AGILE detects another extraordinary gamma-ray flare from the blazar 3C 454.3
ATel #3034; E. Striani (Univ. Roma Tor Vergata and INFN Roma), F. Lucarelli (ASDC), S. Vercellone (INAF/IASF-Pa), A. Bulgarelli, F. Gianotti, M. Trifoglio (INAF/IASF-Bo), Tavani (INAF/IASF-Rm), C. Pittori, F. Verrecchia, P. Santolamazza (ASDC), I. Donnarumma, V. Vittorini, E. Del Monte, Y. Evangelista, M. Feroci, F. Lazzarotto, L. Pacciani, P. Soffitta, E. Costa, I. Lapshov, M. Rapisarda, A. Argan, G. Piano, G. Pucella, S. Sabatini, A. Trois (INAF/IASF-Rm), F. Fuschino, M. Galli, C. Labanti, M. Marisaldi, G. Di Cocco (INAF/IASF-Bo), A. Chen, A. Giuliani, S. Mereghetti, P. Caraveo, F. Perotti (INAF/IASF-Mi), A. Pellizzoni, M. Pilia (INAF/OA-Cagliari), G. Barbiellini, F. Longo, E. Vallazza (INFN Trieste), E. Moretti (KTH Stockholm), A. Morselli, P. Picozza (INFN and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), M. Prest (Universita` dell'Insubria), P. Lipari, D. Zanello (INFN and Univ. Roma Sapienza), P. W. Cattaneo, A. Rappoldi (INFN Pavia), P. Giommi,(ASDC), L. Salotti, G. Valentini (ASI)
on 17 Nov 2010; 14:40 UT
Distributed as an Instant Email Notice Transients
Credential Certification: Marco Tavani (tavani@iasf-roma.inaf.it)
Subjects: Request for Observations, AGN, Blazar, Quasar, Transient
The AGILE Gamma-Ray Imaging Detector (GRID) is now detecting a very intense gamma-ray flare above 100 MeV from the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar 3C 454.3.
Integrating from 2010-11-16 6:50 UT to 2010-11-17 09:15 UT, a preliminary quicklook maximum likelihood analysis yields a source flux of F = (2600 +/- 400)e-8 ph/cm2/sec (E > 100 MeV), which represents an increase by a factor of ~ 4 in 24 hours.
Since the end of October, 2010, 3C454.3 has been detected in a high state in the NIR, optical and gamma-ray energy bands (ATel #2988, ATel #2995, ATel #3003, ATel #3005, ATel #3022).
This detection was obtained while AGILE is observing in spinning mode, surveying a large fraction of the sky each day. Multifrequency observations of 3C 454.3 are strongly encouraged.
