Ferma gamma-ray space telescope observations of gamma-ray outburst from 3C 454.3 in 2009 december and 2010 april

Markus Ackermann; Marco Ajello; Luca Baldini; Jean Ballet; Guido Barbiellini; D. Bastieri; K. Bechtol; R. Bellazzini; B. Berenji; R. D. Blandford; E. Bonamente; A. W. Borgland; J. Bregeon; M. Brigida; Pascal Bruel; R. Buehler; T. H. Burnett; S. Buson; G. A. Caliandro; R. A. Cameron; P. A. Caraveo; S. Carrigan; J. M. Casandjian; E. Cavazzuti; C. Cecchi; O. Celik; A. Chekhtman; C. C. Cheung; J. Chiang; S. Ciprini; R. Claus; J. Cohen-Tanugi; S. Corbel; S. Cutini; F. d'Ammando; C. D. Dermer; A. de Angelis; F. de Palma; S. W. Digel; E. Do Couto E Silva; P. S. Drell; R. Dubois; D. Dumora; L. Escande; C. Favuzzi; S. J. Fegan; E. C. Ferrara; L. Fuhrmann; Y. Fukazawa; P. Fusco; F. Gargano; D. Gasparrini; N. Gehrels; S. Germani; B. Giebels; N. Giglietto; P. Giommi; F. Giordano; M. Giroletti; T. Glanzman; G. Godfrey; I. A. Grenier; J. E. Grove; S. Guiriec; D. Hadasch; M. Hayashida; E. Hays; G. Johannesson; A. S. Johnson; W. N. Johnson; T. Kamae; H. Katagiri; J. Kataoka; Jürgen Knödlseder; M. Kuss; J. Lande; S. Larsson; L. Latronico; S.-H. Lee; M. Llena Garde; F. Longo; F. Loparco; B. Lott; P. Lubrano; G. M. Madejski; A. Makeev; N. Marchili; M. N. Mazziotta; J. E. Mcenery; J. Mehault; P. F. Michelson; T. Mizuno; C. Monte; M. E. Monzani; A. Morselli; I. V. Moskalenko; S. Murgia; T. Nakamori; K. Nalewajko; M. Naumann-Godo; P. L. Nolan; J. P. Norris; E. Nuss; T. Ohsugi; A. Okumura; N. Omodei; E. Orlando; J. F. Ormes; V. Pelassa; M. Pepe; M. Pesce-Rollins; F. Piron; T.A. Porter; S. Raino; R. Rando; M. Razzano; A. Reimer; O. Reimer; L. C. Reyes; J. Ripken; S. Ritz; M. Roth; H. F.-W. Sadrozinski; D. Sanchez; A. Sander; J. D. Scargle; C. Sgro; M. Sikora; E. J. Siskind; G. Spandre; P. Spinelli; M. S. Strickman; D. J. Suson; H. Takahashi; T. Takahashi; T. Tanaka; Y. Tanaka; J. B. Thayer; J. G. Thayer; D. J. Thompson; L. Tibaldo; D. F. Torres; G. Tosti; A. Tramacere; T. L. Usher; J. Vandenbroucke; N. Vilchez; V. Vitale; A. P. Waite; P. Wang; A. E. Wehrle; B. L. Winer; Z. Yang; T. Ylinen; M. Ziegler

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

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Ferma gamma-ray space telescope observations of gamma-ray outburst from 3C 454.3 in 2009 december and 2010 april

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Ferma gamma-ray space telescope observations of gamma-ray outburst from 3C 454.3 in 2009 december and 2010 april

Markus Ackermann, Marco Ajello, Luca Baldini, Jean Ballet, Guido Barbiellini, D. Bastieri, K. Bechtol, R. Bellazzini, B. Berenji, R. D. Blandford, …

The Astrophysical Journal, Vol.721, pp.1383-1396

01/10/2010

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/721/2/1383

Abstract

galaxies: active

gamma rays: galaxies

quasars: individual (3C 454.3)

98.70.Rz &ggr;-ray sources; &ggr;-ray bursts 98.62.Mw Infall, accretion, and accretion disks 98.54.Aj Quasars 98.62.Qz Magnitudes and colors; luminosities 95.85.Pw &ggr;-ray

The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 454.3 underwent an extraordinary outburst in 2009 December when it became the brightest γ-ray source in the sky for over 1 week. Its daily flux measured with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope at photon energies E>100 MeV reached F 100 = 22 ± 1 × 10–6 photon cm–2 s–1, representing the highest daily flux of any blazar ever recorded in high-energy γ-rays. It again became the brightest source in the sky in 2010 April, triggering a pointed-mode observation by Fermi. The correlated γ-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 hr and very mild spectral variability with an indication of gradual hardening preceding major flares. The light curves during periods of enhanced activity in 2008 July-August and 2010 December show strong resemblance, with a flux plateau of a few days preceding the major flare. No consistent loop pattern emerged in the γ-ray spectral index versus the flux plane as would be expected in acceleration and cooling scenarios. The maximum energy of a photon from 3C 454.3 is ≈20 GeV and a minimum Doppler factor of ≈13 is derived. The γ-ray spectrum of 3C 454.3 shows a significant spectral break between ≈2 and 3 GeV that is very weakly dependent on the flux state, even when the flux changes by an order of magnitude.

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Title: Ferma gamma-ray space telescope observations of gamma-ray outburst from 3C 454.3 in 2009 december and 2010 april
Creators - without role: Markus Ackermann - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Marco Ajello - Stanford University
Luca Baldini - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
Jean Ballet - Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation
Guido Barbiellini - University of Trieste
D. Bastieri - University of Padua
K. Bechtol - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
R. Bellazzini - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
B. Berenji - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
R. D. Blandford
E. Bonamente - University of Perugia
A. W. Borgland
J. Bregeon - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
M. Brigida - Polytechnic University of Bari
Pascal Bruel - École Polytechnique
R. Buehler - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. H. Burnett
S. Buson - University of Padua
G. A. Caliandro
R. A. Cameron
P. A. Caraveo - Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Milano
S. Carrigan - University of Padua
J. M. Casandjian - Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation
E. Cavazzuti - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
C. Cecchi - University of Perugia
O. Celik - Goddard Space Flight Center
A. Chekhtman - George Mason University
C. C. Cheung
J. Chiang - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
S. Ciprini - University of Perugia
R. Claus - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
J. Cohen-Tanugi - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
S. Corbel - Institut Universitaire de France
S. Cutini - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
F. d'Ammando
C. D. Dermer
A. de Angelis - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste
F. de Palma - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
S. W. Digel
E. Do Couto E Silva
P. S. Drell
R. Dubois - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
D. Dumora - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
L. Escande - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
C. Favuzzi - Polytechnic University of Bari
S. J. Fegan - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
E. C. Ferrara
L. Fuhrmann - Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
Y. Fukazawa - Hiroshima University
P. Fusco - Polytechnic University of Bari
F. Gargano - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
D. Gasparrini - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
N. Gehrels - Goddard Space Flight Center
S. Germani - University of Perugia
B. Giebels - Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet
N. Giglietto - Polytechnic University of Bari
P. Giommi - Agenzia Spaziale Italiana
F. Giordano - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. Giroletti - Istituto di Radioastronomia di Bologna
T. Glanzman - Stanford University
G. Godfrey - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
I. A. Grenier - Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation
J. E. Grove
S. Guiriec - University of Alabama in Huntsville
D. Hadasch - Institute of Space Sciences
M. Hayashida - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. Hays - Goddard Space Flight Center
G. Johannesson - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
A. S. Johnson
W. N. Johnson
T. Kamae - SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
H. Katagiri - Hiroshima University
J. Kataoka - Waseda University
Jürgen Knödlseder - Centre National d'Études Spatiales
M. Kuss - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
J. Lande - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
S. Larsson - Stockholm University
L. Latronico - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
S.-H. Lee - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
M. Llena Garde
F. Longo - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste
F. Loparco - Polytechnic University of Bari
B. Lott - Laboratoire de Physique des deux infinis Bordeaux
P. Lubrano - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia
G. M. Madejski
A. Makeev - United States Naval Research Laboratory
N. Marchili - Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy
M. N. Mazziotta
J. E. Mcenery
J. Mehault - Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules
P. F. Michelson
T. Mizuno - Hiroshima University
C. Monte - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. E. Monzani
A. Morselli - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Roma Tor Vergata
I. V. Moskalenko
S. Murgia - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. Nakamori - Waseda University
K. Nalewajko - Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center
M. Naumann-Godo - CEA Paris-Saclay
P. L. Nolan
J. P. Norris
E. Nuss - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
T. Ohsugi - Hiroshima University
A. Okumura - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
N. Omodei - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
E. Orlando - Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics
J. F. Ormes
V. Pelassa - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
M. Pepe - University of Perugia
M. Pesce-Rollins - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
F. Piron - Laboratoire de Physique Théorique
T.A. Porter - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
S. Raino - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Bari
R. Rando - University of Padua
M. Razzano - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
A. Reimer - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
O. Reimer - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
L. C. Reyes
J. Ripken - AlbaNova
S. Ritz - University of California, Santa Cruz
M. Roth - University of Washington
H. F.-W. Sadrozinski
D. Sanchez - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
A. Sander - The Ohio State University
J. D. Scargle
C. Sgro - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
M. Sikora - Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center
E. J. Siskind
G. Spandre - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa
P. Spinelli - Polytechnic University of Bari
M. S. Strickman
D. J. Suson
H. Takahashi - Hiroshima University
T. Takahashi - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
T. Tanaka - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Y. Tanaka - Institute of Space and Astronautical Science
J. B. Thayer
J. G. Thayer
D. J. Thompson
L. Tibaldo - University of Padua
D. F. Torres
G. Tosti - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Perugia
A. Tramacere - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
T. L. Usher
J. Vandenbroucke - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
N. Vilchez - Université Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier
V. Vitale - Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Roma Tor Vergata
A. P. Waite
P. Wang - Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
A. E. Wehrle
B. L. Winer
Z. Yang - AlbaNova
T. Ylinen - Fraunhofer Chalmers Research Centre for Industrial Mathematics
M. Ziegler - University of California, Santa Cruz
Publication Details: The Astrophysical Journal, Vol.721, pp.1383-1396
Identifiers: 9938336309311
Academic Unit: Université de Montpellier
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Local Fields: in2p3-00530295