Leptonic and Lepto-Hadronic Modeling of the Nov. 2010 flare from 3C 454.3

TL;DR

This paper compares leptonic and lepto-hadronic models to explain the 2010 flare of quasar 3C 454.3, finding the lepto-hadronic model better fits the multi-wavelength data during the flare.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive parameter study of both models to explain a specific blazar flare, highlighting the effectiveness of the lepto-hadronic model in this context.

Findings

Lepto-hadronic model fits broadband spectra during flare

Leptonic model poorly fits X-ray and gamma-ray data during flare

Lepto-hadronic model explains optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray light curves

Abstract

In this study, we use a one-zone leptonic and a lepto-hadronic model to investigate the multi-wavelength emission and the prominent flare of the flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 454.3 in Nov 2010. We perform a parameter study with both models to obtain broadband fits to the spectral energy distribution of 3C 454.3. Starting with the baseline parameters obtained from the fits, we then investigate different flaring scenarios for both models to explain an extreme outburst and spectral hardening of 3C 454.3 that occurred in Nov 2010. We find that the one zone lepto-hadronic model can successfully explain both the broadband multi-wavelength spectral energy distribution and light curves in the optical R, Swift XRT and Fermi gamma-ray bandpasses for 3C 454.3 during quiescence and the peak of the Nov. 2010 flare. We also find that the one-zone leptonic model produces poor fits to the broadband spectra in the X-ray and high energy gamma-ray band passes for the Nov. 2010 flare.