GAMMA-RAY BLAZARS NEAR EQUIPARTITION AND THE ORIGIN OF THE GeV SPECTRAL BREAK IN 3C 454.3

Journal Article · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013 · Astrophysical Journal Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/771/1/L4· OSTI ID:22118733

Cerruti, Matteo ^[1]; Dermer, Charles D. ^[2]; Lott, Benoit ^[3]; Boisson, Catherine; Zech, Andreas ^[4]

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1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, 02138 Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Space Science Division, Code 7653, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
3. CENBG, Universite de Bordeaux, CNRS/IN2P3, UMR 7595, Gradignan F-33175 (France)
4. LUTH, Observatoire de Paris, CNRS, Universite Paris Diderot, 5 Place Janssen, F-92190 Meudon (France)

Observations performed with the Fermi-LAT telescope have revealed the presence of a spectral break in the GeV spectrum of flat-spectrum radio quasars (FSRQs) and other low- and intermediate-synchrotron peaked blazars. We propose that this feature can be explained by Compton scattering of broad-line region photons by a non-thermal population of electrons described by a log-parabolic function. We consider in particular a scenario in which the energy densities of particles, magnetic field, and soft photons in the emitting region are close to equipartition. We show that this model can satisfactorily account for the overall spectral energy distribution of the FSRQ 3C 454.3, reproducing the GeV spectral cutoff due to Klein-Nishina effects and a curving electron distribution.

• OSTI ID: 22118733
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 771, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTROPHYSICS
COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
ASTRONOMY
ASTROPHYSICS
COMPTON EFFECT
COSMIC ELECTRONS
COSMIC PHOTONS
ENERGY DENSITY
ENERGY SPECTRA
GALAXIES
GAMMA DETECTION
GEV RANGE
INTERSTELLAR MAGNETIC FIELDS
KLEIN-NISHINA FORMULA
QUASARS
TELESCOPE COUNTERS