On the Minimum Jet Power of TeV BL Lac Objects in the p–γ Model

Abstract

We study the requirement of the jet power in the conventional p – γ models (photopion production and Bethe–Heitler pair production) for TeV BL Lac objects. We select a sample of TeV BL Lac objects whose spectral energy distributions are difficult to explain by the one-zone leptonic model. Based on the relation between the p – γ interaction efficiency and the opacity of γγ absorption, we find that the detection of TeV emission poses upper limits on the p – γ interaction efficiencies in these sources and hence minimum jet powers can be derived accordingly. We find that the obtained minimum jet powers exceed the Eddington luminosity of the supermassive black holes (SMBHs). Implications for the accretion mode of the SMBHs in these BL Lac objects and the origin of their TeV emissions are discussed.