AGILE detection of enhanced gamma-ray activity from the CTA 102 region

ATel #8476; A. Bulgarelli (INAF/IASF-Bo), M. Tavani (INAF/IAPS, and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), C. Pittori, F. Verrecchia, F. Lucarelli (ASDC and INAF/OAR),  I. Donnarumma (INAF/IAPS), S. Vercellone (INAF/IASF-Pa), V. Fioretti (INAF/IASF-Bo), G. Piano (INAF/IAPS), E. Striani (CIFS and 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), A. Antonelli (ASDC and INAF/OAR), P. Giommi (ASDC), L. Salotti, G. Valentini, and F. D'Amico (ASI)
on 30 Dec 2015; 14:50 UT
Credential Certification: Andrea Bulgarelli (bulgarelli@iasfbo.inaf.it)

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AGILE is detecting intense gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV from a source at Galactic coordinates (l,b)=(77.48, -38.42) deg (R.A., Dec.= 338.070, 11.876 deg, J2000), with a statistical 95% c.l. elliptical error region with major and minor axes of 0.80 deg and 0.62 deg, respectively, plus a systematical uncertainty of 0.1 deg. The roll angle of major axis from the north direction is 105.0 deg clockwise.

Integrating from 2015-12-28 00:00 UT to 2015-12-30 00:00 UT, a maximum likelihood analysis yields the detection of the source with a flux of (4.0 +/- 1.0) x 10E-6 ph/cm2/s (E > 100 MeV) at a significance above 6 sigma.

This position is consistent with the quasar CTA 102 (also know as 4C 11.69), associated with the 3FGL J2232.5+1143 source.

A flaring activity was previously reported in ATel #8374. See also http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/other/1451404243_fermi.txt

This measurement was obtained with AGILE observing a large portion of the sky in spinning mode.

Multifrequency observations of sources in the AGILE error ellipse are strongly encouraged.