Multiwavelength observations of a TeV-flare from W Comae
Acciari, V. A. VA ; Aliu, E. ; Aune, T. ; Giommi, P. ; Colafrancesco, S. ; Salotti, L. ; et al.
Dec - 2009
DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/707/1/612
ISSN : 0004-637X ;
journal : The Astrophysical Journal

Volume : 707 ; Issue : 1
type: Article Journal

Abstract
We report results from an intensive multiwavelength campaign on the intermediate-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object W Com (z = 0.102) during a strong outburst of very high energy gamma-ray emission in 2008 June. The very high energy gamma-ray signal was detected by VERITAS on 2008 June 7-8 with a flux F(>200 GeV) =(5.7 ± 0.6) × 1011 cm2 s1, about three times brighter than during the discovery of gamma-ray emission from W Com by VERITAS in 2008 March. The initial detection of this flare by VERITAS at energies above 200 GeV was followed by observations in high-energy gamma rays (AGILE; E ³ 100 MeV), X-rays (Swift and XMM-Newton), and at UV, and ground-based optical and radio monitoring through the GASP-WEBT consortium and other observatories. Here we describe the multiwavelength data and derive the spectral energy distribution of the source from contemporaneous data taken throughout the flare.

keywords : BL Lacertae objects: individual (W Com); gamma rays: observations