GCN Circular 28481
Subject
Fermi-LAT Gamma-ray Observations of IceCube-200921A and detection of a new gamma-ray source, Fermi J1256.9+2630
Date
2020-09-23T07:56:04Z (4 years ago)
From
Simone Garrappa at DESY <simone.garrappa@desy.de>
S. Garrappa (DESY-Zeuthen) and S. Buson (Univ. of Wuerzburg) on behalf
of the Fermi-LAT collaboration:
We report an analysis of observations of the vicinity of the high-energy
IC200921A neutrino event (GCN 28468) with all-sky survey data from the
Large Area Telescope (LAT), on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space
Telescope. The IceCube event was detected on 2020-09-21 19:07:12.89 UT
(T0) with J2000 position RA = 195.29 (+2.35, -1.73) deg, Decl. = 26.24
(+1.51, -1.77) deg 90% PSF containment. Three cataloged >100 MeV
gamma-ray sources are located within the 90% IC200921A localization
error (The Fourth Fermi-LAT catalog; The Fermi-LAT collaboration 2020,
ApJS, 247, 33). These are 4FGL J1303.0+2434 (associated with the BL Lac
object MG2 J130304+2434),�4FGL J1256.9+2736�(associated with the AGN
�NGC 4839) and�4FGL J1310.6+2449�(associated with the BL Lac object
CRATES J131038.52+244822.1). Based on a preliminary analysis of LAT data
at timescales of 1-month and 1-day prior to T0, these objects are not
significantly detected (>5sigma).
We searched for the existence of intermediate (days to years) timescale
emission from a new gamma-ray transient source. Preliminary analysis
indicates no significant (>5sigma) new excess emission (>100 MeV) at the
IC200921A best-fit position. Assuming a power-law spectrum (photon index
= 2.0 fixed) for a point source at the IceCube best-fit position, the
>100 MeV flux upper limit (95% confidence) is < 2.8e-10 ph cm^-2 s^-1
for ~12-years (2008-08-04 / 2020-09-21 UTC), < 3.7e-9 (< 6.1e-8) ph
cm^-2 s^-1 for a 1-month (1-day) integration time before T0.
In the analysis of the ~12-years integrated LAT data (0.1 - 800 GeV), a
4.7 sigma new excess of gamma rays, Fermi J1256.9+2630, was detected 1.0
deg offset from the best-fit IC200921A position and within the 90%
confidence localization of the direction of the neutrino. Assuming a
power-law spectrum, the best-fit localization is (J2000) RA:�194.23 deg,
Dec: 26.51 deg (7.4 arcmin 99% containment, 3.6 arcmin 68% containment).
The gamma-ray best-fit spectral parameters are flux = (4+/-3)e-10 ph
cm^-2 s^-1 and index = 1.8+/-0.2. In a preliminary analysis of the LAT
data over 1-day and 1-month prior T0, Fermi J1256.9+2630�is not
significantly detected in the LAT data. All values include
the�statistical uncertainty only.
Since Fermi normally operates in an all-sky scanning mode, regular
monitoring of this source will continue. For these observations the
Fermi-LAT contact persons are S. Garrappa (simone.garrappa at desy.de)
and S. Buson (sara.buson at uni-wuerzburg.de). The Fermi-LAT is a pair
conversion telescope designed to cover the energy band from 20 MeV to
greater than 300 GeV. It is the product of an international
collaboration between NASA and DOE in the U.S. and many scientific
institutions across France, Italy, Japan and Sweden.