MULTIWAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF A TeV-FLARE FROM W COMAE

Acciari, Va; Aliu, E; Aune, T; Beilicke, M; Benbow, W; Bottcher, M; Boltuch, D; Buckley, Jh; Bradbury, Sm; Bugaev, V; Byrum, K; Cannon, A; Cesarini, A; Ciupik, L; Cogan, P; Cui, W; Dickherber, R; Duke, C; Falcone, A; Finley, Jp; Fortin, P; Fortson, L; Furniss, A; Galante, N; Gall, D; Gibbs, K; Gillanders, Gh; Grube, J; Guenette, R; Gyuk, G; Hanna, D; Holder, J; Hui, Cm; Humensky, Tb; Kaaret, P; Karlsson, N; Kertzman, M; Kieda, D; Konopelko, A; Krawczynski, H; Krennrich, F; Lang, Mj; Lebohec, S; Maier, G; Mcarthur, S; Mccann, A; Mccutcheon, M; Millis, J; Moriarty, P; Ong, Ra; Otte, An; Pandel, D; Perkins, Js; Pichel, A; Pohl, M; Quinn, J; Ragan, K; Reyes, Lc; Reynolds, Pt; Roache, E; Rose, Hj; Sembroski, Gh; Smith, Aw; Steele, D; Theiling, M; Thibadeau, S; Varlotta, A; Vassiliev, Vv; Vincent, S; Wakely, Sp; Ward, Je; Weekes, Tc; Weinstein, A; Weisgarber, T; Williams, Da; Wissel, S; Wood, M; Pian, E; Vercellone, S; Donnarumma, I; D'Ammando, Filippo; Bulgarelli, A; Chen, Aw; Giuliani, A; Longo, F; Pacciani, L; Pucella, G; Vittorini, V; Tavani, M; Argan, A; Barbiellini, G; Caraveo, P; Cattaneo, Pw; Cocco, V; Costa, E; Del Monte, E; De Paris, G; Di Cocco, G; Evangelista, Y; Feroci, M; Fiorini, M; Froysland, T; Frutti, M; Fuschino, F; Galli, M; Gianotti, F; Labanti, C; Lapshov, I; Lazzarotto, F; Lipari, P; Marisaldi, M; Mastropietro, M; Mereghetti, S; Morelli, E; Morselli, A; Pellizzoni, A; Perotti, F; Piano, G; Picozza, P; Pilia, M; Porrovecchio, G; Prest, M; Rapisarda, M; Rappoldi, A; Rubini, A; Sabatini, S; Soffitta, P; Trifoglio, M; Trois, A; Vallazza, E; Zambra, A; Zanello, D; Pittori, C; Santolamazza, P; Verrecchia, F; Giommi, P; Colafrancesco, S; Salotti, L; Villata, M; Raiteri, Cm; Aller, Hd; Aller, Mf; Arkharov, Aa; Efimova, Nv; Larionov, Vm; Leto, P; Ligustri, R; Lindfors, E; Pasanen, M; Kurtanidze, Om; Tetradze, Sd; Lahteenmaki, A; Kotiranta, M; Cucchiara, A; Romano, P; Nesci, R; Pursimo, T; Heidt, J; Benitez, E; Hiriart, D; Nilsson, K; Berdyugin, A; Mujica, R; Dultzin, D; Lopez, Jm; Mommert, M; Sorcia, M; Perez, Id

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/707/1/612

We report results from an intensive multiwavelength campaign on the intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object W Com (z = 0.102) during a strong outburst of very high energy gamma-ray emission in 2008 June. The very high energy gamma-ray signal was detected by VERITAS on 2008 June 7-8 with a flux F(>200 GeV) = (5.7 +/- 0.6) x 10(-11) cm(-2) s(-1), about three times brighter than during the discovery of gamma-ray emission from W Com by VERITAS in 2008 March. The initial detection of this flare by VERITAS at energies above 200 GeV was followed by observations in high-energy gamma rays (AGILE; E-gamma >= 100 MeV), X-rays (Swift and XMM-Newton), and at UV, and ground-based optical and radio monitoring through the GASP-WEBT consortium and other observatories. Here we describe the multiwavelength data and derive the spectral energy distribution of the source from contemporaneous data taken throughout the flare.