Multiwavelength Observations of 1ES 1959+650, 1 Year after the Strong Outburst of 2002

Abstract

In 2003 April-May, the blazar 1ES 1959+650 showed an increased level of X-ray activity. This prompted a multiwavelength observation campaign with the Whipple 10 m γ-ray telescope, the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, the Bordeaux Optical Observatory, and the University of Michigan Radio Astronomy Observatory. We present the multiwavelength data taken from 2003 May 2 to June 7 and compare the source characteristics with those measured during observations taken during the years 2000 and 2002. The X-ray observations gave a data set with high signal-to-noise ratio light curves and energy spectra; however, the γ-ray observations did not reveal a major TeV γ-ray flare. Furthermore, we find that the radio and optical fluxes do not show statistically significant deviations from those measured during the 2002 flaring periods. While the X-ray flux and X-ray photon index appear correlated during subsequent observations, the apparent correlation evolved significantly among the years 2000, 2002, and 2003. We discuss the implications of this finding for the mechanism that causes the flaring activity.