The extension of variability properties in gamma-ray bursts to blazars

Abstract

Both gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and blazars have relativistic jets pointing at a small angle from our line of sight. Several recent studies suggested that these two kinds of sources may share similar jet physics. In this work, we explore the variability properties for GRBs and blazars as a whole. We find that the correlation between minimum variability time-scale (MTS) and Lorentz factor, Γ, as found only in GRBs by Sonbas et al. can be extended to blazars with a joint correlation of MTS∝Γ-4.7±0.3. The same applies to the Lγ -1.0± 0.1 correlation as found in GRBs, which can be well extended into blazars as well. These results provide further evidence that the jets in these two kinds of sources are similar despite of the very different mass scale of their central engines. Further investigations of the physical origin of these correlations are needed, which can shed light on the nature of the jet physics.