AGILE detection of renewed gamma-ray activity from the blazar PKS 1502+106
ATel #8593; C. Pittori (ASDC and INAF/OAR), A. Bulgarelli (INAF/IASF-Bo), F. Lucarelli, F. Verrecchia (ASDC and INAF/OAR), V. Fioretti (INAF/IASF-Bo), M. Tavani (INAF/IAPS, and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), S. Vercellone (INAF/IASF-Pa), G. Piano (INAF/IAPS), E. Striani (CIFS and INAF/IAPS), 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), A. Antonelli (ASDC and INAF/OAR), P. Giommi (ASDC), L. Salotti, G. Valentini, and F. D'Amico (ASI)
on 26 Jan 2016; 20:00 UT
Credential Certification: Carlotta Pittori (carlotta.pittori@asdc.asi.it)
Subjects: Gamma Ray, >GeV, AGN, Blazar, Quasar, Transient
The AGILE satellite detects renewed gamma-ray activity from a source positionally consistent with the high-redshift (z=1.8383) blazar PKS 1502+106 (also known as OR 103, S3 1502+10 and 3FGLJ1504.4+1029), with radio coordinates, R.A.: 226.10408 deg, Dec: 10.49422 deg (J2000) (Johnston et al. 1995, AJ, 110, 880).
Integrating from 2016-01-24 05:30 UT to 2016-01-26 05:00 UT, a preliminary maximum likelihood analysis yields the detection of the source with a flux of (2.1+/-0.8)x 10E-6 ph/cm2/s (E > 100 MeV) at a significance of about 5 sigma. Integrating over one week from 2016-01-19 06:40 UT to 2016-01-26 06:40, a preliminary maximum likelihood analysis yields a detection at a significance level above 5 sigma and a flux F(E>100 MeV)=(1.4+/-0.4) x 10E-6 ph/cm2/s.
The detection of a previous GeV flare from PKS 1502+106 was reported by Fermi-LAT in July 2015 (ATel #7801), and it was followed by reports of increased optical (ATel #7799 and ATel #7829) and NIR (ATel #7805) fluxes.
This measurement was obtained with AGILE observing a large portion of the sky in spinning mode. Multifrequency observations of the source are strongly encouraged
