The recent NIR Flare of the Blazar CTA102
ATel #11167; L. Carrasco, G. Escobedo, A. Porras, E. Recillas, V. Chavushyan, D. Y. Mayya (INAOE, Mexico)
on 15 Jan 2018; 04:07 UT
Credential Certification: LUIS CARRASCO (carrasco@inaoep.mx)
Subjects: Radio, Infra-Red, Optical, Gamma Ray, AGN, Blazar
Referred to by ATel #: 13056
Following the report of increased Gamma-Ray activity detected by AGILE of the high redshift QSO (z=1.037) CTA102 cross identified with the radio source 4C+11.69 and the Gamma-ray source 2FGLJ2232.4+1143 by Lucarelli et al.(ATEL #11045). We were already monitoring this source in the NIR and found it with an enhanced flux in the J, H and Ks bands. The source shows an increasing, monotonic trend since MJD 2457997. Furthermore, we detected a very large NIR flare of this source. On January 5th,2018 MJD(2458123.6551), we found the source with NIR fluxes corresponding to J = 11.084 +/- 0.03, H = 10.189 +/- 0.03 and Ks = 9.081 +/- 0.05. While, on MJD 2458100.61 the fluxes in the NIR bands corresponded to J = 12.370 =/- 0.07, H = 11.463 +/- 0.05 and K = 10.560 +/- 0.07. Hence, the source has increased its flux by a factor of 4 in the K band in this this rather short lapse. The source is brightest since the time we started monitoring it on MJD 2454623.9. Our observations are carried out with the 2.1m telescope of the Guillermo Haro Observatory operated by the National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics (Mexico), equipped with the instrument CANICA a NIR camera. We encourage further multi wavelength coverage.
