VERITAS Observations of the Unusual Extragalactic Transient Swift J164449.3+573451

Abstract

We report on very-high-energy ($>$100 GeV) gamma-ray observations of Swift J164449.3+573451, an unusual transient object first detected by the {\it Swift} Observatory and later detected by multiple radio, optical and X-ray observatories. A total exposure of 28 hours was obtained on Swift J164449.3+573451 with VERITAS during 2011 March 28 -- April 15. We do not detect the source and place a differential upper limit on the emission at 500 GeV during these observations of $1.4\times 10^{-12}$ erg cm${}^{-2}$ s${}^{-1}$ (99% confidence level). We also present time-resolved upper limits and use a flux limit averaged over the X-ray flaring period to constrain various emission scenarios that can accommodate both the radio-through-X-ray emission detected from the source and the lack of detection by VERITAS.

References in corpus (4)

• An online repository of Swift/XRT light curves of GRBs
• An extremely luminous panchromatic outburst from the nucleus of a distant galaxy
• Background Modelling in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray Astronomy
• Gamma-Hadron Separation Methods for the VERITAS Array of Four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Active Galactic Nuclei under the scrutiny of CTA
• Jets from Tidal Disruption Events
• Polarimetry of the transient relativistic jet of GRB 110328 / Swift J164449.3+573451
• IACT observations of gamma-ray bursts: prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Swift J1644+57: an Ideal Test Bed of Radiation Mechanisms in a Relativistic Super-Eddington Jet
• Swift J164449.3+573451 and Swift J2058.4+0516: Black hole mass estimates for tidal disruption event sources
• Long-term X-ray emission from Swift J1644+57
• A Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray View of the Transient Sky
• Internal shock model for the X-ray flares of Swift J1644+57
• Similarity and diversity of black holes - view from the Very High Energies