AGILE detection of a gamma-ray flare from the blazar PKS 1222+216

AGILE is detecting a significant gamma-ray emission above 100 MeV from a source consistent with the position of the blazar PKS 1222+216. Integrating from 2009-12-13 06 00 UT to 2009-12-15 06 00 UT, a quicklook maximum likelihood analysis of the AGILE-GRID data yields a detection at a significance level larger than 5 sigma and a source flux above 250e-8 ph/cm2/sec (E > 100 MeV). An increased gamma-ray activity from a source consistent with the blazar PKS 1222+216 was previously reported by Fermi/LAT (ATel #2021) on April 16 2009, with a gamma-ray flux of (46+/-13)e-8 ph/cm2/sec (E > 100MeV), ten times higher than the average 6 months value.