Narrow-line Seyfert 1 galaxies and the Cherenkov Telescope Array: simulations and perspectives

Abstract

In the last decade, narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies have been discovered to be gamma-ray emitting sources, with extreme properties of flux and spectral variability in the gamma-ray energy band. This points toward a jetted, blazar-like nature. These same properties, therefore, can be investigated with the the next-generation ground- based gamma-ray observatory, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which will potentially be about two orders of magnitude more sensitive with respect to Fermi-LAT at the overlapping energy of 25 GeV for transients/flaring events (time-scales of 1 day or shorter). We present the results of our simulations of all currently known gamma-ray emitting NLS1s, performed using the CTA public ctools software and the public instrument response files. We investigate their possible detection and spectral properties, taking into account both the effect of the extra-galactic background light in the propagation of gamma-rays and intrinsic absorption components.