4,844 research outputs found
The Ulysses Supplement to the BATSE 3B Catalog of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts
We present Interplanetary Network localization information for 218 gamma-ray
bursts in the 3rd BATSE catalog, obtained by analyzing the arrival times of
these bursts at the Ulysses and Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO)
spacecraft. For any given burst observed by these two spacecraft, arrival time
analysis (or "triangulation") results in an annulus of possible arrival
directions whose half-width varies between 7 arcseconds and 32 arcminutes,
depending on the intensity and time history of the burst, and the distance of
the Ulysses spacecraft from Earth. This annulus generally intersects the BATSE
error circle, resulting in an average reduction of the error box area of a
factor of 30.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplemen
The Ulysses Supplement to the BATSE 4Br Catalog of Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts
We present Interplanetary Network localization information for 147 gamma-ray
bursts observed by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment between the end of
the 3rd BATSE catalog and the end of the 4th BATSE catalog, obtained by
analyzing the arrival times of these bursts at the Ulysses and Compton
Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO) spacecraft. For any given burst observed by these
two spacecraft, arrival time analysis (or "triangulation") results in an
annulus of possible arrival directions whose half-width varies between 7
arcseconds and 2.3 degrees, depending on the intensity and time history of the
burst, and the distance of the Ulysses spacecraft from Earth. This annulus
generally intersects the BATSE error circle, resulting in an average reduction
of the error box area of a factor of 25.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Supplemen
The Interplanetary Network Supplement to the BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Burst Catalogs
Between 1996 July and 2002 April, one or more spacecraft of the
interplanetary network detected 787 cosmic gamma-ray bursts that were also
detected by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and/or Wide-Field X-Ray Camera
experiments aboard the BeppoSAX spacecraft. During this period, the network
consisted of up to six spacecraft, and using triangulation, the localizations
of 475 bursts were obtained. We present the localization data for these events.Comment: 89 pages, 3 figures. Submitted to the Astrophysical Journal
Supplement Serie
No Evidence for Gamma-Ray Burst/Abell Cluster or Gamma- Ray Burst/Radio-Quiet Quasar Correlations
We examine the recent claims that cosmic gamma-ray bursts are associated with
either radio-quiet quasars or Abell clusters. These associations were based on
positional coincidences between cataloged quasars or Abell clusters, and
selected events from the BATSE 3B catalog of gamma-ray bursts. We use a larger
sample of gamma-ray bursts with more accurate positions, obtained by the 3rd
Interplanetary Network, to re-evaluate these possible associations. We find no
evidence for either.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa
Lognormal Properties of SGR 1806-20 and Implications for Other SGR Sources
The time interval between successive bursts from SGR 1806-20 and the
intensity of these bursts are both consistent with lognormal distributions.
Monte Carlo simulations of lognormal burst models with a range of distribution
parameters have been investigated. The main conclusions are that while most
sources like SGR 1806-20 should be detected in a time interval of 25 years,
sources with means about 100 times longer have a probability of about 5\% of
being detected in the same interval. A new breed of experiments that operate
for long periods are required to search for sources with mean recurrence
intervals much longer than SGR 1806-20.Comment: 4 pages, latex with seperate file containing 2 uuencoded, gzip'ed,
tarred, .eps figures. Replaced with file that does not use kluwer.sty to
allow automatic postscript generation. To appear in proceedings of ESLAB 2
Are Abell Clusters Correlated with Gamma-Ray Bursts?
A recent study has presented marginal statistical evidence that gamma-ray
burst sources are correlated with Abell clusters, based on analyses of bursts
in the BATSE 3B catalog. Using precise localization information from the 3rd
Interplanetary Network, we have reanalyzed this possible correlation. We find
that most of the Abell clusters which are in the relatively large 3B error
circles are not in the much smaller IPN/BATSE error regions. We believe that
this argues strongly against an Abell cluster-gamma-ray burst correlation.Comment: accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letter
ASCA Discovery of an X-ray Pulsar in the Error Box of SGR1900+14
We present a 2 - 10 keV ASCA observation of the field around the soft gamma
repeater SGR1900+14. One quiescent X-ray source was detected in this
observation, and it was in the SGR error box. In 2 - 10 keV X-rays, its
spectrum may be fit by a power law with index -2.2, and its unabsorbed flux is
9.6 x 10^-12 erg cm^-2 s^-1. We also find a clear 5.16 s period. The properties
of the three well-studied soft gamma repeaters are remarkably similar to one
another, and provide evidence that all of them are associated with young,
strongly magnetized neutron stars in supernova remnants.Comment: Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letter
A giant, periodic flare from the soft gamma repeater SGR1900+14
Soft gamma repeaters are high-energy transient sources associated with
neutron stars in young supernova remnants. They emit sporadic, short (~ 0.1 s)
bursts with soft energy spectra during periods of intense activity. The event
of March 5, 1979 was the most intense and the only clearly periodic one to
date. Here we report on an even more intense burst on August 27, 1998, from a
different soft gamma repeater, which displayed a hard energy spectrum at its
peak, and was followed by a ~300 s long tail with a soft energy spectrum and a
dramatic 5.16 s period. Its peak and time integrated energy fluxes at Earth are
the largest yet observed from any cosmic source. This event was probably
initiated by a massive disruption of the neutron star crust, followed by an
outflow of energetic particles rotating with the period of the star. Comparison
of these two bursts supports the idea that magnetic energy plays an important
role, and that such giant flares, while rare, are not unique, and may occur at
any time in the neutron star's activity cycle.Comment: Accepted for publication in Natur
Where is SGR1806-20?
We apply a statistical method to derive very precise locations for soft gamma
repeaters using data from the interplanetary network. We demonstrate the
validity of the method by deriving a 600 arcsec^2 error ellipse for SGR1900+14
whose center agrees well with the VLA source position. We then apply it to
SGR1806-20, for which we obtain a 230 arcsec^2 error ellipse, the smallest
burst error box to date. We find that the most likely position of the source
has a small but significant displacement from that of the non-thermal core of
the radio supernova remnant G10.0-0.3, which was previously thought to be the
position of the repeater. We propose a different model to explain the changing
supernova remnant morphology and the positions of the luminous blue variable
and the bursting source.Comment: 12 pages and 2 color figures, accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letter
- âŠ