| 1. |
- Abdo, A. A., et al.
(författare)
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FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF GRB 090902B : A DISTINCT SPECTRAL COMPONENT IN THE PROMPT AND DELAYED EMISSION
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205 .- 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 706:1, s. L138-L144
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the observation of the bright, long gamma-ray burst (GRB), GRB 090902B, by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments on-board the Fermi observatory. This was one of the brightest GRBs to have been observed by the LAT, which detected several hundred photons during the prompt phase. With a redshift of z = 1.822, this burst is among the most luminous detected by Fermi. Time-resolved spectral analysis reveals a significant power-law component in the LAT data that is distinct from the usual Band model emission that is seen in the sub-MeV energy range. This power-law component appears to extrapolate from the GeV range to the lowest energies and is more intense than the Band component, both below similar to 50 keV and above 100 MeV. The Band component undergoes substantial spectral evolution over the entire course of the burst, while the photon index of the power-law component remains constant for most of the prompt phase, then hardens significantly toward the end. After the prompt phase, power-law emission persists in the LAT data as late as 1 ks post-trigger, with its flux declining as t(-1.5). The LAT detected a photon with the highest energy so far measured from a GRB, 33.4(-3.5)(+ 2.7) GeV. This event arrived 82 s after the GBM trigger and similar to 50 s after the prompt phase emission had ended in the GBM band. We discuss the implications of these results for models of GRB emission and for constraints on models of the extragalactic background light.
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| 2. |
- Abdo, A. A., et al.
(författare)
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Fermi Observations of High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from GRB 080916C
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 323:5922, s. 1688-1693
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are highly energetic explosions signaling the death of massive stars in distant galaxies. The Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope onboard the Fermi Observatory together record GRBs over a broad energy range spanning about 7 decades of gamma-ray energy. In September 2008, Fermi observed the exceptionally luminous GRB 080916C, with the largest apparent energy release yet measured. The high-energy gamma rays are observed to start later and persist longer than the lower energy photons. A simple spectral form fits the entire GRB spectrum, providing strong constraints on emission models. The known distance of the burst enables placing lower limits on the bulk Lorentz factor of the outflow and on the quantum gravity mass.
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| 3. |
- De Angelis, A., et al.
(författare)
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Science with e-ASTROGAM A space mission for MeV-GeV gamma-ray astrophysics
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of High Energy Astrophysics. - : Elsevier. - 2214-4048 .- 2214-4056. ; 19, s. 1-106
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- e-ASTROGAM ('enhanced ASTROGAM') is a breakthrough Observatory space mission, with a detector composed by a Silicon tracker, a calorimeter, and an anticoincidence system, dedicated to the study of the non-thermal Universe in the photon energy range from 0.3 MeV to 3 GeV - the lower energy limit can be pushed to energies as low as 150 keV for the tracker, and to 30 keV for calorimetric detection. The mission is based on an advanced space-proven detector technology, with unprecedented sensitivity, angular and energy resolution, combined with polarimetric capability. Thanks to its performance in the MeV-GeV domain, substantially improving its predecessors, e-ASTROGAM will open a new window on the non-thermal Universe, making pioneering observations of the most powerful Galactic and extragalactic sources, elucidating the nature of their relativistic outflows and their effects on the surroundings. With a line sensitivity in the MeV energy range one to two orders of magnitude better than previous generation instruments, e-ASTROGAM will determine the origin of key isotopes fundamental for the understanding of supernova explosion and the chemical evolution of our Galaxy. The mission will provide unique data of significant interest to a broad astronomical community, complementary to powerful observatories such as LIGO-Virgo-GEO600-KAGRA, SKA, ALMA, E-ELT, TMT, LSST, JWST, Athena, CTA, IceCube, KM3NeT, and LISA.
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| 4. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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DETECTION OF A SPECTRAL BREAK IN THE EXTRA HARD COMPONENT OF GRB 090926A
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 729:2, s. 114-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the observation of the bright, long gamma-ray burst, GRB 090926A, by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. GRB 090926A shares several features with other bright LAT bursts. In particular, it clearly shows a short spike in the light curve that is present in all detectors that see the burst, and this in turn suggests that there is a common region of emission across the entire Fermi energy range. In addition, while a separate high-energy power-law component has already been observed in other gamma-ray bursts, here we report for the first time the detection with good significance of a high-energy spectral break (or cutoff) in this power-law component around 1.4 GeV in the time-integrated spectrum. If the spectral break is caused by opacity to electron-positron pair production within the source, then this observation allows us to compute the bulk Lorentz factor for the outflow, rather than a lower limit.
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| 5. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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THE FIRST FERMI-LAT GAMMA-RAY BURST CATALOG
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 209:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In three years of observations since the beginning of nominal science operations in 2008 August, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope has observed high-energy (greater than or similar to 20 MeV) gamma-ray emission from 35 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Among these, 28 GRBs have been detected above 100 MeV and 7 GRBs above similar to 20 MeV. The first Fermi-LAT catalog of GRBs is a compilation of these detections and provides a systematic study of high-energy emission from GRBs for the first time. To generate the catalog, we examined 733 GRBs detected by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on Fermi and processed each of them using the same analysis sequence. Details of the methodology followed by the LAT collaboration for the GRB analysis are provided. We summarize the temporal and spectral properties of the LAT-detected GRBs. We also discuss characteristics of LAT-detected emission such as its delayed onset and longer duration compared with emission detected by the GBM, its power-law temporal decay at late times, and the fact that it is dominated by a power-law spectral component that appears in addition to the usual Band model.
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| 6. |
- Amati, L., et al.
(författare)
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The THESEUS space mission concept : science case, design and expected performances
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 62:1, s. 191-244
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- THESEUS is a space mission concept aimed at exploiting Gamma-Ray Bursts for investigating the early Universe and at providing a substantial advancement of multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics. These goals will be achieved through a unique combination of instruments allowing GRB and X-ray transient detection over a broad field of view (more than 1 sr) with 0.5-1 arcmin localization, an energy band extending from several MeV down to 0.3 keV and high sensitivity to transient sources in the soft X-ray domain, as well as on-board prompt (few minutes) follow-up with a 0.7 m class IR telescope with both imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. THESEUS will be perfectly suited for addressing the main open issues in cosmology such as, e.g., star formation rate and metallicity evolution of the inter-stellar and intra-galactic medium up to redshift similar to 10, signatures of Pop III stars, sources and physics of re-ionization, and the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. In addition, it will provide unprecedented capability to monitor the X-ray variable sky, thus detecting, localizing, and identifying the electromagnetic counterparts to sources of gravitational radiation, which may be routinely detected in the late '20s/early '30s by next generation facilities like aLIGO/ aVirgo, eLISA, KAGRA, and Einstein Telescope. THESEUS will also provide powerful synergies with the next generation of multi-wavelength observatories (e.g., LSST, ELT, SKA, CTA, ATHENA).
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| 7. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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Fermi-LAT Observations of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 130427A
- 2014
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 343:6166, s. 42-47
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The observations of the exceptionally bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) 130427A by the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope provide constraints on the nature of these unique astrophysical sources. GRB 130427A had the largest fluence, highest-energy photon (95 GeV), longest gamma-ray duration (20 hours), and one of the largest isotropic energy releases ever observed from a GRB. Temporal and spectral analyses of GRB 130427A challenge the widely accepted model that the nonthermal high-energy emission in the afterglow phase of GRBs is synchrotron emission radiated by electrons accelerated at an external shock.
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| 8. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GRB 090217A
- 2010
-
Ingår i: ASTROPHYS J LETT. - 2041-8205. ; 717:2, s. L127-L132
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi observatory is advancing our knowledge of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) through pioneering observations at high energies, covering more than seven decades in energy with the two on-board detectors, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Here, we report on the observation of the long GRB 090217A which triggered the GBM and has been detected by the LAT with a significance greater than 9 sigma. We present the GBM and LAT observations and on-ground analyses, including the time-resolved spectra and the study of the temporal profile from 8 keV up to similar to 1 GeV. All spectra are well reproduced by a Band model. We compare these observations to the first two LAT-detected, long bursts GRB 080825C and GRB 080916C. These bursts were found to have time-dependent spectra and exhibited a delayed onset of the high-energy emission, which are not observed in the case of GRB 090217A. We discuss some theoretical implications for the high-energy emission of GRBs.
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| 9. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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Multiwavelength observations of GRB 110731A : GeV emission from onset to afterglow
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 763:2, s. 71-
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report on the multiwavelength observations of the bright, long gamma-ray burst GRB 110731A, by the Fermi and Swift observatories, and by the MOA and GROND optical telescopes. The analysis of the prompt phase reveals that GRB 110731A shares many features with bright Large Area Telescope bursts observed by Fermi during the first three years on-orbit: a light curve with short time variability across the whole energy range during the prompt phase, delayed onset of the emission above 100 MeV, extra power-law component and temporally extended high-energy emission. In addition, this is the first GRB for which simultaneous GeV, X-ray, and optical data are available over multiple epochs beginning just after the trigger time and extending for more than 800 s, allowing temporal and spectral analysis in different epochs that favor emission from the forward shock in a wind-type medium. The observed temporally extended GeV emission is most likely part of the high-energy end of the afterglow emission. Both the single-zone pair transparency constraint for the prompt signal and the spectral and temporal analysis of the forward-shock afterglow emission independently lead to an estimate of the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet Γ ∼ 500-550.
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| 10. |
- Abdo, A. A., et al.
(författare)
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A limit on the variation of the speed of light arising from quantum gravity effects
- 2009
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 462:7271, s. 331-334
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A cornerstone of Einstein’s special relativity is Lorentz invariance—the postulate that all observers measure exactly the same speed of light in vacuum, independent of photon-energy. While special relativity assumes that there is no fundamental length-scale associated with such invariance, there is a fundamental scale (the Planck scale, lPlanck~1.62×10-33cm or EPlanck = MPlanckc2~1.22×1019GeV), at which quantum effects are expected to strongly affect the nature of space–time. There is great interest in the (not yet validated) idea that Lorentz invariance might break near the Planck scale. A key test of such violation of Lorentz invariance is a possible variation of photon speed with energy. Even a tiny variation in photon speed, when accumulated over cosmological light-travel times, may be revealed by observing sharp features in γ-ray burst (GRB) light-curves. Here we report the detection of emission up to ~31GeV from the distant and short GRB090510. We find no evidence for the violation of Lorentz invariance, and place a lower limit of 1.2EPlanck on the scale of a linear energy dependence (or an inverse wavelength dependence), subject to reasonable assumptions about the emission (equivalently we have an upper limit of lPlanck/1.2 on the length scale of the effect). Our results disfavour quantum-gravity theories in which the quantum nature of space–time on a very small scale linearly alters the speed of light.
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| 11. |
- Abdo, A. A., et al.
(författare)
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Fermi Observations of High-energy Gamma-ray Emission from GRB 080825C
- 2009
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 707:1, s. 580-592
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has opened a new high-energy window in the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Here we present a thorough analysis of GRB 080825C, which triggered the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM), and was the first firm detection of a GRB by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). We discuss the LAT event selections, background estimation, significance calculations, and localization for Fermi GRBs in general and GRB 080825C in particular. We show the results of temporal and time-resolved spectral analysis of the GBM and LAT data. We also present some theoretical interpretation of GRB 080825C observations as well as some common features observed in other LAT GRBs.
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| 12. |
- Preece, R., et al.
(författare)
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The First Pulse of the Extremely Bright GRB 130427A : A Test Lab for Synchrotron Shocks
- 2014
-
Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 343:6166, s. 51-54
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 130427A is one of the most energetic GRBs ever observed. The initial pulse up to 2.5 seconds is possibly the brightest well-isolated pulse observed to date. A fine time resolution spectral analysis shows power-law decays of the peak energy from the onset of the pulse, consistent with models of internal synchrotron shock pulses. However, a strongly correlated power-law behavior is observed between the luminosity and the spectral peak energy that is inconsistent with curvature effects arising in the relativistic outflow. It is difficult for any of the existing models to account for all of the observed spectral and temporal behaviors simultaneously.
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| 13. |
- Ackermann, M., et al.
(författare)
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Constraining The High-Energy Emission From Gamma-Ray Bursts With Fermi
- 2012
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 754:2, s. 121-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We examine 288 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope's Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) that fell within the field of view of Fermi's Large Area Telescope (LAT) during the first 2.5 years of observations, which showed no evidence for emission above 100 MeV. We report the photon flux upper limits in the 0.1-10 GeV range during the prompt emission phase as well as for fixed 30 s and 100 s integrations starting from the trigger time for each burst. We compare these limits with the fluxes that would be expected from extrapolations of spectral fits presented in the first GBM spectral catalog and infer that roughly half of the GBM-detected bursts either require spectral breaks between the GBM and LAT energy bands or have intrinsically steeper spectra above the peak of the nu F-nu spectra (E-pk). In order to distinguish between these two scenarios, we perform joint GBM and LAT spectral fits to the 30 brightest GBM-detected bursts and find that a majority of these bursts are indeed softer above E-pk than would be inferred from fitting the GBM data alone. Approximately 20% of this spectroscopic subsample show statistically significant evidence for a cutoff in their high-energy spectra, which if assumed to be due to gamma gamma attenuation, places limits on the maximum Lorentz factor associated with the relativistic outflow producing this emission. All of these latter bursts have maximum Lorentz factor estimates that are well below the minimum Lorentz factors calculated for LAT-detected GRBs, revealing a wide distribution in the bulk Lorentz factor of GRB outflows and indicating that LAT-detected bursts may represent the high end of this distribution.
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| 14. |
- Racusin, J. L., et al.
(författare)
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SEARCHING THE GAMMA-RAY SKY FOR COUNTERPARTS TO GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SOURCES : FERMI GAMMA-RAY BURST MONITOR. AND LARGE AREA TELESCOPE OBSERVATIONS OF LVT151012 AND GW151226
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 835:1
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) observations of the LIGO binary black hole merger event GW151226 and candidate LVT151012. At the time of the LIGO triggers on LVT151012 and GW151226, GBM was observing 68% and 83% of the localization regions, and LAT was observing 47% and 32%, respectively. No candidate electromagnetic counterparts were detected by either the GBM or LAT. We present a detailed analysis of the GBM and LAT data over a range of timescales from seconds to years, using automated pipelines and new techniques for characterizing the flux upper bounds across large areas of the sky. Due to the partial GBM and LAT coverage of the large LIGO localization regions at the trigger times for both events, differences in source distances and masses, as well as the uncertain degree to which emission from these sources could be beamed, these non-detections cannot be used to constrain the variety of theoretical models recently applied to explain the candidate GBM counterpart to GW150914.
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| 15. |
- Axelsson, Magnus, et al.
(författare)
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GRB110721A : AN EXTREME PEAK ENERGY AND SIGNATURES OF THE PHOTOSPHERE
- 2012
-
Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205. ; 757:2
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- GRB110721A was observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope using its two instruments, the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). The burst consisted of one major emission episode which lasted for similar to 24.5 s (in the GBM) and had a peak flux of (5.7 +/- 0.2) x 10(-5) erg s(-1) cm(-2). The time-resolved emission spectrum is best modeled with a combination of a Band function and a blackbody spectrum. The peak energy of the Band component was initially 15 +/- 2 MeV, which is the highest value ever detected in a GRB. This measurement was made possible by combining GBM/BGO data with LAT Low Energy events to achieve continuous 10-100 MeV coverage. The peak energy later decreased as a power law in time with an index of -1.89 +/- 0.10. The temperature of the blackbody component also decreased, starting from similar to 80 keV, and the decay showed a significant break after similar to 2 s. The spectrum provides strong constraints on the standard synchrotron model, indicating that alternative mechanisms may give rise to the emission at these energies.
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| 16. |
- Ahumada, T., et al.
(författare)
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Discovery and confirmation of the shortest gamma-ray burst from a collapsar
- 2021
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Ingår i: Nature Astronomy. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-3366. ; 5:9, s. 917-927
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the brightest and most energetic events in the Universe. The duration and hardness distribution of GRBs has two clusters1, now understood to reflect (at least) two different progenitors2. Short-hard GRBs (SGRBs; T90 < 2 s) arise from compact binary mergers, and long-soft GRBs (LGRBs; T90 > 2 s) have been attributed to the collapse of peculiar massive stars (collapsars)3. The discovery of SN 1998bw/GRB 980425 (ref. 4) marked the first association of an LGRB with a collapsar, and AT 2017gfo (ref. 5)/GRB 170817A/GW170817 (ref. 6) marked the first association of an SGRB with a binary neutron star merger, which also produced a gravitational wave. Here, we present the discovery of ZTF20abwysqy (AT2020scz), a fast-fading optical transient in the Fermi satellite and the Interplanetary Network localization regions of GRB 200826A; X-ray and radio emission further confirm that this is the afterglow. Follow-up imaging (at rest-frame 16.5 days) reveals excess emission above the afterglow that cannot be explained as an underlying kilonova, but which is consistent with being the supernova. Although the GRB duration is short (rest-frame T90 of 0.65 s), our panchromatic follow-up data confirm a collapsar origin. GRB 200826A is the shortest LGRB found with an associated collapsar; it appears to sit on the brink between a successful and a failed collapsar. Our discovery is consistent with the hypothesis that most collapsars fail to produce ultra-relativistic jets.
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| 17. |
- Greiner, J., et al.
(författare)
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GRIPS - Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy
- 2012
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 34:2, s. 551-582
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We propose to perform a continuously scanning all-sky survey from 200 keV to 80 MeV achieving a sensitivity which is better by a factor of 40 or more compared to the previous missions in this energy range (COMPTEL, INTEGRAL; see Fig. 1). These gamma-ray observations will be complemented by observations in the soft X-ray and (near-)infrared region with the corresponding telescopes placed on a separate satellite. The Gamma-Ray Imaging, Polarimetry and Spectroscopy ("GRIPS") mission with its three instruments Gamma-Ray Monitor (GRM), X-Ray Monitor (XRM) and InfraRed Telescope (IRT) addresses fundamental questions in ESA's Cosmic Vision plan. Among the major themes of the strategic plan, GRIPS has its focus on the evolving, violent Universe, exploring a unique energy window. We propose to investigate γ-ray bursts and blazars, the mechanisms behind supernova explosions, nucleosynthesis and spallation, the enigmatic origin of positrons in our Galaxy, and the nature of radiation processes and particle acceleration in extreme cosmic sources including pulsars and magnetars. The natural energy scale for these non-thermal processes is of the order of MeV. Although they can be partially and indirectly studied using other methods, only the proposed GRIPS measurements will provide direct access to their primary photons. GRIPS will be a driver for the study of transient sources in the era of neutrino and gravitational wave observatories such as IceCUBE and LISA, establishing a new type of diagnostics in relativistic and nuclear astrophysics. This will support extrapolations to investigate star formation, galaxy evolution, and black hole formation at high redshifts.
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| 18. |
- Connaughton, V, et al.
(författare)
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Localization of Gamma-Ray Bursts Using the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor
- 2015
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 216:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) has detected over 1400 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) since it began science operations in 2008 July. We use a subset of over 300 GRBs localized by instruments such as Swift, the Fermi Large Area Telescope, INTEGRAL, and MAXI, or through triangulations from the InterPlanetary Network, to analyze the accuracy of GBM GRB localizations. We find that the reported statistical uncertainties on GBM localizations, which can be as small as 1°, underestimate the distance of the GBM positions to the true GRB locations and we attribute this to systematic uncertainties. The distribution of systematic uncertainties is well represented (68% confidence level) by a 3.°7 Gaussian with a non-Gaussian tail that contains about 10% of GBM-detected GRBs and extends to approximately 14°. A more complex model suggests that there is a dependence of the systematic uncertainty on the position of the GRB in spacecraft coordinates, with GRBs in the quadrants on the Y axis better localized than those on the X axis.
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| 19. |
- Greiner, J., et al.
(författare)
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Gamma-ray burst investigation via polarimetry and spectroscopy (GRIPS)
- 2009
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 23:1, s. 91-120
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The primary scientific goal of the GRIPS mission is to revolutionize our understanding of the early universe using gamma-ray bursts. We propose a new generation gamma-ray observatory capable of unprecedented spectroscopy over a wide range of gamma-ray energies (200 keV-50 MeV) and of polarimetry (200-1000 keV). The gamma-ray sensitivity to nuclear absorption features enables the measurement of column densities as high as 10(28)cm (-aEuro parts per thousand 2). Secondary goals achievable by this mission include direct measurements of all types of supernova interiors through gamma-rays from radioactive decays, nuclear astrophysics with massive stars and novae, and studies of particle acceleration near compact stars, interstellar shocks, and clusters of galaxies.
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| 20. |
- Tierney, D, et al.
(författare)
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Anomalies in low-energy gamma-ray burst spectra with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor
- 2013
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 550
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context: A Band function has become the standard spectral function used to describe the prompt emission spectra of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, deviations from this function have previously been observed in GRBs detected by BATSE and in individual GRBs from the Fermi era.Aims: We present a systematic and rigorous search for spectral deviations from a Band function at low energies in a sample of the first two years of high fluence, long bursts detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). The sample contains 45 bursts with a fluence greater than 2 × 10-5 erg/cm2 (10-1000 keV).Methods: An extrapolated fit method is used to search for low-energy spectral anomalies, whereby a Band function is fit above a variable low-energy threshold and then the best fit function is extrapolated to lower energy data. Deviations are quantified by examining residuals derived from the extrapolated function and the data and their significance is determined via comprehensive simulations which account for the instrument response. This method was employed for both time-integrated burst spectra and time-resolved bins defined by a signal-to-noise ratio of 25σ and 50σ.Results: Significant deviations are evident in 3 bursts (GRB 081215A, GRB 090424 and GRB 090902B) in the time-integrated sample (~7%) and 5 bursts (GRB 090323, GRB 090424, GRB 090820, GRB 090902B and GRB 090926A) in the time-resolved sample (~11%).Conclusions: The advantage of the systematic, blind search analysis is that it can demonstrate the requirement for an additional spectral component without any prior knowledge of the nature of that extra component. Deviations are found in a large fraction of high fluence GRBs; fainter GRBs may not have sufficient statistics for deviations to be found using this method.
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| 21. |
- Gruber, D, et al.
(författare)
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Fermi/GBM observations of the ultra-long GRB 091024. A burst with an optical flash
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 528:A15
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: In this paper we examine gamma-ray and optical data of GRB 091024, a gamma-ray burst (GRB) with an extremely long duration of T90 $\approx$ 1020 s, as observed with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). Methods: We present spectral analysis of all three distinct emission episodes using data from Fermi/GBM. Because of the long nature of this event, many ground-based optical telescopes slewed to its location within a few minutes and thus were able to observe the GRB during its active period. We compare the optical and gamma-ray light curves. Furthermore, we estimate a lower limit on the bulk Lorentz factor from the variability and spectrum of the GBM light curve and compare it with that obtained from the peak time of the forward shock of the optical afterglow. Results: From the spectral analysis we note that, despite its unusually long duration, this burst is similar to other long GRBs, i.e. there is spectral evolution (both the peak energy and the spectral index vary with time) and spectral lags are measured. We find that the optical light curve is highly anti-correlated to the prompt gamma-ray emission, with the optical emission reaching the maximum during an epoch of quiescence in the prompt emission. We interpret this behavior as the reverse shock (optical flash), expected in the internal-external shock model of GRB emission but observed only in a handful of GRBs so far. The lower limit on the initial Lorentz factor deduced from the variability time scale (Γmin = 195_-110+90) is consistent within the error to the one obtained using the peak time of the forward shock (Γ0 = 120) and is also consistent with Lorentz factors of other long GRBs.
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| 22. |
- Gruber, D, et al.
(författare)
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Rest-frame properties of 32 gamma-ray bursts observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 531:A20
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: In this paper we study the main spectral and temporal properties of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by Fermi/GBM. We investigate these key properties of GRBs in the rest-frame of the progenitor and test for possible intra-parameter correlations to better understand the intrinsic nature of these events. Methods: Our sample comprises 32 GRBs with measured redshift that were observed by GBM until August 2010. 28 of them belong to the long-duration population and 4 events were classified as short/hard bursts. For all of these events we derive, where possible, the intrinsic peak energy in the νFν spectrum (Ep,rest), the duration in the rest-frame, defined as the time in which 90% of the burst fluence was observed (T90,rest) and the isotropic equivalent bolometric energy (Eiso). Results: The distribution of Ep,rest has mean and median values of 1.1 MeV and 750 keV, respectively. A log-normal fit to the sample of long bursts peaks at ~800 keV. No high-Ep population is found but the distribution is biased against low Ep values. We find the lowest possible Ep that GBM can recover to be $\approx$ 15 keV. The T90,rest distribution of long GRBs peaks at ~10 s. The distribution of Eiso has mean and median values of 8.9 × 1052 erg and 8.2 × 1052 erg, respectively. We confirm the tight correlation between Ep,rest and Eiso (Amati relation) and the one between Ep,rest and the 1-s peak luminosity (Lp) (Yonetoku relation). Additionally, we observe a parameter reconstruction effect, i.e. the low-energy power law index α gets softer when Ep is located at the lower end of the detector energy range. Moreover, we do not find any significant cosmic evolution of neither Ep,rest nor T90,rest.
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| 23. |
- Foley, S., et al.
(författare)
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Global Characteristics Of Gamma-Ray Bursts Observed With Integral
- 2009
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Ingår i: Baltic Astronomy. - 1392-0049. ; 18:3-4, s. 279-283
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The gamma-ray instruments on board INTEGRAL have detected and localized 62 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to date. The peak flux distribution of these bursts shows that INTEGRAL detects proportionally more weak GRBs than Swift because of its higher sensitivity in a smaller field of view. Spectral lags, i.e., the time delay in the arrival of low-energy gamma rays with respect to high-energy gamma rays, are measured for 31 of the GRBs. Two groups are identified in the spectral lag distribution of INTEGRAL GRBs, one with short lags < 0.75 s (between 25-50 keV and 50-300 keV) and one with long lags > 0.75 s. Most of the long-lag GRBs are inferred to have low redshifts because of their long spectral lags. They are mainly observed in the direction of the supergalactic plane and hence reflect the local large-scale structure of the Universe. This low-luminosity population appears to be distinct from typical cosmological GRBs.
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| 24. |
- Martin-Carrillo, A., et al.
(författare)
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INTEGRAL detection and follow-up observations of GRBs 080414 and 080603
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proc. Sci..
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- INTEGRAL detected GRB 080414 during an open time observation of the Galactic disk. The long (duration ∼10 s) GRB occurred at an off-axis angle of 11.5 degrees with a peak 20-200 keV flux of 1 ph cm-2 s -1 as reported by [1]. The Watcher robotic telescope started observations of GRB 080414 33 sec post GCN trigger. Initial analysis of the first images shows no new source down to 14 magnitude [2]. The burst location was coincidentally very close (30 arcminutes) to XTE J1810-189, which was active at the time. A common origin has been ruled out. GRB 080603 was detected by INTEGRAL during the Key Programme Observation of the North Ecliptic Pole. The burst occurred at about 3 degrees off-axis with a peak 20-200 keV flux of 0.5 ph cm-2 s-1 [3] and a fluence over the same energy range of ∼10-6 erg cm-2. The GRB was within the JEM-X field of view and is well detected between 3 and 35 keV, with a lightcurve consisting of 2 main pulses of emission. Detailed spectral and temporal analyses of the γ-ray emission from both bursts, along with the X-ray characteristics of GRB 080603 and the results of the search for an optical afterglow of GRB 080414 in the Watcher data are presented.
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| 25. |
- Ryde, Felix, et al.
(författare)
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IDENTIFICATION AND PROPERTIES OF THE PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION IN GRB090902B
- 2010
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Ingår i: The Astrophysical Journal Letters. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 709:2, s. l172-L177
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope observed the bright and long GRB090902B, lying at a redshift of z = 1.822. Together the Large Area Telescope (LAT) and the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) cover the spectral range from 8 keV to >300 GeV. Here we show that the prompt burst spectrum is consistent with emission from the jet photosphere combined with nonthermal emission described by a single power law with photon index -1.9. The photosphere gives rise to a strong quasi-blackbody spectrum which is somewhat broader than a single Planck function and has a characteristic temperature of similar to 290 keV. We model the photospheric emission with a multicolor blackbody, and its shape indicates that the photospheric radius increases at higher latitudes. We derive the averaged photospheric radius R-ph = (1.1 +/- 0.3) x 10(12) Y-1/4 cm and the bulk Lorentz factor of the flow, which is found to vary by a factor of 2 and has a maximal value of Gamma = 750 Y-1/4. Here, Y is the ratio between the total fireball energy and the energy emitted in the gamma rays. We find that during the first quarter of the prompt phase the photospheric emission dominates, which explains the delayed onset of the observed flux in the LAT compared to the GBM. We interpret the broadband emission as synchrotron emission at R similar to 4 x 10(15) cm. Our analysis emphasizes the importance of having high temporal resolution when performing spectral analysis on gamma-ray bursts, since there is strong spectral evolution.
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| 26. |
- Bhat, P. Narayana, et al.
(författare)
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THE THIRD FERMI GBM GAMMA-RAY BURST CATALOG : THE FIRST SIX YEARS
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 223:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Since its launch in 2008, the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) has triggered and located on average approximately two.-ray bursts (GRBs) every three days. Here, we present the third of a series of catalogs of GRBs detected by GBM, extending the second catalog by two more years through the middle of 2014 July. The resulting list includes 1405 triggers identified as GRBs. The intention of the GBM GRB catalog is to provide information to the community on the most important observables of the GBM-detected GRBs. For each GRB, the location and main characteristics of the prompt emission, the duration, peak flux, and fluence are derived. The latter two quantities are calculated for the 50-300 keV energy band where the maximum energy release of GRBs in the instrument reference system is observed, and also for a broader energy band from 10 to 1000 keV, exploiting the full energy range of GBM's low-energy [NaI[Tl)] detectors. Using statistical methods to assess clustering, we find that the hardness and duration of GRBs are better fit by a two-component model with short-hard and long-soft bursts than by a model with three components. Furthermore, information is provided on the settings and modifications of the triggering criteria and exceptional operational conditions during years five and six in the mission. This third catalog is an official product of the Fermi GBM science team, and the data files containing the complete results are available from the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center.
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| 27. |
- Duggan, P, et al.
(författare)
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Gamma-ray bursts and X-ray melting of material to form chondrules and planets
- 2003
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Ingår i: Astronomy & Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 409:2, s. 9-12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Chondrules are millimeter sized objects of spherical to irregular shape that constitute the major component of chondritic meteorites that originate in the region between Mars and Jupiter and which fall to Earth. They appear to have solidified rapidly from molten or partially molten drops. The heat source that melted the chondrules remains uncertain. The intense radiation from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) is capable of melting material at distances up to 300 light years. These conditions were created in the laboratory for the first time when millimeter sized pellets were placed in a vacuum chamber in the white synchrotron beam at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). The pellets were rapidly heated in the X-ray and gamma-ray furnace to above 1400 degreesC melted and cooled. This process heats from the inside unlike normal furnaces. The melted spherical samples were examined with a range of techniques and found to have microstructural properties similar to the chondrules that come from meteorites. This experiment demonstrates that GRBs can melt precursor material to form chondrules that may subsequently influence the formation of planets. This work extends the field of laboratory astrophysics to include high power synchrotron sources.
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| 28. |
- Foley, S., et al.
(författare)
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Spectral lags of GRBs observed with INTEGRAL and the inferred large population of low-luminosity GRBs
- 2009
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Ingår i: Gamma-ray bursts. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 9780735406704 ; , s. 362-367
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The γ-ray instruments on board INTEGRAL detected and localised 47 GRBs from its launch in October 2002 up to July 2007. The peak flux distribution shows that INTEGRAL detects proportionally more weak GRBs than Swift because of its higher sensitivity in a smaller field of view. The all-sky rate of GRBs above ∼0.15ph cm 2 s- 1 is ∼1400yr -1 in the fully coded field of view of IBIS. Spectral lags i.e. the time delay in the arrival of low-energy γ-rays with respect to high-energy γ-rays, are measured for 31 of the GRBs. Two groups are identified in the spectral lag distribution of INTEGRAL GRBs, one with short lags<0.75 s (between 25-50 keV and 50-300 keV) and one with long lags > 0.75 s. Most of the long-lag GRBs are inferred to have low redshifts because of their long spectral lags, their tendency to have low peak energies, and their faint optical and X-ray afterglows. They are mainly observed in the direction of the supergalactic plane with a quadrupole moment of Q = -0.225 ±0.090 and hence reflect the local large-scale structure of the Universe. The rate of long-lag GRBs with inferred low luminosity is ∼25% of Type Ib/c SNe. Some of these bursts could be produced by the collapse of a massive star without a SN. Alternatively, they could result from a different progenitor, such as the merger of two white dwarfs or a white dwarf with a neutron star or black hole, possibly in the cluster environment without a host galaxy.
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| 29. |
- Foley, S., et al.
(författare)
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The spectral lag distribution of swift gamma-ray bursts
- 2009
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Ingår i: Gamma-Ray Busts. - : American Institute of Physics (AIP). - 9780735406704 ; , s. 403-405
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Swift has detected 350 GRBs from its launch in November 2004 up to August 2008. Approximately one third of these bursts have a measured redshift. We present the spectral lag distributions of long and short-duration Swift GRBs. The spectral lags are determined using a cross-correlation analysis between lightcurves in the 15-25 and 50-100 keV BAT energy channels. The proposed relationship between spectral lag and isotropic peak luminosity is investigated for the GRBs with known redshift. The sensitivity of BAT does not allow the lags of very faint bursts to be measured and so a correlation between faint, long-lag Swift GRBs and the supergalactic plane cannot be confirmed using this sample.
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| 30. |
- Hanlon, L., et al.
(författare)
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Global characteristics of GRBs observed with INTEGRAL and the inferred large population of low-luminosity GRBs
- 2008
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Ingår i: Proc. Sci..
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The g-ray instruments on board INTEGRAL have detected and localised 55 GRBs from launch in October 2002 up to July 2008, including 53 long-duration GRBs (T90 ≳ 2 s) and 2 short-duration GRBs (T90 ≲ 2 s). The spectra of the majority of INTEGRAL GRBs can be well described by single power-laws. In 11 cases, models with curvature, such as the Band model or the power law plus blackbody model, are required to fit the time-averaged burst spectra. INTEGRAL detects proportionally more weak GRBs than Swift because of its higher sensitivity in a smaller field of view. The all-sky rate of GRBs above ∼0.15phcm∼2 s-1 is ∼1400yr-1 in the fully coded field of view of IBIS. Spectral lags i.e. the time delay in the arrival of low-energy g-rays with respect to high-energy g-rays, can be measured for 31 of the GRBs in the sample. Two groups are identified in the spectral lag distribution of INTEGRAL GRBs, one with short lags <0.75 s (between 25-50 keV and 50-300 keV) and one with long lags > 0.75 s. Most of the long-lag GRBs are inferred to have low redshifts because of their tendency to have low peak energies and their faint optical and X-ray afterglows. They are mainly observed in the direction of the supergalactic plane with a quadrupole moment of Q = -0.225 ± 0.090 and hence reflect the local large-scale structure of the Universe. The rate of long-lag GRBs with inferred low luminosity is ∼25% of Type Ib/c SNe. Some of these bursts could be produced by the collapse of a massive star without a SN. Alternatively, they could result from a different progenitor, such as the merger of two white dwarfs or a white dwarf with a neutron star or black hole, possibly in the cluster environment without a host galaxy.
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| 31. |
- McGlynn, Sinead, et al.
(författare)
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GRB 070707 : the first short gamma-ray burst observed by INTEGRAL
- 2008
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 486:2, s. 405-410
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. INTEGRAL has observed 47 long-duration GRBs (T-90 greater than or similar to 2 s) and 1 short-duration GRB (T-90 less than or similar to 2 s) in five years of observation since October 2002. Aims. This work presents the properties of the prompt emission of GRB 070707, which is the first short hard GRB observed by INTEGRAL. Methods. The spectral and temporal properties of GRB 070707 were determined using the two sensitive coded-mask gamma-ray instruments on board INTEGRAL, IBIS and SPI. Results. The T-90 duration was 0.8 s, and the spectrum of the prompt emission was obtained by joint deconvolution of IBIS and SPI data to yield a best fit power-law with photon index alpha = -1.19(-0.13)(+0.14) , which is consistent with the characteristics of short-hard gamma-ray bursts. The peak flux over 1 s was 1.79(-0.21)(+0.06) photons cm(-2) s(-1) and the fluence over the same interval was (2.07(-0.32)(+0.06) ) x 10(-7) erg cm(-2) in the energy range 20-200 keV. The spectral lag measured between 25-50 keV and 100-300 keV is 20 +/- 5 ms, consistent with the small or negligible lags measured for short bursts. Conclusions. The spectral and temporal properties of GRB 070707 are comparable to those of the short hard bursts detected by other gamma-ray satellites, including BATSE and Swift. We estimate a lower limit on the Lorentz factor Gamma greater than or similar to 25 for GRB 070707, assuming the typical redshift for short GRBs of z = 0.35. This limit is consistent with previous estimates for short GRBs and is smaller than the lower limits of Gamma greater than or similar to 100 calculated for long GRBs. If GRB 070707 is a member of the recently postulated class of short GRBs at z similar to 1, the lower limit on Gamma increases to Gamma greater than or similar to 35.
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| 32. |
- McGlynn, Sinéad, et al.
(författare)
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High energy emission and polarisation limits for the INTEGRAL burst GRB061122
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 499:2, s. 465-472
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. GRB061122 is one of the brightest GRBs detected within INTEGRAL's field of view to date, with a peak flux (20-200 keV) of 32 photons cm(-2) s(-1) and fluence of 2 x 10(-5) erg cm(-2). The Spectrometer aboard INTEGRAL, SPI, can measure linear polarisation in bright GRBs through the process of Compton scattering in the Germanium detectors. Polarisation measurements of the prompt emission are relatively rare. The spectral and polarisation results can be combined to provide vital information about the circumburst region. Aims. The two gamma-ray detectors on INTEGRAL were used to investigate the spectral characteristics of GRB061122. A search for linear polarisation in the prompt emission was carried out on GRB061122 using the SPI multiple event data in the energy range 100 keV-1 MeV. The X-ray properties were examined using data from the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) on Swift. Methods. The gamma-ray spectral and temporal properties of GRB061122 were determined using IBIS and SPI. The afterglow properties were obtained using XRT. The multiple event data of GRB061122 from SPI were analysed and compared with the predicted instrument response obtained from Monte-Carlo simulations using the GEANT 4 INTEGRAL mass model. The chi(2) distributions between the real and simulated data as a function of the percentage polarisation and polarisation angle were calculated and limits on the level and angle of polarisation were obtained from the best-fit value of chi(2). Results. The prompt spectrum was best fit by a combination of a blackbody and a power-law model (the quasithermal model), with evidence for high energy emission continuing above 8 MeV. A pseudo-redshift value of pz = 0.95 +/- 0.18 was determined using the spectral fit parameters. The isotropic energy at this pseudo-redshift is 8.5 x 10(52) erg. The jet opening angle was estimated to be smaller than 2.8 degrees or larger than 11.9 degrees from the X-ray lightcurve. An upper limit of 60% polarisation was determined for the prompt emission of GRB061122, using the multiple event data from the spectrometer on INTEGRAL. Conclusions. The high energy emission observed in the spectrum may be due to the reverse shock interacting with the GRB ejecta when it is decelerated by the circumburst medium. This behaviour has been observed in a small fraction of GRBs to date, but is expected to be more commonly observed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The conditions for polarisation are met if the jet opening angle is less than 2.8 degrees, but further constraints on the level of polarisation are not possible.
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| 33. |
- Ahumada, Tomas, et al.
(författare)
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In Search of Short Gamma-Ray Burst Optical Counterparts with the Zwicky Transient Facility
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 932:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) triggers on-board in response to ∼40 short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) per year; however, their large localization regions have made the search for optical counterparts a challenging endeavour. We have developed and executed an extensive program with the wide field of view of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) camera, mounted on the Palomar 48 inch Oschin telescope (P48), to perform target-of-opportunity (ToO) observations on 10 Fermi-GBM SGRBs during 2018 and 2020–2021. Bridging the large sky areas with small field-of-view optical telescopes in order to track the evolution of potential candidates, we look for the elusive SGRB afterglows and kilonovae (KNe) associated with these high-energy events. No counterpart has yet been found, even though more than 10 ground-based telescopes, part of the Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH) network, have taken part in these efforts. The candidate selection procedure and the follow-up strategy have shown that ZTF is an efficient instrument for searching for poorly localized SGRBs, retrieving a reasonable number of candidates to follow up and showing promising capabilities as the community approaches the multi-messenger era. Based on the median limiting magnitude of ZTF, our searches would have been able to retrieve a GW170817-like event up to ∼200 Mpc and SGRB afterglows to z = 0.16 or 0.4, depending on the assumed underlying energy model. Future ToOs will expand the horizon to z = 0.2 and 0.7, respectively.
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| 34. |
- Burgess, J Michael, et al.
(författare)
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Constraints on the Synchrotron Shock Model for the Fermi GRB 090820A Observed by Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor
- 2011
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 741:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Discerning the radiative dissipation mechanism for prompt emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) requires detailed spectroscopic modeling that straddles the vF(v) peak in the 100 keV-1 MeV range. Historically, empirical fits such as the popular Band function have been employed with considerable success in interpreting the observations. While extrapolations of the Band parameters can provide some physical insight into the emission mechanisms responsible for GRBs, these inferences do not provide a unique way of discerning between models. By fitting physical models directly, this degeneracy can be broken, eliminating the need for empirical functions; our analysis here offers a first step in this direction. One of the oldest, and leading, theoretical ideas for the production of the prompt signal is the synchrotron shock model. Here we explore the applicability of this model to a bright Fermi gamma-ray burst monitor (GBM) burst with a simple temporal structure, GRB 090820A. Our investigation implements, for the first time, thermal and non-thermal synchrotron emissivities in the RMFIT forward-folding spectral analysis software often used in GBM burst studies. We find that these synchrotron emissivities, together with a blackbody shape, provide at least as good a match to the data as the Band GRB spectral fitting function. This success is achieved in both time-integrated and time-resolved spectral fits.
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| 35. |
- Goldstein, Adam, et al.
(författare)
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The Fermi GBM Gamma-Ray Burst Spectral Catalog : The First Two Years
- 2012
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 199:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We present systematic spectral analyses of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) during its first two years of operation. This catalog contains two types of spectra extracted from 487 GRBs, and by fitting four different spectral models, this results in a compendium of over 3800 spectra. The models were selected based on their empirical importance to the spectral shape of many GRBs, and the analysis performed was devised to be as thorough and objective as possible. We describe in detail our procedure and criteria for the analyses, and present the bulk results in the form of parameter distributions. This catalog should be considered an official product from the Fermi GBM Science Team, and the data files containing the complete results are available from the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center.
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| 36. |
- Paciesas, William S, et al.
(författare)
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The Fermi GBM Gamma-Ray Burst Catalog : The First Two Years
- 2012
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 199:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is designed to enhance the scientific return from Fermi in studying gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In its first two years of operation GBM triggered on 491 GRBs. We summarize the criteria used for triggering and quantify the general characteristics of the triggered GRBs, including their locations, durations, peak flux, and fluence. This catalog is an official product of the Fermi GBM science team, and the data files containing the complete results are available from the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center.
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| 37. |
- von Kienlin, Andreas, et al.
(författare)
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The Second Fermi GBM Gamma-Ray Burst Catalog : The First Four Years
- 2014
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series. - : Institute of Physics Publishing (IOPP). - 0067-0049 .- 1538-4365. ; 211:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This is the second of a series of catalogs of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). It extends the first two-year catalog by two more years, resulting in an overall list of 953 GBM triggered GRBs. The intention of the GBM GRB catalog is to provide information to the community on the most important observables of the GBM detected GRBs. For each GRB the location and main characteristics of the prompt emission, the duration, peak flux and fluence are derived. The latter two quantities are calculated for the 50-300 keV energy band, where the maximum energy release of GRBs in the instrument reference system is observed and also for a broader energy band from 10-1000 keV, exploiting the full energy range of GBMs low-energy detectors. Furthermore, information is given on the settings and modifications of the triggering criteria and exceptional operational conditions during years three and four in the mission. This second catalog is an official product of the Fermi GBM science team, and the data files containing the complete results are available from the High-Energy Astrophysics Science Archive Research Center.
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| 38. |
- Guiriec, Sylvain, et al.
(författare)
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Detection of a thermal spectral component in the prompt emission of GRB 100724B
- 2011
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Ingår i: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL LETTERS. - 2041-8205. ; 727:2, s. L33-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Observations of GRB 100724B with the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor find that the spectrum is dominated by the typical Band functional form, which is usually taken to represent a non-thermal emission component, but also includes a statistically highly significant thermal spectral contribution. The simultaneous observation of the thermal and non-thermal components allows us to confidently identify the two emission components. The fact that these seem to vary independently favors the idea that the thermal component is of photospheric origin while the dominant non-thermal emission occurs at larger radii. Our results imply either a very high efficiency for the non-thermal process or a very small size of the region at the base of the flow, both quite challenging for the standard fireball model. These problems are resolved if the jet is initially highly magnetized and has a substantial Poynting flux.
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| 39. |
- Guiriec, Sylvain, et al.
(författare)
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Time-resolved Spectroscopy of the Three Brightest and Hardest Short Gamma-ray Bursts Observed with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor
- 2010
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 725:1, s. 225-241
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- From 2008 July to 2009 October, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has detected 320 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). About 20% of these events are classified as short based on their T90 duration below 2 s. We present here for the first time time-resolved spectroscopy at timescales as short as 2 ms for the three brightest short GRBs observed with GBM. The time-integrated spectra of the events deviate from the Band function, indicating the existence of an additional spectral component, which can be fit by a power law with index ∼-1.5. The time-integrated Epeak values exceed 2 MeV for two of the bursts and are well above the values observed in the brightest long GRBs. Their Epeak values and their low-energy power-law indices (a) confirm that short GRBs are harder than long ones. We find that short GRBs are very similar to long ones, but with light curves contracted in time and with harder spectra stretched toward higher energies. In our time-resolved spectroscopy analysis, we find that the Epeak values range from a few tens of keV up to more than 6MeV. In general, the hardness evolutions during the bursts follow their flux/intensity variations, similar to long bursts. However, we do not always see the Epeak leading the light-curve rises and confirm the zero/short average light-curve spectral lag below 1 MeV, already established for short GRBs. We also find that the time-resolved low-energy power-law indices of the Band function mostly violate the limits imposed by the synchrotron models for both slow and fast electron cooling and may require additional emission processes to explain the data. Finally, we interpreted these observations in the context of the current existing models and emission mechanisms for the prompt emission of GRBs.
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| 40. |
- McConnell, M. L., et al.
(författare)
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POET : A SMEX mission for gamma ray burst polarimetry
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of SPIE, the International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE. - 0277-786X .- 1996-756X. ; 9144
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Polarimeters for Energetic Transients (POET) is a mission concept designed to t within the envelope of a NASA Small Explorer (SMEX) mission. POET will use X-ray and gamma-ray polarimetry to uncover the energy release mechanism associated with the formation of stellar-mass black holes and investigate the physics of extreme magnetic ields in the vicinity of compact objects. Two wide-FoV, non-imaging polarimeters will provide polarization measurements over the broad energy range from about 2 keV up to about 500 keV. A Compton scatter polarimeter, using an array of independent scintillation detector elements, will be used to collect data from 50 keV up to 500 keV. At low energies (215 keV), data will be provided by a photoelectric polarimeter based on the use of a Time Projection Chamber for photoelectron tracking. During a two-year baseline mission, POET will be able to collect data that will allow us to distinguish between three basic models for the inner jet of gamma-ray bursts.
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