Fading of the X-Ray Afterglow of Neutron Star Merger GW170817/GRB 170817A at 260 Days

The multi-wavelength electromagnetic afterglow from the binary neutron star merger GW170817/GRB 170817A has displayed long-term power-law brightening, and has presented challenges to post-merger models of the nonthermal emission. The most recent radio observations up to 200 days post-merger suggest that the afterglow has finally peaked and may now be fading, but fading has not been confirmed in the X-rays. We present new, deep Chandra observations of GW170817/GRB 170817A at 260 days post-merger that reveal an X-ray flux of = F(0.3 - 8 keV) = 1.1 x 10^-14 erg s^−1 cm^−2 , and confirm that the X-ray light curve is now also fading. Through rigorous comparisons with previous Chandra observations of GW170817/GRB 170817A, X-ray fading is detected between 160 and 260 days post-merger at a 4.4σ significance on the basis of the X-ray data alone. We further constrain the X-ray photon index to steepen by <0.5 at 3.1σ significance during this period, which disfavors the passing of the synchrotron cooling frequency through the X-ray band as the cause of the observed fading. These observations remain consistent with optically thin synchrotron afterglow emission. If this afterglow emission arises from a quasi-spherical mildly relativistic outflow, the X-ray fading suggests that the outflow is now decelerating. Alternatively, if this afterglow arises from a successful off-axis structured jet, the X-ray fading suggests that emission from the jet core has already entered the line of sight

CC Sculptoris: a superhumping intermediate polar

We present high-speed optical, spectroscopic and Swift X-ray observations made during the dwarf nova superoutburst of CC Scl in 2011 November. An orbital period of 1.383 h and superhump period of 1.443 h were measured, but the principal new finding is that CC Scl is a previously unrecognized intermediate polar, with a white dwarf spin period of 389.49 s which is seen in both optical and Swift X-ray light curves only during the outburst. In this it closely resembles the old nova GK Per, but unlike the latter has one of the shortest orbital periods among intermediate polars

The prompt-afterglow connection in gamma-ray bursts: a comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light curves

We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) collecting data from more than 650 GRBs discovered by Swift and other facilities. The unprecedented sample size allows us to constrain the rest-frame X-ray properties of GRBs from a statistical perspective, with particular reference to intrinsic time-scales and the energetics of the different light-curve phases in a common rest-frame 0.3–30 keV energy band. Temporal variability episodes are also studied and their properties constrained. Two fundamental questions drive this effort: (i) Does the X-ray emission retain any kind of ‘memory’ of the prompt γ-ray phase? (ii) Where is the dividing line between long and short GRB X-ray properties? We show that short GRBs decay faster, are less luminous and less energetic than long GRBs in the X-rays, but are interestingly characterized by similar intrinsic absorption. We furthermore reveal the existence of a number of statistically significant relations that link the X-ray to prompt γ-ray parameters in long GRBs; short GRBs are outliers of the majority of these two-parameter relations. However and more importantly, we report on the existence of a universal three-parameter scaling that links the X-ray and the γ-ray energy to the prompt spectral peak energy of both long and short GRBs: EX, iso∝E[Superscript: 1.00 ± 0.06]γ, iso/E[Superscript: 0.60 ± 0.10]pk