The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C454.3 underwent an extraordinary 5 day γ-ray outburst in 2010 November when the daily flux measured with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) at photon energies E > 100MeV reached (66 2) × 10-6 photons cm-2 s-1. This is a factor of three higher than its previous maximum flux recorded in 2009 December and ≳ 5 times brighter than the Vela pulsar, which is normally the brightest source in the γ-ray sky. The 3hr peak flux was (85 5)×10-6 photons cm-2 s-1, corresponding to an apparent isotropic luminosity of (2.1 0.2)×1050 erg s-1, the highest ever recorded for a blazar. In this Letter, we investigate the features of this exceptional event in the γ-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; D'Ammando, F; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Dermer, Cd; Digel, Sw; Silva, Ede; Drell, Ps; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Escande, L; Favuzzi, Cecilia; Fegan, Sj; Ferrara, Ec; Fortin, P; Fukazawa, Y; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giglietto, Nicola; 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. - 733:2(2011). [10.1088/2041-8205/733/2/L26]

Fermi gamma-ray space telescope observations of the gamma-ray outburst from 3C454.3 in November 2010

FAVUZZI, Cecilia;GIGLIETTO, Nicola;
2011-01-01

Abstract

The flat-spectrum radio quasar 3C454.3 underwent an extraordinary 5 day γ-ray outburst in 2010 November when the daily flux measured with the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) at photon energies E > 100MeV reached (66 2) × 10-6 photons cm-2 s-1. This is a factor of three higher than its previous maximum flux recorded in 2009 December and ≳ 5 times brighter than the Vela pulsar, which is normally the brightest source in the γ-ray sky. The 3hr peak flux was (85 5)×10-6 photons cm-2 s-1, corresponding to an apparent isotropic luminosity of (2.1 0.2)×1050 erg s-1, the highest ever recorded for a blazar. In this Letter, we investigate the features of this exceptional event in the γ-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.
2011
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; D'Ammando, F; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Dermer, Cd; Digel, Sw; Silva, Ede; Drell, Ps; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Escande, L; Favuzzi, Cecilia; Fegan, Sj; Ferrara, Ec; Fortin, P; Fukazawa, Y; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giglietto, Nicola; 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. - 733:2(2011). [10.1088/2041-8205/733/2/L26]
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11589/52255
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