A Rare Gamma-ray Flaring episode of the Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 Galaxy 1H 0323+342

Gamma-ray-emitting narrow-line Seyfert 1 (gamma-NLSy1) galaxies represent an enigmatic class of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) bridging populations of radio-quiet and radio-loud AGNs. Here we report the multi-wavelength investigation of a rare gamma-ray flaring episode of an NLSy1 galaxy, 1H 0323+342 (z=0.063), using data from Fermi-Large Area Telescope, Swift, and Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescopic Array. The source exhibited a significant enhancement in gamma-ray flux along with rapid variability on about sub-hour timescales in both gamma-ray and hard X-ray wavelengths, hinting that the energy dissipation is happening from a compact region close to the central supermassive black-hole. The time-resolved X-ray spectral study revealed a transition between a jet-dominated and a mixed jet+corona emission state. Reproducing the broadband spectral energy distribution with a one-zone leptonic model suggested that the high-energy emission is mainly produced by external Compton scattering of the accretion disc and broad line region photons. The inferred jet power reaches values of the order of 10 46 erg s-1 comparable to those of powerful flat-spectrum radio quasars, suggesting that even low black-hole mass systems can occasionally produce powerful gamma-ray outbursts.