AGILE detection of the blazar Mrk 421
ATel #1583; C. Pittori, Sara Cutini, Dario Gasparrini, F. Verrecchia, S. Colafrancesco, P. Giommi (ASDC),S. Vercellone, A. Chen, A. Giuliani (INAF/IASF Milan), I. Donnarumma, F. D'Ammando, L. Pacciani, G. Pucella, V. Vittorini (INAF/IASF Rome), F. Longo (INFN, Trieste), A. Bulgarelli (INAF/IASF Bologna), S. Mereghetti, A. Pellizzoni, F. Perotti, F. Fornari, M. Fiorini, P. Caraveo, A. Zambra (INAF/IASF Milan), F. Gianotti, M. Trifoglio, G. Di Cocco, C. Labanti, F. Fuschino, M. Marisaldi, M. Galli, (INAF/IASF Bologna), M. Tavani, E. Costa, M. Feroci, E. Del Monte, F. Lazzarotto, G. Piano, P. Soffitta, Y. Evangelista, I. Lapshov, M. Rapisarda, A. Argan, A. Trois, G. De Paris (INAF/IASF Rome), G. Barbiellini, E. Vallazza (INFN Trieste), P. Picozza, A. Morselli (INFN Roma-2), M. Prest, (Universita` dell'Insubria), P. Lipari, D. Zanello (INFN Roma-1), P. Cattaneo (INFN Pavia), L. Salotti (ASI), and J. Grube (University of Leeds)
on 17 Jun 2008; 12:47 UT
Credential Certification: Carlotta Pittori (carlotta.pittori@asdc.asi.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, AGN, Quasar
The AGILE Gamma Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) detected Mrk 421 in the period between 2008-06-09 17:02 UT and 2008-06-15 02:17 UT during a Target of Opportunity (ToO) re-pointing towards W Comae.
A preliminary maximum likelihood analysis shows a detection at a significance level of about 4 sigma, at energies above 100 MeV.
During the AGILE ToO, the Super-AGILE hard X-ray monitor detected Mrk 421 in a relatively high-state, with a source flux of about 40 mCrab, in the energy range 18-60 keV (see Costa et al., ATEL #1574).
The source is an approved target of the AGILE Announcement of Opportunity, Cycle 1 (PI: J. Grube).