A hadronic minute-scale GeV flare from quasar 3C 279?

Understand

The flat spectrum radio quasar 3C 279 is a known $\gamma$-ray variable source that has recently exhibited minute-scale variability at energies $>100$ MeV.

• One-zone leptonic models for blazar emission are severely constrained by the short timescale variability that implies a very compact emission region at a distance of hundreds of Schwarzschild radii from the central black hole.
• Here, we investigate a hadronic scenario where GeV $\gamma$-rays are produced via proton synchrotron radiation.
• We also take into account the effects of the hadronically initiated electromagnetic cascades (EMC).