| 2. |
- Laskar, Tanmoy, et al.
(author)
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First ALMA Light Curve Constrains Refreshed Reverse Shocks and Jet Magnetization in GRB 161219B
- 2018
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In: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 862:2
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present detailed multiwavelength observations of GRB 161219B at z = 0.1475, spanning the radio to X-ray regimes, and the first Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) light curve of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow. The centimeter- and millimeter-band observations before 8.5 days require emission in excess of that produced by the afterglow forward shock (FS). These data are consistent with radiation from a refreshed reverse shock (RS) produced by the injection of energy into the FS, signatures of which are also present in the X-ray and optical light curves. We infer a constant-density circumburst environment with an extremely low density, n(0) approximate to 3 x 10(-4 )cm(-3), and show that this is a characteristic of all strong RS detections to date. The Karl G. Lansky Very Large Array (VLA) observations exhibit unexpected rapid variability on roughly minute timescales, indicative of strong interstellar scintillation. The X-ray, ALMA, and VLA observations together constrain the jet break time, t(jet) approximate to 32 days, yielding a wide jet opening angle of theta(jet) approximate to 13 degrees, implying beaming-corrected gamma-ray and kinetic energies of E-gamma approximate to 4.9 x 10(48) erg and E-K approximate to 1.3 x 10(50) erg, respectively. Comparing the RS and FS emission, we show that the ejecta are only weakly magnetized, with relative magnetization, R-B approximate to 1, compared to the FS. These direct, multifrequency measurements of a refreshed RS spanning the optical to radio bands highlight the impact of radio and millimeter data in probing the production and nature of GRB jets.
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| 3. |
- Laskar, Tanmoy, et al.
(author)
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The Radio to GeV Afterglow of GRB 221009A
- 2023
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In: Astrophysical Journal Letters. - : American Astronomical Society. - 2041-8205 .- 2041-8213. ; 946:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- GRB 221009A ($z=0.151$) is one of the closest known long $gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs). Its extreme brightness across all electromagnetic wavelengths provides an unprecedented opportunity to study a member of this still-mysterious class of transients in exquisite detail. We present multi-wavelength observations of this extraordinary event, spanning 15 orders of magnitude in photon energy from radio to $gamma$-rays. We find that the data can be partially explained by a forward shock (FS) from a highly-collimated relativistic jet interacting with a low-density wind-like medium. The jet's beaming-corrected kinetic energy ($E_K sim 4times10<^>{50}$ erg) is typical for the GRB population, but its opening angle ($sim2<^>{circ}$) is one of the narrowest. The radio and mm data provide strong limiting constraints on the FS model, but require the presence of an additional emission component. From equipartition arguments, we find that the radio emission is likely produced by a small amount of mass ($lesssim6times10<^>{-7} M_odot$) moving relativistically ($Gammagtrsim9$) with a large kinetic energy ($gtrsim10<^>{49}$ erg). However, the temporal evolution of this component does not follow prescriptions for synchrotron radiation from a single power-law distribution of electrons (e.g. in a reverse shock or two-component jet), or a thermal electron population, perhaps suggesting that one of the standard assumptions of afterglow theory is violated. GRB 221009A will likely remain detectable with radio telescopes for years to come, providing a valuable opportunity to track the full lifecycle of a powerful relativistic jet.
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