Fermi LAT detection of a GeV flare from the high redshift blazar PKS 0458-02
ATel #4396; M. Orienti (Univ. Bologna, INAF-IRA Bologna), F. D'Ammando (Univ. Perugia, INFN) on behalf of the Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration
on 19 Sep 2012; 12:43 UT
Credential Certification: Monica Orienti (orienti@ira.inaf.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, Request for Observations, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
The Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed gamma-ray flaring activity from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 0458-02 (also known as 2FGL J0501.2-0155, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31) with radio coordinates R.A.: 75.3033742 deg, Dec: -1.9872931 deg (J2000, Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880) at redshift z=2.286 (Strittmatter et al. 1974, ApJ, 190, 509).
Preliminary analysis indicates that the source brightened in gamma rays with a daily flux (E > 100 MeV) of (1.0+/-0.3) x10^-6 ph cm^-2 s^-1 (errors are statistical only) on 17 September, about a factor of 30 greater than the average flux reported in the second Fermi LAT catalog (2FGL, Nolan et al. 2012, ApJS, 199, 31).
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 this source the Fermi LAT contact person is M. Orienti (orienti@ira.inaf.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.