DISCOVERY OF A VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA-RAY SIGNAL FROM THE 3C 66A/B REGION

Abstract
The MAGIC telescope observed the region around the distant blazar 3C 66A for 54.2 hr in 2007 August-December. The observations resulted in the discovery of a γ-ray source centered at celestial coordinates R.A. = 2h23m12s and decl. = 43°07 (MAGIC J0223+430), coinciding with the nearby radio galaxy 3C 66B. A possible association of the excess with the blazar 3C 66A is discussed. The energy spectrum of MAGIC J0223+430 follows a power law with a normalization of (1.7 ± 0.3stat ± 0.6syst) × 10–11 TeV–1 cm–2 s–1 at 300 GeV and a photon index Γ = –3.10 ± 0.31stat ± 0.2syst.

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