The European Space Agency's INTErnational Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory (ESA/INTEGRAL) was launched aboard a Proton-DM2 rocket on 17 October 2002 at 06:41 CEST, from Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Since then, INTEGRAL has been providing long, uninterrupted observations (up to about 47 h, or 170 ksec, per satellite orbit of 2.7 days) with a large field-of-view (FOV, fully coded: 100 deg(2)), millisecond time resolution, keV energy resolution, polarization measurements, as well as additional wavelength coverage at optical wavelengths. This is realized by two main instruments in the 15 keV to 10 MeV energy range, the spectrometer SPI (spectral resolution 3 keV at 1.8 MeV) and the imager IBIS (angular resolution: 12 arcmin FWHM), complemented by X-ray (JEM-X; 3-35 keV) and optical (OMC; Johnson V-band) monitor instruments. All instruments are co-aligned to simultaneously observe the target region. A particle radiation monitor (IREM) measures charged particle fluxes near the spacecraft. The Anti-coincidence subsystems of the main instruments, built to reduce the background, are also very efficient all-sky gamma-ray detectors, which provide virtually omni-directional monitoring above similar to 75 keV. Besides the long, scheduled observations, INTEGRAL can rapidly (within a couple of hours) re-point and conduct Target of Opportunity (ToO) observations on a large variety of sources. INTEGRAL observations and their scientific results have been building an impressive legacy: The discovery of currently more than 600 new high-energy sources; the first-ever direct detection of Ni-56 and Co-56 radioactive decay lines from a Type Ia supernova; spectroscopy of isotopes from galactic nucleo-synthesis sources; new insights on enigmatic positron annihilation in the Galactic bulge and disk; and pioneering gamma-ray polarization studies. INTEGRAL is also a successful actor in the new multi-messenger astronomy introduced by non-electromagnetic signals from gravitational waves and from neutrinos: INTEGRAL found the first prompt electromagnetic radiation in coincidence with a binary neutron star merger. Up to now more than 1750 scientific papers based on INTEGRAL data have been published in refereed journals. In this paper, we will give a comprehensive update of the satellite status after more than 18 years of operations in a harsh space environment, and an account of the successful Ground Segment.

ABSTRACT We present a multiwavelength study of the flat-spectrum radio quasar CTA 102 during 2013–2017. We use radio-to-optical data obtained by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope, 15 GHz data from the Owens Valley Radio Observatory, 91 and 103 GHz data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, near-infrared data from the Rapid Eye Monitor telescope, as well as data from the Swift (optical-UV and X-rays) and Fermi (γ-rays) satellites to study flux and spectral variability and the correlation between flux changes at different wavelengths. Unprecedented γ-ray flaring activity was observed during 2016 November–2017 February, with four major outbursts. A peak flux of (2158 ± 63) × 10−8 ph cm−2 s−1, corresponding to a luminosity of (2.2 ± 0.1) × 1050 erg s−1, was reached on 2016 December 28. These four γ-ray outbursts have corresponding events in the near-infrared, optical, and UV bands, with the peaks observed at the same time. A general agreement between X-ray and γ-ray activity is found. The γ-ray flux variations show a general, strong correlation with the optical ones with no time lag between the two bands and a comparable variability amplitude. This γ-ray/optical relationship is in agreement with the geometrical model that has successfully explained the low-energy flux and spectral behaviour, suggesting that the long-term flux variations are mainly due to changes in the Doppler factor produced by variations of the viewing angle of the emitting regions. The difference in behaviour between radio and higher energy emission would be ascribed to different viewing angles of the jet regions producing their emission.

Blazar emission is dominated by non-thermal radiation from a relativistic jet pointing toward us, therefore undergoing Doppler beaming. This is responsible for flux enhancement and contraction of the variability time scales, so that most blazars appear as luminous sources characterized by noticeable and fast flux changes at all frequencies. The mechanisms producing their unpredictable variability are debated and include injection, acceleration and cooling of particles, with possible intervention of shock waves or turbulence. Changes in the viewing angle of the emitting knots or jet regions have also been suggested to explain flaring events or specific properties such as intraday variability, quasi-periodicities, or the delay of radio flux variations relative to optical changes. However, such a geometric interpretation has not been universally accepted because alternative explanations based on changes of physical conditions can also work in many cases. Here we report the results of optical-to-radio monitoring of the blazar CTA 102 by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope Collaboration and show that the observed long-term flux and spectral variability is best explained by an inhomogeneous, curved jet that undergoes orientation changes. We propose that magnetohydrodynamic instabilities or rotation of a twisted jet cause different jet regions to change their orientation and hence their relative Doppler factors. In particular, the recent extreme optical outburst (six magnitudes) occurred when the corresponding jet emitting region acquired a minimum viewing angle.

NASA through Fermi Guest Investigator grants [NNX08AW56G, NNX09AU10G, NNX12AO93G, NNX15AU81G]; Shota Rustaveli NSF [FR/577/6-320/13]; US National Science Foundation [AST-1615796]; NASA Fermi Guest Investigator grant [NNX14AQ58G]; NASA through the Fermi Guest Investigator Program; NSF; BU; Lowell Observatory; Russian RFBR [15-02-00949]; St. Petersburg University [6.38.335.2015]; Ramon y Cajal grant of the Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (MINECO); MINECO [AYA2010-14844, AYA2013-40825-P, AYA2016-80889-P]; Regional Government of Andalucia [P09-FQM-4784]; Scientific Research Fund of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Sciences [DO 02-137 (BIn-13/09), DN 08/1]; Institute of Astronomy; Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory; Bulgaria Academy of Sciences, via the bilateral joint research project 'Observations of ICRF radio-sources visible in optical domain'; Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia [176011, 176004, 176021]; Shumen University [RD-08-81]

We study the multi-band variability and correlations of the TeV blazar Mrk 421 on year time scales, which can bring additional insight on the processes responsible for its broadband emission. We observed Mrk 421 in the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray range with the Cherenkov telescope MAGIC-I from March 2007 to June 2009 for a total of 96 hours of effective time after quality cuts. The VHE flux variability is quantified with several methods, including the Bayesian Block algorithm, which is applied to data from Cherenkov telescopes for the first time. The 2.3 year long MAGIC light curve is complemented with data from the Swift/BAT and RXTE/ASM satellites and the KVA, GASP-WEBT, OVRO, and Metsähovi telescopes from February 2007 to July 2009, allowing for an excellent characterisation of the multi-band variability and correlations over year time scales. Mrk 421 was found in different gamma-ray emission states during the 2.3 year long observation period. Flares and different levels of variability in the gamma-ray light curve could be identified with the Bayesian Block algorithm. The same behaviour of a quiet and active emission was found in the X-ray light curves measured by Swift/BAT and the RXTE/ASM, with a direct correlation in time. The behaviour of the optical light curve of GASP-WEBT and the radio light curves by OVRO and Metsähovi are different as they show no coincident features with the higher energetic light curves and a less variable emission. The fractional variability is overall increasing with energy. The comparable variability in the X-ray and VHE bands and their direct correlation during both high- and low-activity periods spanning many months show that the electron populations radiating the X-ray and gamma-ray photons are either the same, as expected in the Synchrotron-Self-Compton mechanism, or at least strongly correlated, as expected in electromagnetic cascades.

The cores of clusters at 0 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 1 are dominated by quiescent early-type galaxies, whereas the field is dominated by star-forming late-type galaxies. Clusters grow through the accretion of galaxies and groups from the surrounding field, which implies that galaxy properties, notably the star formation ability, are altered as they fall into overdense regions. The critical issues for understanding this evolution are how the truncation of star formation is connected to the morphological transformation and what physical mechanism is responsible for these changes. The GaLAxy Cluster Evolution Survey (GLACE) is conducting a thorough study of the variations in galaxy properties (star formation, AGN activity, and morphology) as a function of environment in a representative and well-studied sample of clusters. To address these questions, the GLACE survey is making a deep panoramic survey of emission line galaxies (ELG), mapping a set of optical lines ([O II], [O III], H beta and H alpha /[N II] when possible) in several galaxy clusters at z similar to 0 : 40, 0.63, and 0.86. Using the tunable filters (TF) of the OSIRIS instrument at the 10.4 m GTC telescope, the GLACE survey applies the technique of TF tomography: for each line, a set of images are taken through the OSIRIS TF, each image tuned at a different wavelength (equally spaced), to cover a rest frame velocity range of several thousand km s(-1) centred on the mean cluster redshift, and scanned for the full TF field of view of an 8 arcmin diameter. Here we present the first results of the GLACE project, targeting the H alpha /[N II] lines in the intermediate-redshift cluster ZwCl 0024.0 + 1652 at z = 0 : 395. Two pointings have been performed that cover similar to 2 x r(vir). We discuss the specific techniques devised to process the TF tomography observations in order to generate the catalogue of cluster H alpha emitters, which contains more than 200 sources down to a star formation rate (SFR) <= 1 M-circle dot/yr. An ancillary broadband catalogue is constructed, allowing us to discriminate line interlopers by means of colour diagnostics. The final catalogue contains 174 unique cluster sources. The AGN population is distinguished using different diagnostics and found to be similar to 37% of the ELG population. The median SFR of the star-forming population is 1.4 M-circle dot/yr. We studied the spatial distribution of ELG and confirm the existence of two components in the redshift space. Finally, we exploited the outstanding spectral resolution of the TF, attempting to estimate the cluster mass from ELG dynamics, finding M-200 = (4.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(14) M-circle dot h(-1), in agreement with previous weak-lensing estimates.

Context. Because of its proximity, Mrk 421 is one of the best sources on which to study the nature of BL Lac objects. Its proximity allows us to characterize its broadband spectral energy distribution (SED). Aims. The goal is to better understand the mechanisms responsible for the broadband emission and the temporal evolution of Mrk 421. These mechanisms may also apply to more distant blazars that cannot be studied with the same level of detail. Methods. A flare occurring in March 2010 was observed for 13 consecutive days (from MJD 55 265 to MJD 55 277) with unprecedented wavelength coverage from radio to very high energy (VHE; E> 100 GeV) γ-rays with MAGIC, VERITAS, Whipple, Fermi-LAT, MAXI, RXTE, Swift, GASP-WEBT, and several optical and radio telescopes. We modeled the day-scale SEDs with one-zone and two-zone synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) models, investigated the physical parameters, and evaluated whether the observed broadband SED variability can be associated with variations in the relativistic particle population. Results. The activity of Mrk 421 initially was high and then slowly decreased during the 13-day period. The flux variability was remarkable at the X-ray and VHE bands, but it was minor or not significant at the other bands. The variability in optical polarization was also minor. These observations revealed an almost linear correlation between the X-ray flux at the 2–10 keV band and the VHE γ-ray flux above 200 GeV, consistent with the γ-rays being produced by inverse-Compton scattering in the Klein-Nishina regime in the framework of SSC models. The one-zone SSC model can describe the SED of each day for the 13 consecutive days reasonably well, which once more shows the success of this standard theoretical scenario to describe the SEDs of VHE BL Lacs such as Mrk 421. This flaring activity is also very well described by a two-zone SSC model, where one zone is responsible for the quiescent emission, while the other smaller zone, which is spatially separated from the first, contributes to the daily variable emission occurring at X-rays and VHE γ-rays. The second blob is assumed to have a smaller volume and a narrow electron energy distribution with 3 × 10^4<γ< 6 × 10^5, where γ is the Lorentz factor of the electrons. Such a two-zone scenario would naturally lead to the correlated variability at the X-ray and VHE bands without variability at the optical/UV band, as well as to shorter timescales for the variability at the X-ray and VHE bands with respect to the variability at the other bands. Conclusions. Both the one-zone and the two-zone SSC models can describe the daily SEDs via the variation of only four or five model parameters, under the hypothesis that the variability is associated mostly with the underlying particle population. This shows that the particle acceleration and cooling mechanism that produces the radiating particles might be the main mechanism responsible for the broadband SED variations during the flaring episodes in blazars. The two-zone SSC model provides a better agreement with the observed SED at the narrow peaks of the low- and high-energy bumps during the highest activity, although the reported one-zone SSC model could be further improved by varying the parameters related to the emitting region itself (δ, B and R), in addition to the parameters related to the particle population.

The cores of clusters at 0 ≲ z ≲ 1 are dominated by quiescent early-type galaxies, whereas the field is dominated by star-forming late-type ones. Galaxy properties, notably the star formation (SF) ability, are altered as they fall into overdense regions. The critical issues to understand this evolution are how the truncation of SF is connected to the morphological transformation and the responsible physical mechanism. The GaLAxy Cluster Evolution Survey (GLACE) is conducting a study on the variation of galaxy properties (SF, AGN, morphology) as a function of environment in a representative sample of clusters. A deep survey of emission line galaxies (ELG) is being performed, mapping a set of optical lines ([OII], [OIII], Hβ and Hα/[NII]) in several clusters at z ∼ 0.40, 0.63 and 0.86. Using the Tunable Filters (TF) of OSIRIS/GTC, GLACE applies the technique of TF tomography: for each line, a set of images at different wavelengths are taken through the TF, to cover a rest frame velocity range of several thousands km/s. The first GLACE results target the Hα/[NII] lines in the cluster ZwCl 0024.0+1652 at z = 0.395 covering ∼ 2 × r_vir. We discuss the techniques devised to process the TF tomography observations to generate the catalogue of Hα emitters of 174 unique cluster sources down to a SFR below 1 M_⊙/yr. The AGN population is discriminated using different diagnostics and found to be ∼ 37 1.4 M_⊙/yr. We have studied the spatial distribution of ELG, confirming the existence of two components in the redshift space. Finally, we have exploited the outstanding spectral resolution of the TF to estimate the cluster mass from ELG dynamics, finding M_200 = 4.1 × 10^14 M_⊙ h^-1, in agreement with previous weak-lensing estimates.

Aims. We perform an extensive characterization of the broadband emission of Mrk 421, as well as its temporal evolution, during the non-flaring (low) state. The high brightness and nearby location (z = 0.031) of Mrk 421 make it an excellent laboratory to study blazar emission. The goal is to learn about the physical processes responsible for the typical emission of Mrk 421, which might also be extended to other blazars that are located farther away and hence are more difficult to study.Methods. We performed a 4.5-month multi-instrument campaign on Mrk 421 between January 2009 and June 2009, which included VLBA, F-GAMMA, GASP-WEBT, Swift, RXTE, Fermi-LAT, MAGIC, and Whipple, among other instruments and collaborations. This extensive radio to very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray dataset provides excellent temporal and energy coverage, which allows detailed studies of the evolution of the broadband spectral energy distribution.Results. Mrk421 was found in its typical (non-flaring) activity state, with a VHE flux of about half that of the Crab Nebula, yet the light curves show significant variability at all wavelengths, the highest variability being in the X-rays. We determined the power spectral densities (PSD) at most wavelengths and found that all PSDs can be described by power-laws without a break, and with indices consistent with pink/red-noise behavior. We observed a harder-when-brighter behavior in the X-ray spectra and measured a positive correlation between VHE and X-ray fluxes with zero time lag. Such characteristics have been reported many times during flaring activity, but here they are reported for the first time in the non-flaring state. We also observed an overall anti-correlation between optical /UV and X-rays extending over the duration of the campaign.Conclusions. The harder-when-brighter behavior in the X-ray spectra and the measured positive X-ray/VHE correlation during the 2009 multiwavelength campaign suggests that the physical processes dominating the emission during non-flaring states have similarities with those occurring during flaring activity. In particular, this observation supports leptonic scenarios as being responsible for the emission of Mrk 421 during non-flaring activity. Such a temporally extended X-ray /VHE correlation is not driven by any single flaring event, and hence is difficult to explain within the standard hadronic scenarios. The highest variability is observed in the X-ray band, which, within the one-zone synchrotron self-Compton scenario, indicates that the electron energy distribution is most variable at the highest energies.

A long and intense gamma-ray burst (GRB) was detected by INTEGRAL on July 11 2012 with a duration of ~115s and fluence of 2.8x10^-4 erg cm^-2 in the 20 keV-8 MeV energy range. GRB 120711A was at z~1.405 and produced soft gamma-ray emission (>20 keV) for at least ~10 ks after the trigger. The GRB was observed by several ground-based telescopes that detected a powerful optical flash peaking at an R-band brightness of ~11.5 mag at ~126 s after the trigger. We present a comprehensive temporal and spectral analysis of the long-lasting soft gamma-ray emission detected in the 20-200 keV band with INTEGRAL, the Fermi/LAT post-GRB detection above 100 MeV, the soft X-ray afterglow from XMM-Newton, Chandra, and Swift and the optical/NIR detections from Watcher, Skynet, GROND, and REM. We modelled the long-lasting soft gamma-ray emission using the standard afterglow scenario, which indicates a forward shock origin. The combination of data extending from the NIR to GeV energies suggest that the emission is produced by a broken power-law spectrum consistent with synchrotron radiation. The afterglow is well modelled using a stratified wind-like environment with a density profile k~1.2, suggesting a massive star progenitor (i.e. Wolf-Rayet). The analysis of the reverse and forward shock emission reveals an initial Lorentz factor of ~120-340, a jet half-opening angle of ~2deg-5deg, and a baryon load of ~10^-5-10^-6 Msun consistent with the expectations of the fireball model when the emission is highly relativistic. Long-lasting soft gamma-ray emission from other INTEGRAL GRBs with high peak fluxes, such as GRB 041219A, was not detected, suggesting that a combination of high Lorentz factor, emission above 100 MeV, and possibly a powerful reverse shock are required. Similar long-lasting soft gamma-ray emission has recently been observed from the nearby and extremely bright Fermi/LAT burst GRB 130427A.

Since the launch of the Fermi satellite, BL Lacertae has been moderately active at gamma-rays and optical frequencies until May 2011, when the source started a series of strong flares. The exceptional optical sampling achieved by the GLAST-AGILE Support Program (GASP) of the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT) in collaboration with the Steward Observatory allows us to perform a detailed comparison with the daily gamma-ray observations by Fermi. Discrete correlation analysis between the optical and gamma-ray emission reveals correlation with a time lag of 0 +- 1 d, which suggests cospatiality of the corresponding jet emitting regions. A better definition of the time lag is hindered by the daily gaps in the sampling of the extremely fast flux variations. In general, optical flares present more structure and develop on longer time scales than corresponding gamma-ray flares. Observations at X-rays and at millimetre wavelengths reveal a common trend, which suggests that the region producing the mm and X-ray radiation is located downstream from the optical and gamma-ray-emitting zone in the jet. The mean optical degree of polarisation slightly decreases over the considered period and in general it is higher when the flux is lower. The optical electric vector polarisation angle (EVPA) shows a preferred orientation of about 15 deg, nearly aligned with the radio core EVPA and mean jet direction. Oscillations around it increase during the 2011-2012 outburst. We investigate the effects of a geometrical interpretation of the long-term flux variability on the polarisation. A helical magnetic field model predicts an evolution of the mean polarisation that is in reasonable agreement with the observations. These can be fully explained by introducing slight variations in the compression factor in a transverse shock waves model.

We report results from a one-week multiwavelength campaign to monitor the BL?Lacertae object (BL Lac) S5 0716+714 (on 2009 December 916). Nine ground-based telescopes at widely separated longitudes and one space-based telescope aboard the Swift satellite collected optical data. Radio data were obtained from the Effelsberg and Urumqi observatories and X-ray data from Swift. In the radio bands, the source shows rapid [similar to(0.51.5) d] intraday variability with peak amplitudes of up to similar to 10 per cent. The variability at 2.8?cm leads by about 1?d the variability at 6 and 11?cm. This time lag and more rapid variations suggest an intrinsic contribution to the source's intraday variability at 2.8?cm, while at 6 and 11?cm, interstellar scintillation (ISS) seems to predominate. Large and quasi-sinusoidal variations of similar to 0.8?mag were detected in the V, R and I bands. The X-ray data (0.210?keV) do not reveal significant variability on a 4?d time-scale, favouring reprocessed inverse Compton over synchrotron radiation in this band. The characteristic variability time-scales in radio and optical bands are similar. A quasi-periodic variation of 0.91.1?d in the optical data may be present, but if so it is marginal and limited to 2.2 cycles. Cross-correlations between radio and optical bands are discussed. The lack of a strong radiooptical correlation indicates different physical causes of variability (ISS at long radio wavelengths, source intrinsic origin in the optical) and is consistent with a high jet opacity and a compact synchrotron component peaking at ?100?GHz in an ongoing very prominent flux-density outburst. For the campaign period, we construct a quasi-simultaneous spectral energy distribution, including ?-ray data from the Fermi satellite. We obtain lower limits for the relativistic Doppler boosting of d = 1226, which for a BL?Lac-type object is remarkably high.

We propose to perform a continuously scanning all-sky survey from 200 keV to 80 MeV achieving a sensitivity which is better by a factor of 40 or more compared to the previous missions in this energy range (COMPTEL, INTEGRAL; see Fig. 1). These gamma-ray observations will be complemented by observations in the soft X-ray and (near-)infrared region with the corresponding telescopes placed on a separate satellite. The Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy (“GRIPS”) mission with its three instruments Gamma-Ray Monitor (GRM), X-Ray Monitor (XRM) and InfraRed Telescope (IRT) addresses fundamental questions in ESA’s Cosmic Vision plan. Among the major themes of the strategic plan, GRIPS has its focus on the evolving, violent Universe, exploring a unique energy window. We propose to investigate γ-ray bursts and blazars, the mechanisms behind supernova explosions, nucleosynthesis and spallation, the enigmatic origin of positrons in our Galaxy, and the nature of radiation processes and particle acceleration in extreme cosmic sources including pulsars and magnetars. The natural energy scale for these non-thermal processes is of the order of MeV. Although they can be partially and indirectly studied using other methods, only the proposed GRIPS measurements will provide direct access to their primary photons. GRIPS will be a driver for the study of transient sources in the era of neutrino and gravitational wave observatories such as IceCUBE and LISA, establishing a new type of diagnostics in relativistic and nuclear astrophysics. This will support extrapolations to investigate star formation, galaxy evolution, and black hole formation at high redshifts.

The Swift Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) mission has enabled the rapid detection of GRBs and the determination of the redshift of a greater proportion of source counterparts than previous missions.The mean redshift of the Swift GRBs is significantly higher than that of earlier missions.We present the results of a temporal analysis performed on 134 Swift long GRBs with known redshift.‡ The GRBs were denoised using wavelets and subjected to an automatic pulse selection algorithm with the objective of identifying pulses.The rise times, fall times, full-width at half-maxima (FWHM), pulse amplitudes and pulse areas were measured and the frequency distributions of some of them are presented here.The results provide a comprehensive description of the pulse profiles in Swift GRBs with known redshift, determining that the temporal properties are consistent with lognormal distributions and that correcting for the known redshift of the source does not have a significant impact on the distributions.Lognormal distributions arise from random multiplicative processes and abound in a variety of natural phenomena.

We report on the extreme γ-ray activity from the flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 1510−089 observed by the AGILE satellite in March 2009. In the same period a radio-to-optical monitoring of the source was provided by the GASP–WEBT and REM facilities. In the radio band we made use also of multi-epoch 15-GHz Very Long Baseline Array data from the MOJAVE Program to get information on the parsec-scale structure. Moreover, several Swift target of opportunity observations were triggered, adding important information on the source behaviour from optical/UV to hard X-rays. We paid particular attention to the calibration of the Swift/UVOT data to make it suitable to the blazars spectra. Simultaneous observations from radio to γ rays allowed us to study in detail the correlation among the emission variability at different frequencies and to investigate the mechanisms at work during this high activity state of the source. In the period 9–30 March 2009, AGILE detected γ-ray emission from PKS 1510−089 at a significance level of 21.5-σ with an average flux over the entire period of (311±21)×10−8 photons cm−2 s−1 for photon energies above 100 MeV, and a peak level of (702±131)×10−8 photons cm−2 s−1 on daily integration. The activity detected in γ rays occurred during a period of increasing activity from near-infrared to UV, as monitored by GASP– WEBT, REM and Swift/UVOT. A flaring episode on 26–27 March 2009 was detected from near-IR to UV, suggesting that a single mechanism is responsible for the flux enhancement observed at the end of March. By contrast, Swift/XRT observations seem to show no clear correlation of the X-ray fluxes with the optical and γ-ray ones. However, the X-ray observations show a harder photon index (Γx 1.3–1.6) with respect to most FSRQs and a hint of harder-when-brighter behaviour, indicating the possible presence of a second emission component at soft X-ray energies. Moreover, the broad band spectrum from radio-to-UV confirmed the evidence of thermal features in the optical/UV spectrum of PKS 1510−089 also during high γ-ray state. On the other hand, during 25–26 March 2009 a flat spectrum in the optical/UV energy band was observed, suggesting an important contribution of the synchrotron emission in this part of the spectrum during the brightest γ-ray flare, therefore a significant shift of the synchrotron peak.

We report on the gamma-ray activity of the high-synchrotron-peaked BL Lacertae object Mrk 421 during the first 1.5 years of Fermi operation, from 2008 August 5 to 2010 March 12. We find that the Large Area Telescope (LAT) gamma-ray spectrum above 0.3 GeV can be well-described by a power-law function with photon index Gamma=1.78 +/- 0.02 and average photon flux F(>0.3 GeV)=(7.23 +/- 0.16) x 10^{-8} ph cm^{-2} s^{-1}. Over this time period, the Fermi-LAT spectrum above 0.3 GeV was evaluated on 7-day-long time intervals, showing significant variations in the photon flux (up to a factor ~3 from the minimum to the maximum flux), but mild spectral variations. The variability amplitude at X-ray frequencies measured by RXTE/ASM and Swift/BAT is substantially larger than that in gamma-rays measured by Fermi-LAT, and these two energy ranges are not significantly correlated. We also present the first results from the 4.5-month-long multifrequency campaign on Mrk 421, which included the VLBA, Swift, RXTE, MAGIC, the F-GAMMA, GASP-WEBT, and other collaborations and instruments which provided excellent temporal and energy coverage of the source throughout the entire campaign (2009 January 19 to 2009 June 1). During this campaign, Mrk 421 showed a low activity at all wavebands. The extensive multi-instrument (radio to TeV) data set provides an unprecedented, complete look at the quiescent spectral energy distribution (SED) for this source. The broad band SED was reproduced with a leptonic (one-zone Synchrotron Self-Compton) and a hadronic model (Synchrotron Proton Blazar). Both frameworks are able to describe the average SED reasonably well, implying comparable jet powers but very different characteristics for the blazar emission site.

We report on the extreme gamma-ray activity from the flat spectrum radio quasar (FSRQ) PKS 1510-089 observed by the AGILE satellite in March 2009. In the same period a radio-to-optical monitoring of the source was provided by the GASP-WEBT and REM facilities. In the radio band we made use also of multi-epoch 15-GHz Very Long Baseline Array data from the MOJAVE Program to get information on the parsec-scale structure. Moreover, several Swift target of opportunity observations were triggered, adding important information on the source behaviour from optical/UV to hard X-rays. We paid particular attention to the calibration of the Swift/UVOT data to make it suitable to the blazars spectra. Simultaneous observations from radio to gamma rays allowed us to study in detail the correlation among the emission variability at different frequencies and to investigate the mechanisms at work during this high activity state of the source.In the period 9-30 March 2009, AGILE detected gamma-ray emission from PKS 1510-089 at a significance level of 21.5-sigma with an average flux over the entire period of (311 +/- 21) x 10(-8) photons cm(-2) s(-1) for photon energies above 100 MeV, and a peak level of (702 +/- 131) x 10(-8) photons cm(-2) s(-1) on daily integration. The activity detected in gamma rays occurred during a period of increasing activity from near-infrared to UV, as monitored by GASP-WEBT, REM and Swift/UVOT. A flaring episode on 26-27 March 2009 was detected from near-IR to UV, suggesting that a single mechanism is responsible for the flux enhancement observed at the end of March. By contrast, Swift/XRT observations seem to show no clear correlation of the X-ray fluxes with the optical and gamma-ray ones. However, the X-ray observations show a harder photon index (Gamma(x) similar or equal to 1.3-1.6) with respect to most FSRQs and a hint of harder-when-brighter behaviour, indicating the possible presence of a second emission component at soft X-ray energies. Moreover, the broad band spectrum from radio-to-UV confirmed the evidence of thermal features in the optical/UV spectrum of PKS 1510-089 also during high gamma-ray state. On the other hand, during 25-26 March 2009 a flat spectrum in the optical/UV energy band was observed, suggesting an important contribution of the synchrotron emission in this part of the spectrum during the brightest gamma-ray flare, therefore a significant shift of the synchrotron peak.