Abstract
We report the detection of very high energy gamma- ray emission from the intermediate- frequency- peaked BL Lacertae object W Comae (z = 0.102) by VERITAS. The source was observed between 2008 January and April. A strong outburst of gamma-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 Gamma = 3.81 + - 0.35(stat) + - 0.34(syst). 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 language | English (Ireland) |
|---|---|
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS |
| Volume | 684 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sep 2008 |
Authors (Note for portal: view the doc link for the full list of authors)
- Authors
- Acciari, VA;Aliu, E;Beilicke, M;Benbow, W;Bottcher, M;Bradbury, SM;Buckley, JH;Bugaev, V;Butt, Y;Celik, O;Cesarini, A;Ciupik, L;Chow, YCK;Cogan, P;Colin, P;Cui, W;Daniel, MK;Ergin, T;Falcone, AD;Fegan, SJ;Finley, JP;Finnegan, G;Fortin, P;Fortson, LF;Furniss, A;Gall, D;Gillanders, GH;Grube, J;Guenette, R;Gyuk, G;Hanna, D;Hays, E;Holder, J;Horan, D;Hui, CM;Humensky, TB;Imran, A;Kaaret, P;Karlsson, N;Kertzman, M;Kieda, DB;Konopelko, A;Krawczynski, H;Krennrich, F;Lang, MJ;LeBohec, S;Lee, K;Maier, G;McCann, A;McCutcheon, M;Moriarty, P;Mukherjee, R;Nagai, T;Niemiec, J;Ong, RA;Pandel, D;Perkins, JS;Petry, D;Pohl, M;Quinn, J;Ragan, K;Reyes, LC;Reynolds, PT;Roache, E;Rose, HJ;Schroedter, M;Sembroski, GH;Smith, AW;Steele, D;Swordy, SP;Toner, JA;Vassiliev, VV;Wagner, R;Wakely, SP;Ward, JE;Weekes, TC;Weinstein, A;White, RJ;Williams, DA;Wissel, SA;Wood, M;Zitzer, B