Using Swift observations of prompt and afterglow emission to classify GRBs

We present an analysis of early BAT and XRT data for 107 gamma--ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Swift satellite. We use these data to examine the behaviour of the X-ray light curve and propose a classification scheme for GRBs based on this behaviour. As found for previous smaller samples, the earliest X-ray light curve can be well described by an exponential which relaxes into a power law, often with flares superimposed. The later emission is well fit using a similar functional form and we find that these two functions provide a good description of the entire X-ray light curve. For the prompt emission, the transition time between the exponential and the power law gives a well-defined timescale, T_p, for the burst duration. We use T_p, the spectral index of the prompt emission, beta_p, and the prompt power law decay index, alpha_p to define four classes of burst: short, slow, fast and soft. Bursts with slowly declining emission have spectral and temporal properties similar to the short bursts despite having longer durations. Some of these GRBs may therefore arise from similar progenitors including several types of binary system. Short bursts tend to decline more gradually than longer duration bursts and hence emit a significant fraction of their total energy at times greater than T_p. This may be due to differences in the environment or the progenitor for long, fast bursts.Comment: 10 pages. 8 figures. Proceedings of the Royal Society Discussion meeting on Gamma-ray Bursts, September 18-20, 2006. To appear in Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc.

A practical system for X-ray Interferometry

X-ray interferometry has the potential to provide imaging at ultra high angular resolutions of 100 micro arc seconds or better. However, designing a practical interferometer which fits within a reasonable envelope and that has sufficient collecting area to deliver such a performance is a challenge. A simple system which can be built using current X-ray optics capabilities and existing detector technology is described. The complete instrument would be ~20 m long and ~2 m in diameter. Simulations demonstrate that it has the sensitivity to provide high quality X-ray interferometric imaging of a large number of available targets.Comment: To be presented at "Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation" SPIE,Glasgow June 200

Spectral evolution and the onset of the X-ray GRB afterglow

Based on light curves from the Swift Burst Analyser, we investigate whether a `dip' feature commonly seen in the early-time hardness ratios of Swift-XRT data could arise from the juxtaposition of the decaying prompt emission and rising afterglow. We are able to model the dip as such a feature, assuming the afterglow rises as predicted by Sari & Piran (1999). Using this model we measure the initial bulk Lorentz factor of the fireball. For a sample of 23 GRBs we find a median value of Gamma_0=225, assuming a constant-density circumburst medium; or Gamma_0=93 if we assume a wind-like medium.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. To appear in the proceedings of GRB 2010, Annapolis November 2010. (AIP Conference proceedings

Discovery of a tight correlation for gamma ray burst afterglows with `canonical' light curves

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) observed up to redshifts $z>8$ are fascinating objects to study due to their still unexplained relativistic outburst mechanisms and a possible use to test cosmological models. Our analysis of 77 GRB afterglows with known redshifts revealed a physical subsample of long GRBs with canonical {\it plateau breaking to power-law} light curves with a significant {\it luminosity $L^*_X$ - break time $T^*_a$} correlation in the GRB rest frame. This subsample forms approximately the {\it upper envelope} of the studied distribution. We have also found a similar relation for a small sample of GRB afterglows that belong to the intermediate class (IC) between the short and the long ones. It proves that within the full sample of afterglows there exist physical subclasses revealed here by tight correlations of their afterglow properties. The afterglows with regular (`canonical') light curves obey not only a mentioned tight physical scaling, but -- for a given $T^*_a$ -- the more regular progenitor explosions lead to preferentially brighter afterglows.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures accepted to ApJ

Gamma-Ray Bursts observed by XMM-Newton

Analysis of observations with XMM-Newton have made a significant contribution to the study of Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) X-ray afterglows. The effective area, bandpass and resolution of the EPIC instrument permit the study of a wide variety of spectral features. In particular, strong, time-dependent, soft X-ray emission lines have been discovered in some bursts. The emission mechanism and energy source for these lines pose major problems for the current generation of GRB models. Other GRBs have intrinsic absorption, possibly related to the environment around the progenitor, or possible iron emission lines similar to those seen in GRBs observed with BeppoSAX. Further XMM-Newton observations of GRBs discovered by the Swift satellite should help unlock the origin of the GRB phenomenon over the next few years.Comment: To appear in proceedings of the "XMM-Newton EPIC Consortium meeting, Palermo, 2003 October 14-16", published in Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italian

A universal GRB photon energy-peak luminosity relation

The energetics and emission mechanism of GRBs are not well understood. Here we demonstrate that the instantaneous peak flux or equivalent isotropic peak luminosity, L_iso ergs s^-1, rather than the integrated fluence or equivalent isotropic energy, E_iso ergs, underpins the known high-energy correlations. Using new spectral/temporal parameters calculated for 101 bursts with redshifts from BATSE, BeppoSAX, HETE-II and Swift we describe a parameter space which characterises the apparently diverse properties of the prompt emission. We show that a source frame characteristic-photon-energy/peak luminosity ratio, K_z, can be constructed which is constant within a factor of 2 for all bursts whatever their duration, spectrum, luminosity and the instrumentation used to detect them. The new parameterization embodies the Amati relation but indicates that some correlation between E_peak and E_iso follows as a direct mathematical inference from the Band function and that a simple transformation of E_iso to L_iso yields a universal high energy correlation for GRBs. The existence of K_z indicates that the mechanism responsible for the prompt emission from all GRBs is probably predominantly thermal.Comment: Submitted to Ap

The Chandra Detection of Galactic Center X-ray Features G359.89-0.08 and G359.54+0.18

We report on the detection of two elongated X-ray features G359.89-0.08 and G359.54+0.18 in the Galactic center (GC) region using the Chandra X-ray Observatory. G359.89-0.08 is an elongated X-ray feature located $\sim$2\arcmin in projection south of the center of the Galaxy, SgrA$^*$. This X-ray feature source is partially coincident with a slightly curved (``wisp''-like) non-thermal radio source. The X-ray spectrum of G359.89-0.08 can be best characterized as non-thermal, with a photon index of 2. The morphological and spectral characteristics of the X-ray and radio emission associated with G359.89-0.08 are best interpreted as the synchrotron emission from a ram-pressure confined pulsar wind nebula. G359.54+0.18 is one of the most prominent radio non-thermal filaments (NTFs) in the GC region, located $\sim$30\arcmin in projection from SgrA$^*$. A narrow ($\sim$10\arcsec) filament of X-ray emission appears to arise from one of the two strands that comprise the radio NTF. Although the photon statistics are poor for this source, the X-ray emission is also likely to be non-thermal in nature. Several models for the production of X-ray emission in G359.54+0.18 are discussed.Comment: 19 pages with 6 figures included, accepted by A

The mass and energy budget of Cassiopeia A

Further analysis of X-ray spectroscopy results recently obtained from the MOS CCD cameras on-board XMM-Newton provides a detailed description of the hot and cool X-ray emitting plasma in Cas A. Measurement of the Doppler broadening of the X-ray lines is consistent with the expected ion velocities, ~1500 km/s along the line of sight, in the post shock plasma. Assuming a constant total pressure throughout the remnant we estimate the total remnant mass as 10 Msun and the total thermal energy as 7E43 J. We derive the differential mass distribution as a function of ionisation age for both X-ray emitting components. This distribution is consistent with a hot component dominated by swept up mass heated by the primary shock and a cool component which are ablated clumpy ejecta material which were and are still being heated by interaction with the preheated swept up material. We calculate a balanced mass and energy budget for the supernova explosion giving 1E44 J in ejected mass; approximately 0.4 Msun of the ejecta were diffuse with an initial rms velocity of 15000 km/s while the remaining ~1.8 Msun were clumpy with an initial rms velocity of ~2400 km/s. Using the Doppler velocity measurements of the X-ray spectral lines we can project the mass into spherical coordinates about the remnant. This provides quantitative evidence for mass and energy beaming in the supernova explosion. The mass and energy occupy less than 4.5 sr (<40 % of the available solid angle) around the remnant and 64 % of the mass occurs in two jets within 45 degrees of a jet axis. We calculate a swept up mass of 7.9 Msun in the emitting plasma and estimate that the total mass lost from the progenitor prior to the explosion could be as high as ~20 Msun.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Astronomy & Astrophysic

Direct laser acceleration in underdense plasmas with multi-PW lasers: a path to high-charge, GeV-class electron bunches

The direct laser acceleration (DLA) of electrons in underdense plasmas can provide 100s of nC of electrons accelerated to near-GeV energies using currently available lasers. Here we demonstrate the key role of electron transverse displacement in the acceleration and use it to analytically predict the expected maximum electron energies. The energy scaling is shown to be in agreement with full-scale quasi-3D particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of a laser pulse propagating through a preformed guiding channel and can be directly used for optimizing DLA in near-future laser facilities. The strategy towards optimizing DLA through matched laser focusing is presented for a wide range of plasma densities paired with current and near-future laser technology. Electron energies in excess of 10 GeV are accessible for lasers at $I\sim 10^{21}~\mathrm{W/cm^2}$.Comment: Accepted for publication in PR