The Rapid Decay of the Optical Emission from GRB 980326 and its Possible
  Implications

A. Böhm; A. J. Castro-Tirado; B. Jones; Bell A. R.; C. Kouveliotou; C. Lidman; C. Robinson; C. Tinney; D. Windridge; E. Costa; E. Palazzi; E. Pian; F. Frontera; Feroci M.; J. Bland-Hawthorn; J. Casares; J. Gorosabel; J. Greiner; J. Heise; J. J. M. in 't Zand; J. van Paradijs; J.-F. Gonzalez; K. Hurley; K. J. Fricke; K. Jäger; K. Z. Stanek; L. Piro; M. Briggs; M. Feroci; M. G. Smith; M. Garcia; M. Keane; N. Masetti; N. Tanvir; P. G. Jonker; P. Hall; P. J. Groot; P. M. Vreeswijk; R. A. M. J. Wijers; R. Covarrubias; R. Smith; S. Veilleux; Sokolov V. V.; T. J. Galama; W. R. Brown; Wijers R. A. M.

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The Rapid Decay of the Optical Emission from GRB 980326 and its Possible Implications

Authors: A. Böhm
A. J. Castro-Tirado
B. Jones
Bell A. R.
C. Kouveliotou
C. Lidman
C. Robinson
C. Tinney
D. Windridge
E. Costa
E. Palazzi
E. Pian
F. Frontera
Feroci M.
J. Bland-Hawthorn
J. Casares
J. Gorosabel
J. Greiner
J. Heise
J. J. M. in 't Zand
J. van Paradijs
J.-F. Gonzalez
K. Hurley
K. J. Fricke
K. Jäger
K. Z. Stanek
L. Piro
M. Briggs
M. Feroci
M. G. Smith
M. Garcia
M. Keane
N. Masetti
N. Tanvir
P. G. Jonker
P. Hall
P. J. Groot
P. M. Vreeswijk
R. A. M. J. Wijers
R. Covarrubias
R. Smith
S. Veilleux
Sokolov V. V.
T. J. Galama
W. R. Brown
Wijers R. A. M.
Publication date: 1 January 1998
Publisher: 'University of Chicago Press'
Doi

Abstract

We report the discovery of the optical counterpart to GRB 980326. Its rapid optical decay can be characterized by a power law with exponent -2.10 +/- 0.13 and a constant underlying source at R_c=25.5 +/- 0.5. Its optical colours 2.1 days after the burst imply a spectral slope of -0.66 +/- 0.70. The gamma-ray spectrum as observed with BATSE shows that it is among the 4% softest bursts ever recorded. We argue that the rapid optical decay may be a reason for the non-detection of some low-energy afterglows of GRBs.Comment: 13 pages, 3 Postscipt figures, Astrophysical Journal Letters, accepted May 29, 199