospheres of active galactic nuclei can develop vacuum gaps with strong electric fields accelerating charged seed particles parallel to the magnetic fields up to ultra-relativistic energies. The seed particles sustain electromagnetic cascades by inverse-Compton-scattering and subs...

Context: At the low accretion-rates typical for BL Lac-objects, magnetospheres of active galactic nuclei can develop vacuum gaps with strong electric fields accelerating charged seed particles parallel to the magnetic fields up to ultra-relativistic energies. The seed particles sustain electromagnetic cascades by inverse-Compton-scattering and subs...

The occasional hardening of the GeV-to-TeV spectrum observed from the blazar Mrk 501 has reopened the debate on the physical origin of radiation and particle acceleration processes in TeV blazars. We have used the ∼7 years of Fermi-LAT data to search for the time intervals with unusually hard spectra from the nearby TeV blazar Mrk 501. We detected...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures and high image intensities to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted from cosmic ray air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs, and as they are composed from mass production mirror facets they are inexpensive and lightweight...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures and high image intensities to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted from cosmic ray air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs, and as they are composed from mass production mirror facets they are inexpensive and lightweight...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures and high image intensities to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted from cosmic ray air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs, and composed from mass production mirror facets they are inexpensive and lightweight. However, a...

Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) need imaging optics with large apertures and high image intensities to map the faint Cherenkov light emitted from cosmic ray air showers onto their image sensors. Segmented reflectors fulfill these needs, and composed from mass production mirror facets they are inexpensive and lightweight. However, a...

Context:The HAGAR Telescope Array at Hanle, Ladakh has been regularly monitoring the nearby blazar Mkn 421 for the past 7yrs. Aims: Blazars show flux variability in all timescales across the electromagnetic spectrum. While there is abundant literature characterizing the short term flares from different blazars, comparatively little work has been do...

We study the characteristics of the TeV binary LS I +61$^\circ$ 303 in radio, soft X-ray, hard X-ray, and gamma-ray (GeV and TeV) energies. The long term variability characteristics are examined as a function of the phase of the binary period of 26.496 days as well as the phase of the super orbital period of 1626 days, dividing the observations int...

We study the characteristics of the TeV binary LS I +61$^\circ$ 303 in radio, soft X-ray, hard X-ray, and gamma-ray (GeV and TeV) energies. The long term variability characteristics are examined as a function of the phase of the binary period of 26.496 days as well as the phase of the super orbital period of 1626 days, dividing the observations int...

Context:The HAGAR Telescope Array at Hanle, Ladakh has been regularly monitoring the nearby blazar Mkn 421 for the past 7yrs. Aims: Blazars show flux variability in all timescales across the electromagnetic spectrum. While there is abundant literature characterizing the short term flares from different blazars, comparatively little work has been do...

List of contributions from the CTA Consortium presented at the 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference, 30 July - 6 August 2015, The Hague, The Netherlands.

Context. In April 2013, the nearby TeV blazar, Mkn 421, showed one of the largest flares in X-rays in the past decade. Aims. We study all multiwavelength data available during MJD 56 392 to 56 403, with special emphasis on X-ray data to understand the underlying particle energy distribution. Methods. We studied the correlations between the UV and g...

Since the detection of very high energy (VHE) γ-rays from Mrk 501, its broadband emission of radiation was mostly and quite effectively modeled using the one zone emission scenario. However, broadband spectral and flux variability studies enabled by the multi-wavelength campaigns carried out during the recent years have revealed the rather complex...

Since the detection of very high energy (VHE) $\gamma$-rays from Mrk 501, its broad band emission of radiation was mostly and quite effectively modeled using one zone emission scenario. However, broadband spectral and flux variability studies enabled by the multiwavelength campaigns carried out during the recent years have revealed rather complex b...

Variable γ-ray emission has been discovered in five radio-loud narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLSy1) galaxies by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. This has clearly demonstrated that these NLSy1 galaxies do have relativistic jets similar to two other cases of γ-ray-emitting active galactic nuclei (AGNs), namely, blazars...

We present results of Monte Carlo simulations for the High Altitude Gamma Ray (HAGAR) telescope array which detects very high energy gamma rays from astronomical sources. This telescope array, located at Hanle at an altitude of 4270 m in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas in India, is the highest altitude atmospheric Cherenkov experiment in the wor...

An array of seven atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes was commissioned at a high altitude site in Hanle in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. The array called HAGAR has been designed to observe celestial γ-rays of energy >100 GeV. Each telescope is altitude-azimuth mounted and carries seven parabolic mirrors whose optic axes are co-aligned with the t...

Recently observed minute-time-scale variability of blazar emission at TeV energies has imposed severe constraints on jet models and TeV emission mechanisms. We focus on a robust jet instability to explain this variability. As a consequence of the bulk outflow of the jet plasma, the pressure is likely to be anisotropic, with the parallel pressure P|...

Context: The nearby (z=0.031) TeV blazar Mrk421 was reported to be in a high state of flux activity since November, 2009. Aims: To investigate possible changes in the physical parameters of Mrk421 during its high state of activity using multiwavelength data. Methods: We have observed this source in bright state using High Altitude GAmma Ray (HAGAR)...

The High Altitude GAmma-Ray (HAGAR) experiment is the highest altitude atmospheric Cherenkov sampling array, set up at 4300 m amsl in the Himalayas (Northern India). It constitutes 7 telescopes, each one with seven 90 cm-diameter mirrors, a field of view of 3 degrees, and was designed to reach a relatively low threshold (currently around 200 GeV) w...

The High Altitude GAmma-Ray (HAGAR) ar-ray is a wavefront sampling array of 7 telescopes, set-up at Hanle, at 4270 m amsl, in the Ladakh region of the Hi-malayas (Northern India). It constitutes the first phase of the HImalayan Gamma-Ray Observatory (HIGRO) project. HA-GAR is the first array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes established at a so h...

The radiation mechanism of very high energy $\gamma$-ray emission from blazars and crucial parameters like magnetic field, and size of the emitting region are not well understood yet. To understand the above mentioned properties of blazars, we observed five nearby TeV $\gamma$-ray emitting blazars (Mrk421, Mrk501, 1ES2344+514, 1ES1218+304 and 3C454...

Several AGNs of Blazar class, including Mkn421, Mkn501, 1ES2344+514, 1ES1218+304 and 3C454.3, have been observed at energies above 200 GeV with High Altitude GAmma Ray (HAGAR) telescope array located in Himalayas in India, over past two years. We had very long coverage of Mkn421 and have observed it in one of the brightest flaring episodes in Febru...

We have searched for pulsed emission of VHE gamma rays from Crab, Geminga and 3 other pulsars from Fermi-LAT pulsar catalog. The observations were carried out using HAGAR telescope array which is a non-imaging wavefront sampling telescope array located at high altitude in the Himalayas. Crab and Geminga pulsars have been observed for more than 100...

We have observed 2 blazars Mkn421 and 1ES 2344+514 recently. The BL Lac object Mkn421 was observed using the wave-front sampling PACT telescope array located at Pachmarhi in central India during January - May 2009 as well as the high altitude HAGAR telescope system during March - May 2009. The blazar 1ES2344+514 was observed using the high altitude...

High Altitude GAmma Ray (HAGAR) telescope array, which is the first stage of HImalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HIGRO), has been successfully installed at Hanle in Himalayas and has been collecting science data since September, 2008. In last three years, we have observed several sources including Galactic objects like Crab Nebula, Geminga, LSI+61 303...

High Altitude GAmma Ray (HAGAR) telescope array, which is the first stage of Himalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HiGRO), has been successfully installed at Hanle in Himalayas and has been collecting science data since September, 2008. In last two and half years, we have observed several sources including galactic objects like Crab nebula, Geminga puls...