The prompt emission of GRB990712 with BeppoSAX: evidence of a transient X-ray emission feature

Abstract

We report on the prompt X- and gamma-ray observations of GRB990712 with the BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and Wide Field Camera No. 2. Due to Sun constraints, we could not perform a follow-up observation with the BeppoSAX Narrow Field Instruments. The light curve of the prompt emission shows two pulses and a total duration of about 40s in X-rays. In gamma-rays the event is even shorter. The 2-700 keV spectral emission with time shows a discontinuity in the peak energy Ep of the E F(E) spectrum: Ep is above our energy passband during the first pulse and goes down to ~10 keV during the second pulse. Another peculiarity is noted in this event for the first time: the possible evidence of a 2s duration emission feature during the tail of the first pulse. The feature is consistent with either a Gaussian profile with centroid energy of 4.5 keV or a blackbody spectrum with kTbb ~1.3 keV. We discuss the possible origin of the feature. The most attractive possibility is that we are observing the thermal emission of a baryon-loaded expanding fireball, when it becomes optically thin.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, relevant changes in the Discussion (section 4) with respect to previous versio