Journal article
Veritas detection of γ-ray flaring activity from the bl lac object 1es 1727+502 during bright moonlight observations
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.808(2), 110
06/20/2015
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/808/2/110
Abstract
During moonlit nights, observations with ground-based Cherenkov telescopes at very high energies (VHEs, E > 100 GeV) are constrained since the photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) in the telescope camera are extremely sensitive to the background moonlight. Observations with the VERITAS telescopes in the standard configuration are performed only with a moon illumination less than 35% of full moon. Since 2012, the VERITAS collaboration has implemented a new observing mode under bright moonlight, by either reducing the voltage applied to the PMTs (reduced-high-voltage; RHV configuration), or by utilizing UV-transparent filters. While these operating modes result in lower sensitivity and increased energy thresholds, the extension of the available observing time is useful for monitoring variable sources such as blazars and sources requiring spectral measurements at the highest energies. In this paper we report the detection of γ-ray flaring activity from the BL Lac object 1ES 1727+502 during RHV observations. This detection represents the first evidence of VHE variability from this blazar. The integral flux is (1.1 ± 0.2) × 10-11 cm-2 s-1 above 250 GeV, which is about five times higher than the low-flux state. The detection triggered additional VERITAS observations during standard dark-time. Multiwavelength observations with the FLWO 48″ telescope, and the Swift and Fermi satellites are presented and used to produce the first spectral energy distribution (SED) of this object during γ-ray flaring activity. The SED is then fitted with a standard synchrotron-self-Compton model, placing constraints on the properties of the emitting region and of the acceleration mechanism at the origin of the relativistic particle population in the jet.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Veritas detection of γ-ray flaring activity from the bl lac object 1es 1727+502 during bright moonlight observations
- Creators
- S Archambault - McGill UniversityA Archer - Washington University in St. LouisM Beilicke - Washington University in St. LouisW Benbow - Harvard UniversityR Bird - University College DublinJ Biteau - University of California, Santa CruzA Bouvier - University of California, Santa CruzV Bugaev - Washington University in St. LouisJ. V Cardenzana - Iowa State UniversityM Cerruti - Harvard UniversityX Chen - University of PotsdamL Ciupik - Adler PlanetariumM. P Connolly - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayW Cui - Purdue University West LafayetteH. J Dickinson - Iowa State UniversityJ Dumm - University of MinnesotaJ. D Eisch - Iowa State UniversityM Errando - Columbia UniversityA Falcone - Pennsylvania State UniversityQ Feng - Purdue University West LafayetteJ. P Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteH FleischhackP Fortin - Harvard UniversityL Fortson - University of MinnesotaA Furniss - University of California, Santa CruzG. H Gillanders - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayS Griffin - McGill UniversityS. T Griffiths - University of IowaJ Grube - Adler PlanetariumG Gyuk - Adler PlanetariumN Håkansson - University of PotsdamD Hanna - McGill UniversityJ Holder - University of DelawareT. B Humensky - Columbia UniversityC. A Johnson - University of California, Santa CruzP Kaaret - University of IowaP Kar - University of UtahM Kertzman - DePauw UniversityY Khassen - University College DublinD Kieda - University of UtahM KrauseF Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityS Kumar - University of DelawareM. J Lang - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayG MaierS McArthur - University of ChicagoA McCann - University of ChicagoK Meagher - Georgia Institute of TechnologyJ Millis - Anderson University - IndianaP Moriarty - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayR Mukherjee - Columbia UniversityD Nieto - Columbia UniversityA O’Faoláin de BhróitheR. A Ong - University of California, Los AngelesA. N Otte - Georgia Institute of TechnologyN Park - University of ChicagoM Pohl - University of PotsdamA Popkow - University of California, Los AngelesH ProkophE Pueschel - University College DublinJ Quinn - University College DublinK Ragan - McGill UniversityL. C Reyes - California Polytechnic State UniversityP. T Reynolds - Cork Institute of TechnologyG. T Richards - Georgia Institute of TechnologyE Roache - Harvard UniversityM Santander - Columbia UniversityG. H Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteK Shahinyan - University of MinnesotaA. W Smith - University of UtahD Staszak - McGill UniversityI Telezhinsky - University of PotsdamJ. V Tucci - Purdue University West LafayetteJ Tyler - McGill UniversityA Varlotta - Purdue University West LafayetteS VincentS. P Wakely - University of ChicagoA Weinstein - Iowa State UniversityR WelsingA Wilhelm - University of PotsdamD. A Williams - University of California, Santa CruzB Zitzer - Argonne National LaboratoryZ. D Hughes - University of California, Santa CruzVeritas Collaboration
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.808(2), 110
- DOI
- 10.1088/0004-637X/808/2/110
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 06/20/2015
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199781702771
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