AGILE detection of a bright gamma-ray flare from the blazar 3C 279
ATel #7631; F. Lucarelli, C. Pittori, F. Verrecchia (ASDC and INAF/OAR), M. Tavani (INAF/IAPS, and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), A. Bulgarelli, V. Fioretti (INAF/IASF-Bo), G. Piano (INAF/IAPS), E. Striani (CIFS and INAF/IAPS), S. Vercellone (INAF/IASF-Pa), I. Donnarumma (INAF/IAPS), M. Cardillo (INAF/OA-Arcetri and INAF/IAPS), F. Gianotti, M. Trifoglio (INAF/IASF-Bo), A. Giuliani, S. Mereghetti, P. Caraveo, F. Perotti (INAF/IASF-Mi), A. Chen (Wits University), A. Argan, E. Costa, E. Del Monte, Y. Evangelista, M. Feroci, F. Lazzarotto, I. Lapshov, L. Pacciani, P. Soffitta, S. Sabatini, V. Vittorini (INAF/IAPS), G. Pucella, M. Rapisarda (ENEA-Frascati), G. Di Cocco, F. Fuschino, M. Galli, C. Labanti, M. Marisaldi (INAF/IASF-Bo), A. Pellizzoni, M. Pilia, A. Trois (INAF/OA-Cagliari), G. Barbiellini, E. Vallazza (INFN Trieste), F. Longo (Univ. Trieste and INFN Trieste), A. Morselli, P. Picozza (INFN and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), M. Prest (Univ. dell'Insubria), P. Lipari, D. Zanello (INFN and Univ. Roma Sapienza), P. W. Cattaneo, A. Rappoldi (INFN Pavia), S. Colafrancesco (INAF/OAR and Wits University), N. Parmiggiani (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), A. Ferrari (Univ. Torino and CIFS), P. Giommi (ASDC), L. Salotti, G. Valentini, and F. D'Amico (ASI)
on 15 Jun 2015; 09:08 UT
Credential Certification: Fabrizio Lucarelli (fabrizio.lucarelli@asdc.asi.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, >GeV, Blazar, Transient
AGILE is detecting intense gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV from a source consistent with the Flat Spectrum Radio Quasar 3C 279 (RA: 194.046527 deg, Dec: -5.789312 deg, J2000) at z=0.536.
Integrating from 2015-06-13 01:00 UT to 2015-06-15 01:00 UT, a maximum likelihood analysis yields a detection at a significance level of above 8 sigma, and a flux F = (7.8 +/- 1.5) x 10^-6 ph/cm^2/s (E > 100 MeV), more than a factor of 3 with respect to the previous 48 hours.
The AGILE-GRID detection was obtained while AGILE is observing in spinning mode, surveying a large fraction of the sky each day.
3C 279 is one of the FSRQs known to be VHE gamma-ray emitters. Multifrequency observations of 3C 279 are strongly encouraged.
