VERITAS Discovery of >200 GeV Gamma-Ray Emission from the Intermediate-Frequency-Peaked BL Lacertae Object W Comae

We report the detection of very high energy -ray emission from the intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object W Comae by VERITAS. The source was observed between 2008 January and April. A strong outburst of -ray emission was measured in the middle of March, lasting for only 4 days. The energy...

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Published in:The Astrophysical journal 2008-09, Vol.684 (2), p.L73-L77
Main Authors: Acciari, V. A, Aliu, E, Beilicke, M, Benbow, W, Böttcher, M, Bradbury, S. M, Buckley, J. H, Bugaev, V, Butt, Y, Celik, O, Cesarini, A, Ciupik, L, Chow, Y. C. K, Cogan, P, Colin, P, Cui, W, Daniel, M. K, Ergin, T, Falcone, A. D, Fegan, S. J, Finley, J. P, Finnegan, G, Fortin, P, Fortson, L. F, Furniss, A, Gall, D, Gillanders, G. H, Grube, J, Guenette, R, Gyuk, G, Hanna, D, Hays, E, Holder, J, Horan, D, Hui, C. M, Humensky, T. B, Imran, A, Kaaret, P, Karlsson, N, Kertzman, M, Kieda, D. B, Konopelko, A, Krawczynski, H, Krennrich, F, Lang, M. J, LeBohec, S, Lee, K, Maier, G, McCann, A, McCutcheon, M, Moriarty, P, Mukherjee, R, Nagai, T, Niemiec, J, Ong, R. A, Pandel, D, Perkins, J. S, Petry, D, Pohl, M, Quinn, J, Ragan, K, Reyes, L. C, Reynolds, P. T, Roache, E, Rose, H. J, Schroedter, M, Sembroski, G. H, Smith, A. W, Steele, D, Swordy, S. P, Toner, J. A, Vassiliev, V. V, Wagner, R, Wakely, S. P, Ward, J. E, Weekes, T. C, Weinstein, A, White, R. J, Williams, D. A, Wissel, S. A, Wood, M, Zitzer, B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
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Summary:We report the detection of very high energy -ray emission from the intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object W Comae by VERITAS. The source was observed between 2008 January and April. A strong outburst of -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 [image]. The integral photon flux above [image] during those two nights corresponds to roughly [image] 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.
ISSN:1538-4357
0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.1086/592244