Fermi-LAT detection of a GeV gamma-ray flare from the blazar PKS 2023-07

The Large Area Telescope (LAT), one of the two instruments on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, has observed increasing gamma-ray flux from a source positionally consistent with the flat spectrum radio quasar PKS 2023-07 (also known as NRAO 629, TXS 2022-077, 3EG J2025-0744, 1AGLR J2027-0747 and 3FGL J2025.6-0736), with radio counterpart position R.A. 306.419418 deg, Dec. -7.597969 deg (J2000.0, Beasley et al. 2002, ApJS, 141, 13) and with redshift z=1.388 (Drinkwater et al. 1997, MNRAS, 284, 85). Preliminary analysis indicates that on 2016 April 9, PKS 2023-07 was in a high state with a daily averaged gamma-ray flux (E > 100 MeV) of (2.0+/-0.3) X 10^-6 photons cm^-2 s^-1 (statistical uncertainty only), about 16 times greater than its four-year average flux reported in the third Fermi-LAT source catalog (3FGL, Acero et al. 2015, ApJS, 218, 23). The corresponding daily averaged spectral photon index (E > 100 MeV) of 2.4+/-0.2 (statistical uncertainty only) is compatible with the 3FGL catalog value of 2.18+/-0.03.