Discovery of Very High Energy gamma-rays from 1ES 1011+496 at z=0.212

Understand

We report on the discovery of Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the BL Lacertae object 1ES1011+496.

• The observation was triggered by an optical outburst in March 2007 and the source was observed with the MAGIC telescope from March to May 2007.
• Observing for 18.7 hr we find an excess of 6.2 sigma with an integrated flux above 200 GeV of (1.58$\pm0.32) 10^{-11}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$.
• The VHE gamma-ray flux is >40% higher than in March-April 2006 (reported elsewhere), indicating that the VHE emission state may be related to the optical emission state.