Elevated radio fluxes in flaring FSRQ PKS 0502+049
ATel #4868; Philip G. Edwards (CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science), Jamie Stevens (CSIRO Astronomy and Space Science), and Roopesh Ojha (NASA/GSFC)
on 7 Mar 2013; 01:13 UT
Credential Certification: Roopesh Ojha (Roopesh.Ojha@gmail.com)
Subjects: Radio, AGN, Blazar, Quasar
Following the Fermi LAT detection of a gamma-ray flare from the flat
spectrum radio quasar PKS 0502+049 (ATel#4858), the Australia
Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) was used to make "snapshot"
observations at two radio frequencies: 5.5 and 9.0 GHz on 6 March
2013. Data at both frequencies was collected for about 5 minutes at 14:50 UTC,
and calibrated against the ATCA primary flux calibrator PKS 1934-638.
The flux densities are: 1.1 Jy at 5.5 GHz and 1.2 Jy at 9 GHz where
each flux density has a one-sigma uncertainty of +- 0.1 Jy (this uncertainty is
a combination of systematic and statistical error and is dominated by
the former). Each frequency is the centre of a 2 GHz wide band. Comparison with regular
calibrator monitoring data indicates the flux density of PKS 0502+049
is currently 29% higher at 5.5 GHz than on 29 August 2011 and 58%
higher at 9.0 GHz than on 29 August 2011.
Further monitoring will be continued and possible future activity will
be reported using this and other platforms.