An updated list of AGILE bright γ-ray sources and their variability in pointing mode^⋆

¹ ASI Science Data Center (ASDC), via del Policlinico, 00133 Roma, Italy
e-mail: verrecchia@asdc.asi.it
² INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, via di Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy
³ INAF/IASF Milano, via E. Bassini 15, 20133 Milano, Italy
⁴ INAF/IASF Bologna, via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy
⁵ INAF/IAPS, via del Fosso del Cavaliere 100, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁶ Dip. di Fisica, Università “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁷ INFN-Roma “Tor Vergata”, via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
⁸ Consorzio Interuniversitario Fisica Spaziale (CIFS), villa Gualino – v. le Settimio Severo 63, 10133 Torino, Italy
⁹ Agenzia Spaziale Italiana, viale Liegi 26, 00198 Roma, Italy
¹⁰ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, loc. Poggio dei Pini, strada 54, 09012, Capoterra ( CA), Italy
¹¹ INAF – IASF Palermo, via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146 Palermo, Italy
¹² Dip. Fisica, Università di Trieste, via A. Valerio 2, 34127 Trieste, Italy
¹³ INFN Trieste, Padriciano 99, 34012 Trieste, Italy
¹⁴ INFN Pavia, via A. Bassi 6, 27100 Pavia, Italy
¹⁵ Dip. di Fisica, Università di Torino, via P. Giuria 15, 10126 Torino, Italy
¹⁶ ENEA Bologna, via don Fiammelli 2, 40128 Bologna, Italy
¹⁷ INFN Roma 1, p. le Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
¹⁸ Dip. Fisica, Università “La Sapienza”, p. le Aldo Moro 2, 00185 Roma, Italy
¹⁹ ENEA Frascati, via Enrico Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati ( RM), Italy
²⁰ CNR, IMIP, Area Ricerca Montelibretti ( RM), Italy
²¹ Dip. Fisica, Università dell’Insubria, via Valleggio 11, 22100 Como, Italy
²² ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, Postbus 2, 7990 AA Dwingeloo, The Netherlands
²³ Wits University, 1 Jan Smuts Avenue Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa

Received: 12 March 2013
Accepted: 14 June 2013

Abstract

Aims. We present a variability study of a sample of bright γ-ray(30 Mev−50 Gev) sources. This sample is an extension of the first AGILE catalogue of γ-ray sources (1AGL), obtained using the complete set of AGILE observations in pointing mode performed during a 2.3 year period from July 9, 2007 until October 30, 2009.

Methods. The dataset of AGILE pointed observations covers a long time interval and its γ-ray data archive is useful for monitoring studies of medium-to-high brightness γ-ray sources. In the analysis reported here, we used data obtained with an improved event filter that covers a wider field of view, on a much larger (about 27.5 months) dataset, integrating data on observation block time scales, which mostly range from a few days to thirty days.

Results. The data processing resulted in a better characterized source list than 1AGL was, and includes 54 sources, 7 of which are new high galactic latitude (|BII| ≥ 5) sources, 8 are new sources on the galactic plane, and 20 sources from the previous catalogue with revised positions. Eight 1AGL sources (2 high-latitude and 6 on the galactic plane) were not detected in the final processing either because of low OB exposure and/or due to their position in complex galactic regions. We report the results in a catalogue of all the detections obtained in each single OB, including the variability results for each of these sources. In particular, we found that 12 sources out of 42 or 11 out of 53 are variable, depending on the variability index used, where 42 and 53 are the number of sources for which these indices could be calculated. Seven of the 11 variable sources are blazars, the others are Crab pulsar+nebula, LS I +61°303, Cyg X-3, and 1AGLR J2021+4030.