Swift follow-up of the flaring blazar PKS 2032+107
ATel #7460; F. D'Ammando (Univ. Bologna, INAF-IRA Bologna), M. Orienti (INAF-IRA Bologna) on behalf of the Fermi Large Area Telescope Collaboration
on 30 Apr 2015; 08:23 UT
Credential Certification: Filippo D'Ammando (filippo.dammando@fisica.unipg.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, >GeV, AGN, Black Hole, Blazar, Quasar
Following the gamma-ray flare of the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 2032+107 detected by Fermi LAT on 2015 April 26 (ATel #7453), a Swift target of opportunity observation was performed on April 28.
Swift/XRT data were taken in Photon Counting mode for a net exposure of about 3.0 ksec. The X-ray spectrum (0.3-10 keV) observed on 2015 April 28 can be fit by an absorbed power-law model with a HI column density consistent with the Galactic value in the direction of the source (n_H = 7.4 x 10^20 cm^-2, Kalberla et al. 2005, A&A, 440, 775) and a photon index of 1.3+/-0.3. The corresponding unabsorbed 0.3-10 keV flux is (2.3+/-0.4)x10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1. This flux is a factor of two higher than that observed by Swift/XRT on 2006 April 7, (1.1+/-0.2)x10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1, with a photon index of 1.6+/-0.2.
Simultaneous Swift/UVOT observations on 2015 April 28 found PKS 2032+107 about 0.6 mag brighter in V-band (V = 17.23+/-0.14), and 0.5 mag in B-band (B = 18.35+/-0.14) compared to the UVOT observations performed on 2006 April 7 (V = 17.85+/-0.24, B = 18.89+/-0.23).
In consideration of the ongoing activity of this source, confirmed also by the Swift observations, we encourage further multiwavelength observations. For this source the Fermi LAT contact person is M. Orienti (orienti@ira.inaf.it).
We would like to thank the Swift Team for making this observation possible, in particular K. L. Page as the Swift Observatory Duty Scientist.
