Extreme Blazars Observed with MAGIC: Second Catalog Release

Abstract

<p>Extremely high-peaked BL Lac objects—also named <em>extreme blazars</em>—are among the most energetic and persistent extragalactic accelerators in the Universe, defined by a synchrotron emission peaking above 1017 Hz in X-rays. Such emission is then reprocessed and produces radiation extending deeply into very-high-energy (VHE; energy <em>E</em> > 100 GeV) gamma-rays. Observations in this energy band—optimally investigated by the Imaging Air-Shower Cherenkov telescopes—are crucial for probing the physical processes that drive their extreme behavior. This study extends our investigation of extreme blazars in the VHE gamma-ray range, providing a second new mini-catalog of sources observed by the MAGIC telescopes. We report on the monitoring of seven targets between 2017 and 2025, including four newly observed sources and three that have been part of long-term observation campaigns, for a total of approximately 338 hr of observations. The analysis of MAGIC data reveals two new VHE detections of extreme blazars, along with three additional sources showing hints of VHE emission. Joint observations of MAGIC and the first Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) also confirmed a new VHE extreme blazar. Our results are complemented by simultaneous multiwavelength observations in other energy bands, including optical-UV, X-rays, and high-energy gamma-rays (100 MeV < <em>E </em>< 100 GeV). We confirm typical behavior of extreme blazars, such as a modest variability and a “harder-when-brighter” trend in X-rays across the sample. This new set increases the population of extreme blazars, and their broadband analysis confirms the physical properties of these extreme sources.<br></p>