Detection of a quasi-periodic oscillation in γ-ray light curve of the high redshift blazar B2 1520+31

Abstract

<p>We detected a possible quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) of similar to 71 d in the 0.1-300 GeV gamma-ray Fermi-Large Area Telescope light curve of the high-redshift flat spectrum radio quasar B2 1520+31. We identify and confirm that quasi-period by Lomb-Scargle periodogram and weighted wavelet Z-transform analyses. Using this QPO period, and assuming it originates from accretion disc fluctuations at the innermost stable circular orbit, we estimate the central supermassive black hole mass to range between similar to 5.4 x 10(9) M-circle dot for a non-rotating black hole and similar to 3.4 x 10(10) M-circle dot for a maximally rotating black hole. We briefly discuss other possible radio-loud active galactic nuclei emission models capable of producing a gamma-ray QPO of such a period in a blazar.</p>