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Title: THE MOST INTENSIVE GAMMA-RAY FLARE OF QUASAR 3C 279 WITH THE SECOND-ORDER FERMI ACCELERATION

Journal Article · · Astrophysical Journal Letters
;  [1]
  1. Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)

The very short and bright flare of 3C 279 detected with Fermi-Large Area Telescope in 2013 December is tested by a model with stochastic electron acceleration by turbulences. Our time-dependent simulation shows that the very hard spectrum and asymmetric light curve are successfully reproduced by changing only the magnetic field from the value in the steady period. The maximum energy of electrons drastically grows with the decrease of the magnetic field, which yields a hard photon spectrum as observed. Rapid cooling due to the inverse-Compton scattering with the external photons reproduces the decaying feature of the light curve.The inferred energy density of the magnetic field is much less than the electron and photon energy densities. The low magnetic field and short variability timescale are unfavorable for the jet acceleration model from the gradual Poynting flux dissipation.

OSTI ID:
22518928
Journal Information:
Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 808, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English