The discovery of gamma-ray emission from Nova Sco 2012: An analysis using reprocessed Pass7 data

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery and analysis of gamma-ray emission from Nova Sco 2012 using reprocessed Pass7 Fermi LAT data, expanding understanding of high-energy phenomena in novae.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed analysis of gamma-ray emission from Nova Sco 2012, demonstrating the capability of Fermi LAT to detect such events with reprocessed data.

Findings

Gamma-ray emission detected from Nova Sco 2012

High-energy spectrum consistent with shock acceleration

Temporal correlation with nova eruption

Abstract

In March 2010 the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope discovered for the first time >100 MeV gamma-ray emission from a nova within our galaxy, V407 Cyg. The high-energy spectrum and light curve was explained as a consequence of shock acceleration in the nova shell as it interacts with the local ambient medium. It was suspected that the necessary conditions for high-energy emission from novae would be rare. In June 2012 the LAT detected a new flaring source, Fermi J1750-3243, that is spatially coincident and contemporaneous with a new nova, Nova Sco 2012. We report on the exciting discovery of this new 'gamma-ray' nova and present a detailed analysis of its high-energy properties.