RAPID TeV GAMMA-RAY FLARING OF BL LACERTAE
T. ArlenDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USAT. AuneSanta Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAM. BeilickeDepartment of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USAW. BenbowFred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645, USAA. BouvierSanta Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAJ. H. BuckleyDepartment of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USAV. BugaevDepartment of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USAA. CesariniSchool of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, IrelandL. CiupikAstronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, USAM. P. ConnollySchool of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, IrelandWei CuiDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]R. DickherberDepartment of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USAJ. DummSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAM. ErrandoDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College, Columbia University, NY 10027, USAA. FalconeDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USAS. FedericiDESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen, GermanyQ. FengDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]J. P. FinleyDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]G. FinneganDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USAL. FortsonSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAA. FurnissSanta Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAN. GalanteFred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645, USAD. GallDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAS. GriffinPhysics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, CanadaJ. GrubeAstronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, USAG. GyukAstronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605, USAD. HannaPhysics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, CanadaJ. HolderDepartment of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USAT. B. HumenskyPhysics Department, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USAP. KaaretDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAN. KarlssonSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAM. KertzmanDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN 46135-0037, USAY. KhassenSchool of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, IrelandD. KiedaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USAH. KrawczynskiDepartment of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USAF. KrennrichDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAG. MaierP. MoriartyDepartment of Life and Physical Sciences, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, Dublin Road, Galway, IrelandR. MukherjeeDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College, Columbia University, NY 10027, USAThomas NelsonSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USAA. O’Faoláin de BhróitheSchool of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, IrelandR. A. OngDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USAM. OrrDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAN. ParkEnrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USAJ. S. PerkinsCRESST and Astroparticle Physics Laboratory NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAA. PichelInstituto de Astronomia y Fisica del Espacio, Casilla de Correo 67 - Sucursal 28, (C1428ZAA) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, ArgentinaM. PohlDESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen, GermanyH. ProkophJ. QuinnSchool of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, IrelandK. RaganPhysics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, CanadaL. C. ReyesPhysics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 94307, USAP. T. ReynoldsDepartment of Applied Physics and Instrumentation, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Cork, IrelandE. RoacheFred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645, USAD. B. SaxonDepartment of Physics and Astronomy and the Bartol Research Institute, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USAM. SchroedterFred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645, USAG. H. SembroskiDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]D. StaszakPhysics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, CanadaI. TelezhinskyDESY, Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen, GermanyG. TešićPhysics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8, CanadaM. TheilingDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]K. TsurusakiDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Van Allen Hall, Iowa City, IA 52242, USAA. VarlottaDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]S. VincentS. P. WakelyEnrico Fermi Institute, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USAT. C. WeekesFred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645, USAA. J. WeinsteinDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USAR. WelsingD. A. WilliamsSanta Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USAB. ZitzerArgonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439, USAS. G. JorstadAstronomical Institute, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskij Pr. 28, Petrodvorets, 198504 St. Petersburg, RussiaN. R. MacDonaldInstitute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USAAlan P. MarscherInstitute for Astrophysical Research, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215, USAPaul S. SmithSteward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85716, USAR. C. WalkerNational Radio Astronomy Observatory, PO Box O, Socorro, NM 87801, USAT. HovattaCahill Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAJ. L. RichardsDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]W. Max-MoerbeckCahill Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAA. C. S. ReadheadCahill Center for Astronomy & Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAM. L. ListerDepartment of Physics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; [email protected], [email protected]Y. Y. KovalevAstro Space Center of Lebedev Physical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 84/32, 117997 Moscow, RussiaA. B. PushkarevCrimean Astrophysical Observatory, 98409 Nauchny, UkraineMark GurwellHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USAA. LähteenmäkiAalto University Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Metsähovintie 114, FIN-02540 Kylmälä, FinlandE. NieppolaAalto University Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Metsähovintie 114, FIN-02540 Kylmälä, FinlandM. TornikoskiAalto University Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Metsähovintie 114, FIN-02540 Kylmälä, FinlandE. JärveläAalto University Metsähovi Radio Observatory, Metsähovintie 114, FIN-02540 Kylmälä, Finland
2012en
ABI
Аннотация
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) x 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.
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