Fermi LAT detection of renewed gamma-ray activity from the FSRQ PKS 2326-502
ATel #4225; F. D'Ammando (Dip. Fisica, Univ. Perugia) and E. Torresi (INAF-IASF Bologna) on behalf of the Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration
on 29 Jun 2012; 06:03 UT
Credential Certification: Filippo D'Ammando (filippo.dammando@iasf-roma.inaf.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, >GeV, Request for Observations, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
Referred to by ATel #: 4232
The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has observed an increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar PKS 2326-502 (also known as 2FGL J2329.2-4956, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31; R.A.=23:29:20.880 Dec.=-49:55:40.68, J2000.0, Costa and Loyola 1996, A&AS, 115, 75) at redshift z=0.518 (Jauncey et al. 1984, ApJ, 286, 498).
Preliminary analysis indicates that the source on June 27, 2012 showed a gamma-ray daily flux (E>100 MeV) of (1.4+/-0.3) x10^-6 ph cm^-2 s^-1 (errors are statistical only), a factor of 11 greater than the average flux reported in the second Fermi LAT catalog (2FGL, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31). High level gamma-ray activity from this source was detected in August 2010 by Fermi-LAT (ATel #2783) and November 2010 by AGILE (ATel #3008).
This source is one of the "LAT Monitored Sources" and consequently a preliminary estimation of the daily gamma-ray flux observed by Fermi LAT is publicly available (link: http://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/ssc/data/access/lat/msl_lc/ ).
Because Fermi operates in an all-sky scanning mode, regular gamma-ray monitoring of this source will continue. In consideration of the ongoing activity of this source we encourage multiwavelength observations. For PKS 2326-502 the Fermi LAT contact person is Filippo D'Ammando (filippo.dammando@fisica.unipg.it).
The Fermi LAT is a pair conversion telescope designed to cover the energy band from 20 MeV to greater than 300 GeV. It is the product of an international collaboration between NASA and DOE in the U.S. and many scientific institutions across France, Italy, Japan and Sweden.
