AGILE detection of enhanced gamma-ray emission from the FSRQ CTA 102

ATel #9743; G. Minervini , G. Piano, P. Munar-Adrover (INAF/IAPS), A. Bulgarelli (INAF/IASF-Bo), C. Pittori, F. Verrecchia (ASDC and INAF/OAR), M. Tavani (INAF/IAPS, and Univ. Roma Tor Vergata), I. Donnarumma (INAF/IAPS), V. Fioretti, A. Zoli (INAF/IASF-Bo), F. Lucarelli (ASDC and INAF/OAR), S. Vercellone (INAF/OA-Brera), 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 11 Nov 2016; 15:32 UT
Credential Certification: Gabriele Minervini (minervinigabriele@gmail.com)

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AGILE is detecting increased gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV from a source with galactic coordinates (l,b)= (77.4 , -38.4) +/- 0.6 deg (stat 95% c.l.) +/- 0.1 deg (syst), (RA, Dec) = (338.0, 11.8) (J2000), consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar CTA 102. Integrating from 2016-11-08 10:30:00 UT to 2016-11-10 10:30:00 UT, a preliminary maximum likelihood analysis yields a detection with a significance of 6 sigma, and a flux F(E>100 MeV)=(3.8 +/- 1.1) x 10^-6 ph cm^-2 s^-1.

Optical flaring activity was recently reported in ATel #9676 and ATel #9732. This source was previously observed in an active gamma-ray state by AGILE in December 2015 (ATel #8476) with a similar measured flux.

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

Multifrequency observations of the CTA 102 region are strongly encouraged.