519 research outputs found
The Radio Afterglow and Host Galaxy of the Dark GRB 020819
Of the fourteen gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) localized to better than 2' radius
with the SXC on HETE-2, only two lack optical afterglow detections, and the
high recovery rate among this sample has been used to argue that the fraction
of truly dark bursts is ~10%. While a large fraction of earlier dark bursts can
be explained by the failure of ground-based searches to reach appropriate
limiting magnitudes, suppression of the optical light of these SXC dark bursts
seems likely. Here we report the discovery and observation of the radio
afterglow of GRB 020819, an SXC dark burst, which enables us to identify the
likely host galaxy (probability of 99.2%) and hence the redshift (z=0.41) of
the GRB. The radio light curve is qualitatively similar to that of several
other radio afterglows, and may include an early-time contribution from the
emission of the reverse shock. The proposed host is a bright R = 19.5 mag
barred spiral galaxy, with a faint R ~ 24.0 mag "blob'' of emission, 3" from
the galaxy core (16 kpc in projection), that is coincident with the radio
afterglow. Optical photometry of the galaxy and blob, beginning 3 hours after
the burst and extending over more than 100 days, establishes strong upper
limits to the optical brightness of any afterglow or associated supernova.
Combining the afterglow radio fluxes and our earliest R-band limit, we find
that the most likely afterglow model invokes a spherical expansion into a
constant-density (rather than stellar wind-like) external environment; within
the context of this model, a modest local extinction of A_V ~ 1 mag is
sufficient to suppress the optical flux below our limits.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures. ApJ, in press. For more info on dark bursts, see
http://www.astro.ku.dk/~pallja/dark.htm
A Very Large Array Search for 5 GHz Radio Transients and Variables at Low Galactic Latitudes
We present the results of a 5 GHz survey with the Very Large Array (VLA) and the expanded VLA, designed to search for short-lived (âŸ1 day) transients and to characterize the variability of radio sources at milli-Jansky levels. A total sky area of 2.66 deg^2, spread over 141 fields at low Galactic latitudes (bâ
6-8 deg), was observed 16 times with a cadence that was chosen to sample timescales of days, months, and years. Most of the data were reduced, analyzed, and searched for transients in near real-time. Interesting candidates were followed up using visible light telescopes (typical delays of 1-2 hr) and the X-ray Telescope on board the Swift satellite. The final processing of the data revealed a single possible transient with a peak flux density of f_Îœâ
2.4 mJy. This implies a transient's sky surface density of Îș(f_Îœ > 1.8 mJy) = 0.039^(+0.13 +0.18)_(â0.032,â0.038) deg^(â2) (1Ï, 2Ï confidence errors). This areal density is roughly consistent with the sky surface density of transients from the Bower et al. survey extrapolated to 1.8 mJy. Our observed transient areal density is consistent with a neutron star's origin for these events. Furthermore, we use the data to measure the source variability on timescales of days to years, and we present the variability structure function of 5 GHz sources. The mean structure function shows a fast increase on â1 day timescale, followed by a slower increase on timescales of up to 10 days. On timescales between 10 and 60 days, the structure function is roughly constant. We find that âł30% of the unresolved sources brighter than 1.8 mJy are variables at the >4Ï confidence level, presumably mainly due to refractive scintillation
A Submillimeter and Radio Survey of Gamma-Ray Burst Host Galaxies: A Glimpse into the Future of Star Formation Studies
We present the first comprehensive search for submillimeter and radio
emission from the host galaxies of twenty well-localized gamma-ray bursts
(GRBs). With the exception of a single source, all observations were undertaken
months to years after the GRB explosions to ensure negligible contamination
from the afterglows. We detect the host galaxy of GRB 000418 in both the sub-mm
and radio, and the host galaxy of GRB 000210 only in the sub-mm. These
observations, in conjunction with the previous detections of the host galaxies
of GRB 980703 and GRB 010222, indicate that about 20% of GRB host galaxies are
ultra-luminous and have star formation rates of about 500 M_sun/yr. As an
ensemble, the non-detected hosts have a star formation rate of about 100
M_sun/yr (5-sigma) based on their radio emission. The detected and ensemble
star formation rates exceed the optical values by an order of magnitude,
indicating significant dust obscuration. In the same vein, the ratio of
bolometric dust luminosity to UV luminosity for the hosts detected in the
sub-mm and radio ranges from 20-800, and follows the known trend of increasing
obscuration with increasing bolometric luminosity. We also show that, both as a
sample and individually, the GRB host galaxies have bluer R-K colors as
compared with galaxies selected in the sub-mm in the same redshift range. This
possibly indicates that the stellar populations in the GRB hosts are on average
younger, supporting the massive stellar progenitor scenario for GRBs, but it is
also possible that GRB hosts are on average less dusty.Comment: Submitted to ApJ; 36 pages, 3 tables, 7 figures; updated reference
Probing MHD Shocks with high-J CO observations: W28F
Context. Observing supernova remnants (SNRs) and modelling the shocks they
are associated with is the best way to quantify the energy SNRs re-distribute
back into the Interstellar Medium (ISM). Aims. We present comparisons of shock
models with CO observations in the F knot of the W28 supernova remnant. These
comparisons constitute a valuable tool to constrain both the shock
characteristics and pre-shock conditions. Methods. New CO observations from the
shocked regions with the APEX and SOFIA telescopes are presented and combined.
The integrated intensities are compared to the outputs of a grid of models,
which were combined from an MHD shock code that calculates the dynamical and
chemical structure of these regions, and a radiative transfer module based on
the 'large velocity gradient' (LVG) approximation. Results. We base our
modelling method on the higher J CO transitions, which unambiguously trace the
passage of a shock wave. We provide fits for the blue- and red-lobe components
of the observed shocks. We find that only stationary, C-type shock models can
reproduce the observed levels of CO emission. Our best models are found for a
pre-shock density of 104 cm-3, with the magnetic field strength varying between
45 and 100 {\mu}G, and a higher shock velocity for the so-called blue shock
(\sim25 km s-1) than for the red one (\sim20 km s-1). Our models also
satisfactorily account for the pure rotational H2 emission that is observed
with Spitzer.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, 1 table, accepted for A&A SOFIA/GREAT Special
Issu
Identification of a Likely Radio Counterpart of the Rapid Burster
We have identified a likely radio counterpart to the low-mass X-ray binary
MXB 1730-335 (the Rapid Burster). The counterpart has shown 8.4 GHz radio
on/off behavior correlated with the X-ray on/off behavior as observed by the
RXTE/ASM during six VLA observations. The probability of an unrelated, randomly
varying background source duplicating this behavior is 1-3% depending on the
correlation time scale. The location of the radio source is RA 17h 33m 24.61s;
Dec -33d 23' 19.8" (J2000), +/- 0.1". We do not detect 8.4 GHz radio emission
coincident with type II (accretion-driven) X-ray bursts. The ratio of radio to
X-ray emission during such bursts is constrained to be below the ratio observed
during X-ray persistent emission at the 2.9-sigma level. Synchrotron bubble
models of the radio emission can provide a reasonable fit to the full data set,
collected over several outbursts, assuming that the radio evolution is the same
from outburst to outburst, but given the physical constraints the emission is
more likely to be due to ~hour-long radio flares such as have been observed
from the X-ray binary GRS 1915+105.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures; accepted for publication in ApJ (no changes
A Case Study of On-the-Fly Wide-Field Radio Imaging Applied to the Gravitational-wave Event GW 151226
We apply a newly-developed On-the-Fly mosaicing technique on the NSF's Karl
G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) at 3 GHz in order to carry out a sensitive
search for an afterglow from the Advanced LIGO binary black hole merger event
GW 151226. In three epochs between 1.5 and 6 months post-merger we observed a
100 sq. deg region, with more than 80% of the survey region having a RMS
sensitivity of better than 150 uJy/beam, in the northern hemisphere having a
merger containment probability of 10%. The data were processed in
near-real-time, and analyzed to search for transients and variables. No
transients were found but we have demonstrated the ability to conduct blind
searches in a time-frequency phase space where the predicted afterglow signals
are strongest. If the gravitational wave event is contained within our survey
region, the upper limit on any late-time radio afterglow from the merger event
at an assumed mean distance of 440 Mpc is about 1e29 erg/s/Hz. Approximately
1.5% of the radio sources in the field showed variability at a level of 30%,
and can be attributed to normal activity from active galactic nuclei. The low
rate of false positives in the radio sky suggests that wide-field imaging
searches at a few Gigahertz can be an efficient and competitive search
strategy. We discuss our search method in the context of the recent afterglow
detection from GW 170817 and radio follow-up in future gravitational wave
observing runs.Comment: 11 pages. 6 figures. 1 table. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
On the detectability of gravitational waves background produced by gamma ray bursts
In this paper we discuss a new strategy for the detection of gravitational
radiation likely emitted by cosmological gamma ray burst. Robust and
conservative estimates lead to the conclusion that the uncorrelated
superimposition of bursts of gravitational waves can be detected by
interferometric detectors like VIRGO or LIGO. The expected signal is predicted
to carry two very distinctive signatures: the cosmological dipole anisotropy
and a characteristic time scale in the auto correlation spectrum, which might
be exploited, perhaps with ad hoc modifications and/or upgrading of the planned
experiments, to confirm the non-instrumental origin of the signal.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, LATEX2e, Accepted for pubblications as a Letter
to the Editor in Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physic
SCUBA sub-millimeter observations of gamma-ray bursters IV. GRB 021004, 021211, 030115, 030226, 041006
We discuss our ongoing program of Target of Opportunity (ToO) sub-millimeter
observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) using the Sub-millimetre Common-User
Bolometer Array (SCUBA) on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT). In this
paper, we present the ToO observations of GRBs 021004, 021211, 030115, 030226,
and 041006. The observations of GRBs 021004, 021211, 030226, and 041006 all
started within ~1 day of the burst, but did not detect any significant
sub-millimeter emission from the reverse shock and/or afterglow. These
observations put some constraints on the models for the early emission,
although the generally poor observing conditions and/or the faintness of these
afterglows at other wavelengths limit the inferences that can be drawn from
these lack of detections. However, these observations demonstrate that SCUBA
can perform rapid observations of GRBs, and provide encouragement for future
observations in the Swift era. None of these GRBs had significant
sub-millimeter emission from their host galaxies. This adds to the indication
that GRBs are not closely linked to the most luminous dusty star-forming
galaxies.Comment: 10 pages, 1 color figure (no information lost if printed in black and
white
The bright optical afterglow of the nearby gamma-ray burst of 29 March 2003
Many past studies of cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been limited
because of the large distance to typical GRBs, resulting in faint afterglows.
There has long been a recognition that a nearby GRB would shed light on the
origin of these mysterious cosmic explosions, as well as the physics of their
fireballs. However, GRBs nearer than z=0.2 are extremely rare, with an
estimated rate of localisation of one every decade. Here, we report the
discovery of bright optical afterglow emission from GRB 030329. Our prompt
dissemination and the brilliance of the afterglow resulted in extensive
followup (more than 65 telescopes) from radio through X-ray bands, as well as
measurement of the redshift, z=0.169. The gamma-ray and afterglow properties of
GRB 030329 are similar to those of cosmological GRBs (after accounting for the
small distance), making this the nearest known cosmological GRB. Observations
have already securely identified the progenitor as a massive star that exploded
as a supernova, and we anticipate futher revelations of the GRB phenomenon from
studies of this source.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Original tex
Millimeter Observations of GRB 030329: Continued Evidence for a Two-Component Jet
We present the results of a dedicated campaign on the afterglow of GRB 030329
with the millimeter interferometers of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory
(OVRO), the Berkeley-Illinois-Maryland Association (BIMA), and with the MAMBO-2
bolometer array on the IRAM 30-m telescope. These observations allow us to
trace the full evolution of the afterglow of GRB 030329 at frequencies of 100
GHz and 250 GHz for the first time. The millimeter light curves exhibit two
main features: a bright, constant flux density portion and a steep power-law
decline. The absence of bright, short-lived millimeter emission is used to show
that the GRB central engine was not actively injecting energy well after the
burst. The millimeter data support a model, advocated by Berger et al., of a
two-component jet-like outflow in which a narrow angle jet is responsible for
the high energy emission and early optical afterglow, and a wide-angle jet
carrying most of the energy is powering the radio and late optical afterglow
emissionComment: Accepted to ApJ
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