The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C454.3 underwent an extraordinary 5 day gamma-ray outburst in 2010 November when the daily flux measured with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) at photon energies E > 100 MeV reached (66 +/- 2) x 10(-6) photons cm(-2) s(-1). This is a factor of three higher than its previous maximum flux recorded in 2009 December and greater than or similar to 5 times brighter than the Vela pulsar, which is normally the brightest source in the gamma-ray sky. The 3 hr peak flux was (85 +/- 5) x 10(-6) photons cm-2 s(-1), corresponding to an apparent isotropic luminosity of (2.1 +/- 0.2) x10(50) erg s(-1), the highest ever recorded for a blazar. In this Letter, we investigate the features of this exceptional event in the gamma-ray band of the Fermi-LAT. In contrast to previous flares of the same source observed with the Fermi-LAT, clear spectral changes are observed during the flare.
FERMI GAMMA-RAY SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF THE GAMMA-RAY OUTBURST FROM 3C454.3 IN NOVEMBER 2010 / Abdo AA; Ackermann M; Ajello M; Allafort A; Baldini L; Ballet J; Barbiellini G; Bastieri D; Bellazzini R; Berenji B; Blandford RD; Bloom ED; Bonamente E; Borgland AW; Bouvier A; Bregeon J; Brigida M; Bruel P; Buehler R; Buson S; Caliandro GA; Cameron RA; Caraveo PA; Casandjian JM; Cavazzuti E; Cecchi C; Charles E; Chekhtman A; Cheung CC; Chiang J; Ciprini S; Claus R; Conrad J; Cutini S; DAmmando F; de Angelis A; de Palma F; Dermer CD; Digel SW; Silva EDE; Drell PS; Dubois R; Dumora D; Escande L; Favuzzi C; Fegan SJ; Ferrara EC; Fortin P; Fukazawa Y; Fusco P; Gargano F; Gasparrini D; Gehrels N; Germani S; Giglietto N; Giommi P; Giordano F; Giroletti M; Glanzman T; Godfrey G; Grenier IA; Grove JE; Guiriec S; Hadasch D; Hayashida M; Hays E; Horan D; Itoh R; Johannesson G; Johnson AS; Kamae T; Katagiri H; Kataoka J; Knodlseder J; Kuss M; Lande J; Larsson S; Latronico L; Lee SH; Longo F; Loparco F; Lott B; Lovellette MN; Lubrano P; Madejski GM; Makeev A; Mazziotta MN; McConville W; McEnery JE; Michelson PF; Mitthumsiri W; Mizuno T; Moiseev AA; Monte C; Monzani ME; Morselli A; Moskalenko IV; Murgia S; Naumann-Godo M; Nishino S; Nolan PL; Norris JP; Nuss E; Ohsugi T; Okumura A; Orlando E; Ormes JF; Paneque D; Pelassa V; Pesce-Rollins M; Pierbattista M; Piron F; Porter TA; Raino S; Rando R; Razzaque S; Reimer A; Reimer O; Ritz S; Roth M; Sadrozinski HFW; Sanchez D; Scargle JD; Schalk TL; Sgro C; Siskind EJ; Smith PD; Spandre G; Spinelli P; Strickman MS; Takahashi H; Takahashi T; Tanaka T; Tanaka Y; Thayer JG; Thayer JB; Thompson DJ; Tibaldo L; Torres DF; Tosti G; Tramacere A; Troja E; Vandenbroucke J; Vasileiou V; Vianello G; Vilchez N; Vitale V; Waite AP; Wang P; Winer BL; Wood KS; Yang Z; Ziegler M. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - ISSN 2041-8205. - STAMPA. - 733:2(2011), pp. L26.26-L26.32. [10.1088/2041-8205/733/2/L26]
FERMI GAMMA-RAY SPACE TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF THE GAMMA-RAY OUTBURST FROM 3C454.3 IN NOVEMBER 2010
D'AMMANDO, FILIPPO;
2011
Abstract
The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C454.3 underwent an extraordinary 5 day gamma-ray outburst in 2010 November when the daily flux measured with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) at photon energies E > 100 MeV reached (66 +/- 2) x 10(-6) photons cm(-2) s(-1). This is a factor of three higher than its previous maximum flux recorded in 2009 December and greater than or similar to 5 times brighter than the Vela pulsar, which is normally the brightest source in the gamma-ray sky. The 3 hr peak flux was (85 +/- 5) x 10(-6) photons cm-2 s(-1), corresponding to an apparent isotropic luminosity of (2.1 +/- 0.2) x10(50) erg s(-1), the highest ever recorded for a blazar. In this Letter, we investigate the features of this exceptional event in the gamma-ray band of the Fermi-LAT. In contrast to previous flares of the same source observed with the Fermi-LAT, clear spectral changes are observed during the flare.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
