{
  "id": "1001.4097",
  "version": "v1",
  "published": "2010-01-22T22:44:18.000Z",
  "updated": "2010-01-22T22:44:18.000Z",
  "title": "Spectral Properties of Bright Fermi-detected Blazars in the Gamma-ray Band",
  "authors": [
    "The Fermi-LAT Collaboration"
  ],
  "comment": "15 figures, 2 tables, accepted by The Astrophysical Journal",
  "categories": [
    "astro-ph.HE"
  ],
  "abstract": "The gamma-ray energy spectra of bright blazars of the LAT Bright AGN Sample (LBAS) are investigated using Fermi-LAT data. Spectral properties (hardness, curvature and variability) established using a data set accumulated over 6 months of operation are presented and discussed for different blazar classes and subclasses: Flat Spectrum Radio Quasars (FSRQs), Low-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (LSP-BLLacs), Intermediate-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (ISP-BLLacs) and High-synchrotron peaked BLLacs (HSP-BLLacs). The distribution of photon index (obtained from a power-law fit above 100 MeV) is found to correlate strongly with blazar subclass. The change in spectral index from that averaged over the six month observing period is < 0.2-0.3 when the flux varies by about an order of magnitude, with a tendency toward harder spectra when the flux is brighter for FSRQs and LSP-BLLacs. A strong departure from a single power-law spectrum appears to be a common feature for FSRQs. This feature is also present for some high-luminosity LSP-BLLacs, and a small number of ISP-BLLacs. It is absent in all LBAS HSP-BLLacs. For 3C 454.3 and AO 0235+164, the two brightest FSRQ source and LSP-BLLac source respectively, a broken power law gives the most acceptable of power law, broken power law, and curved forms. The consequences of these findings are discussed.",
  "revisions": [
    {
      "version": "v1",
      "updated": "2010-01-22T22:44:18.000Z"
    }
  ],
  "analyses": {
    "keywords": [
      "bright fermi-detected blazars",
      "spectral properties",
      "gamma-ray band",
      "broken power law",
      "peaked bllacs"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "journal article"
    ],
    "publication": {
      "doi": "10.1088/0004-637X/710/2/1271",
      "journal": "The Astrophysical Journal",
      "year": 2010,
      "month": "Feb",
      "volume": 710,
      "number": 2,
      "pages": 1271
    },
    "note": {
      "typesetting": "TeX",
      "pages": 0,
      "language": "en",
      "license": "arXiv",
      "status": "editable",
      "inspire": 843680,
      "adsabs": "2010ApJ...710.1271A"
    }
  }
}