Carole G. Mundell

Highly polarized light from stable ordered magnetic fields in GRB 120308A

After the initial burst of γ-rays that defines a γ-ray burst (GRB), expanding ejecta collide with the circumburst medium and begin to decelerate at the onset of the afterglow, during which a forward shock travels outwards and a reverse shock propagates backwards into the oncoming collimated flow, or ‘jet’. Light from the reverse shock should be highly polarized if the jet’s magnetic field is globally ordered and advected from the central engine, with a position angle that is predicted to remain stable in magnetized baryonic jet models or vary randomly with time if the field is produced locally by plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Degrees of linear polarization of Pu2009≈u200910 per cent in the optical band have previously been detected in the early afterglow, but the lack of temporal measurements prevented definitive tests of competing jet models. Hours to days after the γ-ray burst, polarization levels are low (Pu2009<u20094 per cent), when emission from the shocked ambient medium dominates. Here we report the detection of P = per cent in the immediate afterglow of Swift γ-ray burst GRBu2009120308A, four minutes after its discovery in the γ-ray band, decreasing to P = per cent over the subsequent ten minutes. The polarization position angle remains stable, changing by no more than 15 degrees over this time, with a possible trend suggesting gradual rotation and ruling out plasma or magnetohydrodynamic instabilities. Instead, the polarization properties show that GRBs contain magnetized baryonic jets with large-scale uniform fields that can survive long after the initial explosion.

A tale of two GRB-SNe at a common redshift of z = 0.54

We present ground-based and Hubble Space Telescope optical observations of the optical transients (OTs) of long-duration Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) 060729 and 090618, both at a redshift of z= 0.54. For GRB 060729, bumps are seen in the optical light curves (LCs), and the late-time broad-band spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of the OT resemble those of local Type Ic supernovae (SNe). For GRB 090618, the dense sampling of our optical observations has allowed us to detect well-defined bumps in the optical LCs, as well as a change in colour, that are indicative of light coming from a core-collapse SN. The accompanying SNe for both events are individually compared with SN1998bw, a known GRB supernova, and SN1994I, a typical Type Ic supernova without a known GRB counterpart, and in both cases the brightness and temporal evolution more closely resemble SN1998bw. We also exploit our extensive optical and radio data for GRB 090618, as well as the publicly available Swift-XRT data, and discuss the properties of the afterglow at early times. In the context of a simple jet-like model, the afterglow of GRB 090618 is best explained by the presence of a jet-break at t-to > 0.5 d. We then compare the rest-frame, peak V-band absolute magnitudes of all of the GRB and X-Ray Flash (XRF)-associated SNe with a large sample of local Type Ibc SNe, concluding that, when host extinction is considered, the peak magnitudes of the GRB/XRF-SNe cannot be distinguished from the peak magnitudes of non-GRB/XRF SNe. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detailed optical and near-infrared polarimetry, spectroscopy and broad-band photometry of the afterglow of GRB 091018: Polarization evolution

Follow-up observations of large numbers of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, facilitated by the Swift satellite, have produced a large sample of spectral energy distributions and light curves, from which their basic micro- and macro-physical parameters can in principle be derived. However, a number of phenomena have been observed that defy explanation by simple versions of the standard fireball model, leading to a variety of new models. Polarimetry can be a major independent diagnostic of afterglow physics, probing the magnetic field properties and internal structure of the GRB jets. In this paper we present the first high-quality multi-night polarimetric light curve of a Swift GRB afterglow, aimed at providing a well-calibrated data set of a typical afterglow to serve as a benchmark system for modelling afterglow polarization behaviour. In particular, our data set of the afterglow of GRB 091018 (at redshift z = 0.971) comprises optical linear polarimetry (R band, 0.13–2.3 d after burst); circular polarimetry (R band) and near-infrared linear polarimetry (Ks band). We add to that high-quality optical and near-infrared broad-band light curves and spectral energy distributions as well as afterglow spectroscopy. The linear polarization varies between 0 and 3 per cent, with both long and short

A gamma-ray burst at a redshift of z~8.2

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are thought to result from the explosions of certain massive stars, and some are bright enough that they should be observable out to redshifts of z > 20 using current technology. Hitherto, the highest redshift measured for any object was z = 6.96, for a Lyman-alpha emitting galaxy. Here we report that GRB 090423 lies at a redshift of z approximately 8.2, implying that massive stars were being produced and dying as GRBs approximately 630 Myr after the Big Bang. The burst also pinpoints the location of its host galaxy.It is thought that the first generations of massive stars in the Universe were an important, and quite possibly dominant, source of the ultra-violet radiation that reionized the hydrogen gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM); a state in which it has remained to the present day. Measurements of cosmic microwave background anisotropies suggest that this phase-change largely took place in the redshift range z=10.8 +/- 1.4, while observations of quasars and Lyman-alpha galaxies have shown that the process was essentially completed by z=6. However, the detailed history of reionization, and characteristics of the stars and proto-galaxies that drove it, remain unknown. Further progress in understanding requires direct observations of the sources of ultra-violet radiation in the era of reionization, and mapping the evolution of the neutral hydrogen fraction through time. The detection of galaxies at such redshifts is highly challenging, due to their intrinsic faintness and high luminosity distance, whilst bright quasars appear to be rare beyond z~7. Here we report the discovery of a gamma-ray burst, GRB 090423, at redshift z=8.26 -0.08 +0.07. This is well beyond the redshift of the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxy (z=6.96) and quasar (z=6.43). It establishes that massive stars were being produced, and dying as GRBs, ~625 million years after the Big Bang. In addition, the accurate position of the burst pinpoints the location of the most distant galaxy known to date. Larger samples of GRBs beyond z~7 will constrain the evolving rate of star formation in the early universe, while rapid spectroscopy of their afterglows will allow direct exploration of the progress of reionization with cosmic time.Long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are thought to result from the explosions of certain massive stars, and some are bright enough that they should be observable out to redshifts of zu2009>u200920 using current technology. Hitherto, the highest redshift measured for any object was z = 6.96, for a Lyman-α emitting galaxy. Here we report that GRBu2009090423 lies at a redshift of zu2009≈u20098.2, implying that massive stars were being produced and dying as GRBs ∼630u2009Myr after the Big Bang. The burst also pinpoints the location of its host galaxy.

A Review of Early-Time Optical Follow-ups with 2-m Robotic Telescopes

We summarise recent deep, rapid GRB follow-up observations using the RoboNet-1.0 network which comprises three fully-robotic 2-m telescopes, the Liverpool Telescope and the Faulkes Telescopes North and South. Observations begin automatically within minutes of receipt of a GRB alert and may continue for hours or days to provide well-sampled multi-colour light curves or deep upper limits. Our light curves show a variety of early afterglow behaviour, from smooth, simple or broken power laws to bumpy, for a wide range of optical brightness (from the unprecedented faint detections of GRB 060108 and GRB 060510B to classical bright ones). We discuss GRB 051111 as an example of how the combination of optical and X-ray light curves can provide insight into the circumburst environment, in particular the role played by intrinsic extinction soon after the burst.

The origin of the early-time optical emission of Swift GRB 080310

We present broad-band multiwavelength observations of GRB 080310 at redshift z= 2.43. This burst was bright and long-lived, and unusual in having extensive optical and near-infrared (IR) follow-up during the prompt phase. Using these data we attempt to simultaneously model the gamma-ray, X-ray, optical and IR emission using a series of prompt pulses and an afterglow component. Initial attempts to extrapolate the high-energy model directly to lower energies for each pulse reveal that a spectral break is required between the optical regime and 0.3 keV to avoid overpredicting the optical flux. We demonstrate that afterglow emission alone is insufficient to describe all morphology seen in the optical and IR data. Allowing the prompt component to dominate the early-time optical and IR and permitting each pulse to have an independent low-energy spectral indices we produce an alternative scenario which better describes the optical light curve. This, however, does not describe the spectral shape of GRB 080310 at early times. The fit statistics for the prompt- and afterglow-dominated models are nearly identical making it difficult to favour either. However one enduring result is that both models require a low-energy spectral index consistent with self-absorption for at least some of the pulses identified in the high-energy emission model.

Unprecedented gamma-ray flare from PG1553+113 in spring 2012

PG1553 is a well-known TeV blazar, which redshift is still uncertain (z>0.4 [1]). The source has been monitored in Very High Energy (VHE, E>100 GeV) gamma-rays by MAGIC telescopes since February 2005, and detected on a regular basis in a quiescent state with modest flux variations, lying in the range from 4% to 11% of the Crab Nebula flux above 150 GeV [2]. In March and April 2012, strong VHE gamma ray activity was detected with the MAGIC telescopes. The flux state reached unprecedented level of the Crab Nebula flux for PG 1553+113 [3]. A multiwavlength campaign during the flaring episodes has been carried out in radio by Metsahovi and OVRO, in optical by KVA telescope, in optical-UV by Swift/UVOT, in X-rays by Swift/XRT, in infrared by REM telescope and in gamma-rays by Fermi/LAT. In addition, optical polarization measurements were carried out by Liverpool telescope. The multiwavelength behavior is particularly interesting, since the source was active in most of the bands.

A faint optical flash in dust-obscured GRB 080603A: implications for GRB prompt emission mechanisms

We report the detection of a faint optical flash by the 2-m Faulkes Telescope North simultaneously with the second of two prompt γ-ray pulses in INTEGRAL gamma-ray burst (GRB) 080603A, beginning at trest= 37 s after the onset of the GRB. This optical flash appears to be distinct from the subsequent emerging afterglow emission, for which we present comprehensive broad-band radio to X-ray light curves to 13 d post-burst and rigorously test the standard fireball model. The intrinsic extinction towards GRB 080603A is high (AV, z= 0.8 mag), and the well-sampled X-ray-to-near-infrared spectral energy distribution is interesting in requiring an LMC2 extinction profile, in contrast to the majority of GRBs. Comparison of the γ-ray and extinction-corrected optical flux densities of the flash rules out an inverse-Compton origin for the prompt γ-rays; instead, we suggest that the optical flash could originate from the inhomogeneity of the relativistic flow. In this scenario, a large velocity irregularity in the flow produces the prompt γ-rays, followed by a milder internal shock at a larger radius that would cause the optical flash. Flat γ-ray spectra, roughly F∝ν−0.1, are observed in many GRBs. If the flat spectrum extends down to the optical band in GRB 080603A, the optical flare could be explained as the low-energy tail of the γ-ray emission. If this is indeed the case, it provides an important clue to understanding the nature of the emission process in the prompt phase of GRBs and highlights the importance of deep (R > 20 mag), rapid follow-up observations capable of detecting faint, prompt optical emission.

A faint optical flash in dust-obscured GRB 080603A: Implications for GRB prompt emission mechanisms

We report the detection of a faint optical flash by the 2-m Faulkes Telescope North simultaneously with the second of two prompt γ-ray pulses in INTEGRAL gamma-ray burst (GRB) 080603A, beginning at trest= 37 s after the onset of the GRB. This optical flash appears to be distinct from the subsequent emerging afterglow emission, for which we present comprehensive broad-band radio to X-ray light curves to 13 d post-burst and rigorously test the standard fireball model. The intrinsic extinction towards GRB 080603A is high (AV, z= 0.8 mag), and the well-sampled X-ray-to-near-infrared spectral energy distribution is interesting in requiring an LMC2 extinction profile, in contrast to the majority of GRBs. Comparison of the γ-ray and extinction-corrected optical flux densities of the flash rules out an inverse-Compton origin for the prompt γ-rays; instead, we suggest that the optical flash could originate from the inhomogeneity of the relativistic flow. In this scenario, a large velocity irregularity in the flow produces the prompt γ-rays, followed by a milder internal shock at a larger radius that would cause the optical flash. Flat γ-ray spectra, roughly F∝ν−0.1, are observed in many GRBs. If the flat spectrum extends down to the optical band in GRB 080603A, the optical flare could be explained as the low-energy tail of the γ-ray emission. If this is indeed the case, it provides an important clue to understanding the nature of the emission process in the prompt phase of GRBs and highlights the importance of deep (R > 20 mag), rapid follow-up observations capable of detecting faint, prompt optical emission.

A γ-ray burst at a redshift of z approximately 8.2

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are thought to result from the explosions of certain massive stars, and some are bright enough that they should be observable out to redshifts of z > 20 using current technology. Hitherto, the highest redshift measured for any object was z = 6.96, for a Lyman-alpha emitting galaxy. Here we report that GRB 090423 lies at a redshift of z approximately 8.2, implying that massive stars were being produced and dying as GRBs approximately 630 Myr after the Big Bang. The burst also pinpoints the location of its host galaxy.It is thought that the first generations of massive stars in the Universe were an important, and quite possibly dominant, source of the ultra-violet radiation that reionized the hydrogen gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM); a state in which it has remained to the present day. Measurements of cosmic microwave background anisotropies suggest that this phase-change largely took place in the redshift range z=10.8 +/- 1.4, while observations of quasars and Lyman-alpha galaxies have shown that the process was essentially completed by z=6. However, the detailed history of reionization, and characteristics of the stars and proto-galaxies that drove it, remain unknown. Further progress in understanding requires direct observations of the sources of ultra-violet radiation in the era of reionization, and mapping the evolution of the neutral hydrogen fraction through time. The detection of galaxies at such redshifts is highly challenging, due to their intrinsic faintness and high luminosity distance, whilst bright quasars appear to be rare beyond z~7. Here we report the discovery of a gamma-ray burst, GRB 090423, at redshift z=8.26 -0.08 +0.07. This is well beyond the redshift of the most distant spectroscopically confirmed galaxy (z=6.96) and quasar (z=6.43). It establishes that massive stars were being produced, and dying as GRBs, ~625 million years after the Big Bang. In addition, the accurate position of the burst pinpoints the location of the most distant galaxy known to date. Larger samples of GRBs beyond z~7 will constrain the evolving rate of star formation in the early universe, while rapid spectroscopy of their afterglows will allow direct exploration of the progress of reionization with cosmic time.Long-duration γ-ray bursts (GRBs) are thought to result from the explosions of certain massive stars, and some are bright enough that they should be observable out to redshifts of zu2009>u200920 using current technology. Hitherto, the highest redshift measured for any object was z = 6.96, for a Lyman-α emitting galaxy. Here we report that GRBu2009090423 lies at a redshift of zu2009≈u20098.2, implying that massive stars were being produced and dying as GRBs ∼630u2009Myr after the Big Bang. The burst also pinpoints the location of its host galaxy.