Discovery of Very High Energy γ-Rays from Markarian 180 Triggered by an Optical Outburst

Abstract
The high-frequency-peaked BL Lacertae object Markarian 180 (Mrk 180) was observed to have an optical outburst in 2006 March, triggering a Target of Opportunity observation with the MAGIC telescope. The source was observed for 12.4 hr, and very high energy γ-ray emission was detected with a significance of 5.5 σ. An integral flux above 200 GeV of (2.3 ± 0.7) × 10-11 cm-2 s-1 was measured, corresponding to 11% of the Crab Nebula flux. A rather soft spectrum with a photon index of -3.3 ± 0.7 has been determined. No significant flux variation was found.status: publishe

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