Fermi LAT Detection of a New Gamma-ray Source Fermi J1433-1806

ATel #6310; S. Buson (INFN & Univ. of Padova) on behalf of the Fermi LAT collaboration
on 12 Jul 2014; 17:18 UT
Credential Certification: Sara Buson (buson@pd.infn.it)

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The Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard the Fermi Gamma-ray satellite has observed a gamma-ray flare from a new gamma-ray source. The preliminary best-fit location of the gamma-ray source (R.A.= 14h33m41.76s deg, Dec.= -18d06m18.00s deg, J2000) has a 95% containment radius of 0.14 deg (statistical errors only) for observations from 2014 July 1 to 10. This source is not in any published Fermi LAT catalog and there is no previously reported EGRET gamma-ray detection at this location. The closest candidate counterpart is PKS 1430-178 at RA=14h32m57.6905s, Dec=-18d01m35.247s (J2000; Johnston 1995 AJ, 110, 880; redshift = 2.331, Wright et al. 1979, ApJ, 229, 73) at an angular distance of 0.19 deg.

Preliminary analysis indicates that on 2014 July 10, the gamma-ray source was observed with a daily averaged flux (E>100MeV) of (6.2 +/- 0.6) x 10^-7 photons cm^-2 s^-1 and a photon index of 2.1+/-0.1 (errors are statistical only). The source has showed significant gamma-ray activity also during the past 10 days. A preliminary analysis of data for 2014 July 1-10 indicates that it was detected with an average flux (E>100MeV) of (1.5 +/- 0.4 ) x 10^-7 photons cm^-2 s^-1 and a photon index of 2.4+/-0.2 (errors are statistical only).

Because Fermi operates in an all-sky scanning mode, regular gamma-ray monitoring of this source will continue. We encourage further multifrequency observations of this source. For this source the Fermi LAT contact person is Sara Buson (buson@pd.infn.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.