Veritas discovery of 1200 gev gamma-ray emission from the intermediate-frequency-peaked bl lacertae object w comae

  • V. A. Acciari
  • , E. Aliu
  • , M. Beilicke
  • , W. Benbow
  • , M. Böttcher
  • , S. M. Bradbury
  • , J. H. Buckley
  • , V. Bugaev
  • , Y. Butt
  • , O. Celik
  • , A. Cesarini
  • , L. Ciupik
  • , Y. C.K. Chow
  • , P. Cogan
  • , P. Colin
  • , W. Cui
  • , M. K. Daniel
  • , T. Ergin
  • , A. D. Falcone
  • , S. J. Fegan
  • J. P. Finley, G. Finnegan, P. Fortin, L. F. Fortson, A. Furniss, D. Gall, G. H. Gillanders, J. Grube, R. Guenette, G. Gyuk, D. Hanna, E. Hays, J. Holder, D. Horan, C. M. Hui, T. B. Humensky, A. Imran, P. Kaaret, N. Karlsson, M. Kertzman, D. B. Kieda, A. Konopelko, H. Krawczynski, F. Krennrich, M. J. Lang, S. LeBohec, K. Lee, G. Maier, A. McCann, M. McCutcheon, P. Moriarty, R. Mukherjee, T. Nagai, J. Niemiec, R. A. Ong, D. Pandel, J. S. Perkins, D. Petry, M. Pohl, J. Quinn, K. Ragan, L. C. Reyes, P. T. Reynolds, E. Roachel, H. J. Rose, M. Schroedter, G. H. Sembroski, A. W. Smith, D. Steele, S. P. Swordy, J. A. Toner, V. V. Vassiliev, R. Wagner, S. P. Wakely, J. E. Ward, T. C. Weekes, A. Weinstein, R. J. White, D. A. Williams, S. A. Wissel, M. Wood, B. Zitzer

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

106 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report the detection of very high energy 7-ray emission from the intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object W Comae (z=p 0.102) by VERITAS. The source was observed between 2008 January and April. A strong outburst of 7-ray emission was measured in the middle of March, lasting for only 4 days. The energy spectrum measured during the two highest flare nights is fit by a power law and is found to be very steep, with a differential photon spectral index of ×=3.81 ± 0.35stat ± 0.34syst. The integral photon flux above 200 GeV during those two nights corresponds to roughly 9% of the flux from the Crab Nebula. Quasi-simultaneous Swift observations at X-ray energies were triggered by the VERITAS observations. The spectral energy distribution of the flare data can be described by synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) or external Compton (EC) leptonic jet models.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)L73-L77
JournalAstrophysical Journal
Volume684
Issue number2 PART 2
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008

Keywords

  • BL Lacertae objects: Individual (W Comae)
  • Gamma rays: Observations

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