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arXiv · 1106.4224

The remarkable gamma-ray activity in the gravitationally lensed blazar PKS 1830-211

I. Donnarumma·A. De Rosa·V. Vittorini·H. R. Miller·L. C. Popovic·S. Simic·M. Tavani·J. Eggen·J. Maune·E. Kuulkers·E. Striani·S. Vercellone·G. Pucella·F. Verrecchia·C. Pittori·P. Giommi·L. Pacciani·G. Barbiellini·A. Bulgarelli·P. W. Cattaneo·A. W. Chen·E. Costa·E. Del Monte·Y. Evangelista·M. Feroci·F. Fuschino·F. Gianotti·A. Giuliani·M. Giusti·F. Lazzarotto·F. Longo·F. Lucarelli·A. Pellizzoni·G. Piano·P. Soffitta·M. Trifoglio·A. Trois
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Abstract

We report the extraordinary gamma-ray activity (E>100 MeV) of the gravitationally lensed blazar PKS 1830-211 (z=2.507) detected by AGILE between October and November 2010. The source experienced on October 14 a flux increase of a factor of ~ 12 with respect to its average value and kept brightest at this flux level (~ 500 x 10^{-8} ph cm^-2 sec^-1) for about 4 days. The 1-month gamma-ray light curve across the flare showed a mean flux F(E>100 MeV)= 200 x 10^{-8} ph cm^-2 sec^-1, which resulted in an enhancement by a factor of 4 with respect to the average value. Following the gamma-ray flare, the source was observed in NIR-Optical energy bands at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and in X-rays by Swift/XRT and INTEGRAL/IBIS. The main result of these multifrequency observations is that the large variability observed in gamma-rays has not a significant counterpart at lower frequencies: no variation greater than a factor of ~ 1.5 resulted in NIR and X-ray energy bands. PKS 1830-211 is then a good "gamma-ray only flaring" blazar showing substantial variability only above 10-100 MeV. We discuss the theoretical implications of our findings.

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I. Donnarumma, A. De Rosa, V. Vittorini, H. R. Miller, L. C. Popovic, S. Simic, M. Tavani, J. Eggen, J. Maune, E. Kuulkers, E. Striani, S. Vercellone, G. Pucella, F. Verrecchia, C. Pittori, P. Giommi, L. Pacciani, G. Barbiellini, A. Bulgarelli, P. W. Cattaneo, A. W. Chen, E. Costa, E. Del Monte, Y. Evangelista, M. Feroci, F. Fuschino, F. Gianotti, A. Giuliani, M. Giusti, F. Lazzarotto, F. Longo, F. Lucarelli, A. Pellizzoni, G. Piano, P. Soffitta, M. Trifoglio, A. Trois. 2011-06-21. The remarkable gamma-ray activity in the gravitationally lensed blazar PKS 1830-211. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205%2F736%2F2%2Fl30

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