Lepto$-$Hadronic Origin of $\gamma$-ray Outbursts of 3C 279

TL;DR

This paper investigates the gamma-ray outbursts of blazar 3C 279 in 2013 and 2014, analyzing spectral variations and flux variability to understand the particle acceleration mechanisms involved.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of spectral and flux variability during two major gamma-ray flares, offering insights into the lepto-hadronic processes in blazar jets.

Findings

Spectral curvature observed in 2014 April flare.

Extreme spectral hardening during 2013 December flare.

Constraints on particle acceleration mechanisms in blazar jets.

Abstract

The blazar 3C 279 exhibited a giant $\gamma$-ray outburst in 2013 December and 2014 April. Apart from the very fast $\gamma$-ray flux variability, the spectral nature of the flares were also found to vary significantly between these two flaring events. A prominent curvature in the $\gamma$-ray spectrum was noticed in 2014 April flare, on the other hand, the 2013 December displayed an extreme hardening of the spectrum. These observations, thus, put strong constraints on our understanding of the underlying particle acceleration mechanisms.