The Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis: A list of flaring gamma-ray sources and the search for transients in our Galaxy

Collaboration
Apr 22, 2013
29 pages
Published in:
  • Astrophys.J. 771 (2013) 57
  • Published: Jul 1, 2013
e-Print:
Experiments:

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Abstract: (IOP)
In this paper, we present the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool to systematically study the variability of the gamma-ray sky measured by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. For each direction on the sky, FAVA compares the number of gamma-rays observed in a given time window to the number of gamma-rays expected for the average emission detected from that direction. This method is used in weekly time intervals to derive a list of 215 flaring gamma-ray sources. We proceed to discuss the 27 sources found at Galactic latitudes smaller than 10° and show that, despite their low latitudes, most of them are likely of extragalactic origin.
Note:
  • Accepted for publication in ApJ, 29 pages, 6 figures. Contact authors: Rolf Buehler, Marco Ajello, Alice Allafort
  • binaries: general
  • BL Lacertae objects: general
  • catalogs
  • galaxies: active
  • stars: flare
  • surveys