Journal article
Rapid TeV Gamma-Ray Flaring of BL Lacertae
Astrophysical Journal, Vol.762(2), pp.1-13
2013
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/762/2/92
Abstract
We report on the detection of a very rapid TeV gamma-ray flare from BL Lacertae on 2011 June 28 with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS). The flaring activity was observed during a 34.6 minute exposure, when the integral flux above 200 GeV reached (3.4 ± 0.6) × 10 –6 photons m –2 s –1 , roughly 125% of the Crab Nebula flux measured by VERITAS. The light curve indicates that the observations missed the rising phase of the flare but covered a significant portion of the decaying phase. The exponential decay time was determined to be 13 ± 4 minutes, making it one of the most rapid gamma-ray flares seen from a TeV blazar. The gamma-ray spectrum of BL Lacertae during the flare was soft, with a photon index of 3.6 ± 0.4, which is in agreement with the measurement made previously by MAGIC in a lower flaring state. Contemporaneous radio observations of the source with the Very Long Baseline Array revealed the emergence of a new, superluminal component from the core around the time of the TeV gamma-ray flare, accompanied by changes in the optical polarization angle. Changes in flux also appear to have occurred at optical, UV, and GeV gamma-ray wavelengths at the time of the flare, although they are difficult to quantify precisely due to sparse coverage. A strong flare was seen at radio wavelengths roughly four months later, which might be related to the gamma-ray flaring activities. We discuss the implications of these multiwavelength results.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Rapid TeV Gamma-Ray Flaring of BL Lacertae
- Creators
- T Arlen - University of California, Los AngelesP Kaaret - University of IowaT Aune - University of California, Santa CruzJ Richards - Purdue University West LafayetteM Beilicke - Washington University in St. LouisW Benbow - Harvard UniversityA Bouvier - University of California, Santa CruzJ. H Buckley - Washington University in St. LouisV Bugaev - Washington University in St. LouisA Cesarini - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayL Ciupik - Adler PlanetariumM. P Connolly - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayW Cui - Purdue University West LafayetteR Dickherber - Washington University in St. LouisJ Dumm - University of MinnesotaM Errando - Columbia UniversityA FalconeS Federici - University of PotsdamQ Feng - Purdue University West LafayetteG Finnegan - University of UtahJ. P Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteL Fortson - University of MinnesotaA Furniss - University of California, Santa CruzN Galante - Harvard UniversityD Gall - University of IowaS Griffin - McGill UniversityJ Grube - Adler PlanetariumG Gyuk - Adler PlanetariumD Hanna - McGill UniversityJ Holder - University of DelawareT. B Humensky - Columbia UniversityN Karlsson - University of MinnesotaM Kertzman - DePauw UniversityY Khassen - University College DublinD Kieda - University of UtahH Krawczynski - Washington University in St. LouisF Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityG MaierP Moriarty - Galway-Mayo Institute of TechnologyR Mukherjee - Columbia UniversityT NelsonA O’Faoláin de BhróitheR. A Ong - University of California, Los AngelesM Orr - Iowa State UniversityN Park - University of ChicagoJ. S Perkins - University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyA Pichel - Universidad de Buenos AiresM Pohl - University of PotsdamHeike Prokoph - DESY, GermanyJ Quinn - University College DublinK Ragan - McGill UniversityL. C Reyes - California Polytechnic State UniversityP. T Reynolds - Cork Institute of TechnologyE Roache - Harvard UniversityD. B Saxon - University of DelawareM Schroedter - Harvard UniversityG. H Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteD Staszak - McGill UniversityI Telezhinsky - University of PotsdamG Te\v sićM Theiling - Purdue University West LafayetteK Tsurusaki - University of IowaA Varlotta - Purdue University West LafayetteS VincentS. P Wakely - University of ChicagoT. C Weekes - Harvard UniversityA Weinstein - Iowa State UniversityR WelsingD. A Williams - University of California, Santa CruzB Zitzer - Argonne National LaboratoryS. G Jorstad - Boston UniversityN. R MacDonald - Boston UniversityA. P Marscher - Boston UniversityP. S Smith - University of ArizonaR. C Walker - National Radio Astronomy ObservatoryT Hovatta - California Institute of TechnologyW Max-MoerbeckA ReadheadM. L Lister - Purdue University West LafayetteY. Y Kovalev - Max Planck SocietyA. B PushkarevM. A Gurwell - Harvard UniversityA Lähteenmäki - Aalto UniversityE Nieppola - Aalto UniversityM Tornikoski - Aalto UniversityE Järvelä - Aalto UniversityVERITAS Collaboration
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Astrophysical Journal, Vol.762(2), pp.1-13
- DOI
- 10.1088/0004-637X/762/2/92
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2013
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199663602771
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