We report the first blazar detection by AGILE. AGILE detected 3C 454.3 during a period of strongly enhanced optical emission in 2007 July. AGILE observed the source with a dedicated repointing during the period 2007 July 24-30 with its two co-aligned imagers, the Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector and the hard X-ray imager Super-AGILE sensitive in the 30 MeV to 50 GeV and 18-60 keV ranges, respectively. Over the entire period, AGILE detected gamma-ray emission from 3C 454.3 at a significance level of 13.8 sigma with an average flux (E > 100 MeV) of (280 +/- 40) x 10(-8) photons cm(-2) s(-1). The gamma-ray flux appears to be variable toward the end of the observation. No emission was detected by Super-AGILE in the energy range 20-60 keV, with a 3 sigma upper limit of 2.3 x 10(-3) photons cm(-2) s(-1). The gamma-ray flux level of 3C 454.3 detected by AGILE is the highest ever detected for this quasar and among the most intense gamma-ray sluxes ever detected from flat-spectrum radio quasars.
Agile detection of a strong gamma-ray flare from the blazar 3C 454.3 / Vercellone S; Chen AW; Giuliani A; Bulgarelli A; Donnarumma I; Lapshov I; Tavani M; Argan A; Barbiellini G; Caraveo P; Cocco V; Costa E; DAmmando F; Del Monte E; De Paris G; Di Cocco G; Evangelista Y; Feroci M; Fiorini M; Froysland T; Fuschino F; Galli M; Gianotti F; Labanti C; Lazzarotto F; Lipari P; Longo F; Marisaldi M; Mauri F; Mereghetti S; Morselli A; Pacciani L; Pellizzoni A; Perotti F; Picozza P; Prest M; Pucella G; Rapisarda M; Soffitta P; Trifoglio M; Trois A; Vallazza E; Vittorini V; Zambra A; Zanello D; Pittori C; Verrecchia F; Gasparrini D; Cutini S; Giommi P; Antonelli LA; Colafrancesco S; Salotti L. - In: THE ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - ISSN 2041-8205. - STAMPA. - 676:1(2008), pp. 13-16. [10.1086/587170]
Agile detection of a strong gamma-ray flare from the blazar 3C 454.3
D'AMMANDO, FILIPPO;
2008
Abstract
We report the first blazar detection by AGILE. AGILE detected 3C 454.3 during a period of strongly enhanced optical emission in 2007 July. AGILE observed the source with a dedicated repointing during the period 2007 July 24-30 with its two co-aligned imagers, the Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector and the hard X-ray imager Super-AGILE sensitive in the 30 MeV to 50 GeV and 18-60 keV ranges, respectively. Over the entire period, AGILE detected gamma-ray emission from 3C 454.3 at a significance level of 13.8 sigma with an average flux (E > 100 MeV) of (280 +/- 40) x 10(-8) photons cm(-2) s(-1). The gamma-ray flux appears to be variable toward the end of the observation. No emission was detected by Super-AGILE in the energy range 20-60 keV, with a 3 sigma upper limit of 2.3 x 10(-3) photons cm(-2) s(-1). The gamma-ray flux level of 3C 454.3 detected by AGILE is the highest ever detected for this quasar and among the most intense gamma-ray sluxes ever detected from flat-spectrum radio quasars.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.