Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Observations Of Gamma-Ray Outbursts From 3C 454.3 In 2009 December And 2010 April

Ackermann, M.

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/721/2/1383

Title: Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope Observations Of Gamma-Ray Outbursts From 3C 454.3 In 2009 December And 2010 April

Journal Article · Thu Sep 09 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · The Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/721/2/1383· OSTI ID:1357526

Ackermann, M. ^[1]

SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States); et al.

The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 454.3 underwent an extraordinary outburst in December 2009 when it became the brightest -ray source in the sky for over one week. Its daily flux measured with the Fermi Large Area Telescope at photon energies E > 100 MeV reached F100 = 22 ± 1 × 10^-6 ph cm^-2 s^-1, representing the highest daily flux of any blazar ever recorded in high-energy -rays. It again became the brightest source in the sky in 2010 April, triggering a pointed-mode observation by Fermi. The correlated -ray temporal and spectral properties during these exceptional events are presented and discussed. The main results show flux variability over time scales less than 3 h and very mild spectral variability with an indication of gradual hardening preceding major flares. No consistent loop pattern emerged in the -ray spectral index vs flux plane. A minimum Doppler factor of ≈15 is derived, and the maximum energy of a photon from 3C 454.3 is ≈ 20 GeV. The spectral break at a few GeV is inconsistent with Klein-Nishina softening from power-law electrons scattering Lyα line radiation, and a break in the underlying electron spectrum in blazar leptonic models is implied.

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Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Contributing Organization:: Fermmi LAT Collaboration

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1357526

Journal Information:: The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 721, Issue 2; ISSN 0004-637X

Publisher:: Institute of Physics (IOP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 115 works

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