Discovery of VHE Gamma-Ray Emission from the Fermi-LAT Source PKS 1424+240
ATel #2084; Rene A. Ong (UCLA)
on 15 Jun 2009; 06:13 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Request For Observations
Credential Certification: Rene Ong (rene@astro.ucla.edu)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, >GeV, Request for Observations, AGN
Referred to by ATel #: 2098
The VERITAS Collaboration reports the discovery of very high energy
(VHE; E>100 GeV) gamma-ray emission from the intermediate-frequency-
peaked BL Lac object PKS 1424+240. The redshift of PKS 1424+240 is
uncertain. This new VHE source was observed for ~14 hours of good-
quality live time between 19 February 2009 and 14 June 2009 (UT) with
the VERITAS atmospheric-Cherenkov telescope array, following the
report of its detection with the Fermi-LAT as 0FGL J1427.1+2347 (Abdo
et al., arXiv:0902.1340; Abdo et al., arXiv:0902.1559). Analysis of
the VERITAS data yields a detection of ~190 gamma rays from PKS
1424+240 corresponding to a significance of >5 standard deviations.
The VHE flux is ~2 percent of the Crab above 200 GeV. VERITAS will
continue to observe PKS 1424+240 and contemporaneous multi-wavelength
observations of this blazar are encouraged.
