A Systematic Study of Spectral Breaks in Gamma-Ray Flares of Blazars

The gamma-ray energy spectra of luminous blazars often show significant spectral breaks. Despite several dedicated studies, the physical cause of these features is not well-understood. In this work, we investigate the relationships between various parameters of gamma-ray blazar flares in order to further our understanding of the mechanism that causes the spectral breaks. As a follow-up to Nalewajko (2012), who presented a sample of the brightest blazar flares detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope in its first four years of operation, we systematically study the flare spectra and identify spectral breaks. We examine the relationships between the spectral break energy, the photon index change, and other flare properties such as the peak flux and the duration. We then use the results of this analysis to discuss potential physical mechanisms that might cause the gamma-ray spectral breaks in blazars.