K. Hurley

Temporal properties of gamma ray bursts as signatures of jets from the central engine

A comprehensive temporal analysis has been performed on the 319 brightest GRBs with T90 > 2s from the BATSE current catalog. The GRBs were denoised using wavelets and subjected to an automatic pulse selection algorithm as an objective way of identifying pulses and quantifying the eects of neighbouring pulses. The number of statistically signicant pulses selected from the sample was greater than 3000. The rise times, fall times, full-widths at half-maximum (FWHM), pulse amplitudes and pulse areas were measured and the frequency distributions are presented here. All are consistent with lognormal distributions provided the pulses are well separated. The distribution of time intervals between pulses is not random but compatible with a lognormal distribution when allowance was made for the 64 ms time resolution and a small excess (5%) of long duration intervals that is often referred to as a Pareto-L evy tail. The time intervals between pulses are most important because they may be an almost direct measure of the activity in the central engine. Lognormal distributions of time intervals also occur in pulsars and SGR sources and therefore provide indirect evidence that the time intervals between pulses in GRBs are also generated by rotation powered systems with super-strong magnetic elds. A range of correlations are presented on pulse and burst properties. The rise and fall times, FWHM and area of the pulses are highly correlated with each other. The pulse amplitudes are anticorrelated with the FWHM. The time intervals between pulses and pulse amplitudes of neighbouring pulses are correlated with each other. It was also found that the number of pulses, N, in GRBs is strongly correlated with the fluence and duration and that can explain the well known correlation between duration and fluence. The GRBs were sorted into three categories based on N i.e. 3 N 12, 13 N 24 and N 25. The properties of pulses before and after the strongest pulse were compared for three categories of bursts. No major dierences were found between the distributions of the pulse properties before and after the strongest pulse in the GRB. However there is a strong trend for pulses to have slower rise times and faster fall times in the rst half of the burst and this pattern is strongest for category 3 N 12. This analysis revealed that the GRBs with large numbers of pulses have narrower and faster pulses and also larger fluences, longer durations and higher hardness ratios than the GRBs with smaller numbers of pulses. These results may be explained by either homogeneous or inhomogeneous jet models of GRBs. The GRBs with larger number of pulses are closer to the axis if varies with the opening angle of the jet and the imprint of the jet is preserved in the pulse structure of the burst. The distribution of the number of pulses per GRB broadly reflects the beaming by the jet.

On the nature of the short-duration GRB 050906

We present deep optical and infrared observations of the short duration GRB 050906. Although no X-ray or optical/IR afterglow was discovered to deep limits, the error circle of the GRB (as derived from the Swift BAT) is unusual in containing the relatively local starburst galaxy IC328. This makes GRB 050906 a candidate burst from a soft-gamma repeater, similar to the giant flare from SGR 1806-20. The probability of chance alignment of a given BAT position with such a galaxy is small ( � < 1%), although the size of the error circle (2.6 arcminute radius) is such that a higher z origin can’t be ruled out. Indeed, the error circle also includes a moderately rich galaxy cluster at z = 0.43, which is a plausible location for the burst given the apparent preference that short GRBs have for regions of high mass density. No residual optical or infrared emission has been observed, either in the form of an afterglow or later time emission from any associated supernova-like event. We discuss the constraints these limits place on the progenitor of GRB 050906 based on the expected optical signatures from both SGRs and merging compact object systems.

A new analysis of the short-duration, hard-spectrum GRB 051103, a possible extragalactic soft gamma repeater giant flare

GRB 051103 is considered to be a candidate soft gamma repeater (SGR) extragalactic giant magnetar flare by virtue of its proximity on the sky to M81/M82, as well as its time history, localization and energy spectrum. We have derived a refined interplanetary network localization for this burst which reduces the size of the error box by over a factor of 2. We examine its time history for evidence of a periodic component, which would be one signature of an SGR giant flare, and conclude that this component is neither detected nor detectable under reasonable assumptions. We analyse the time-resolved energy spectra of this event with improved time and energy resolution, and conclude that although the spectrum is very hard its temporal evolution at late times cannot be determined, which further complicates the giant flare association. We also present new optical observations reaching limiting magnitudes of R > 24.5, about 4-mag deeper than previously reported. In tandem with serendipitous observations of M81 taken immediately before and 1 month after the burst, these place strong constraints on any rapidly variable sources in the region of the refined error ellipse proximate to M81. We do not find any convincing afterglow candidates from either background galaxies or sources in M81, although within the refined error region we do locate two UV bright star-forming regions which may host SGRs. A supernova remnant (SNR) within the error ellipse could provide further support for an SGR giant flare association, but we were unable to identify any SNR within the error ellipse. These data still do not allow strong constraints on the nature of the GRB 051103 progenitor, and suggest that candidate extragalactic SGR giant flares will be difficult, although not impossible, to confirm.

GRB 090423 reveals an exploding star at the epoch of re-ionization

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by rare types of massive stellar explosion. Their rapidly fading afterglows are often bright enough at optical wavelengths that they are detectable at cosmological distances. Hitherto, the highest known redshift for a GRB was z = 6.7 (ref. 1), for GRBu2009080913, and for a galaxy was z = 6.96 (ref. 2). Here we report observations of GRBu2009090423 and the near-infrared spectroscopic measurement of its redshift, z = . This burst happened when the Universe was only about 4 per cent of its current age. Its properties are similar to those of GRBs observed at low/intermediate redshifts, suggesting that the mechanisms and progenitors that gave rise to this burst about 600,000,000u2009years after the Big Bang are not markedly different from those producing GRBs about 10,000,000,000u2009years later.

Spectral Analysis of 50 GRBs Detected by HETE‐2

FREGATE, the gamma‐ray detector of HETE‐2 is entirely dedicated to the study of GRBs. Its main characteristic is its broad energy range, from 7 keV to 400 keV. This energy range can be further extended down to 2 keV using the data from the WXM, the X‐ray detector of HETE‐2. Such a large energy range allows studies of the prompt emission of GRBs. determining with a high precision their spectral parameters. Moreover, because this energy range is at low energies, the sample of GRBs detected by both FREGATE and WXM contains a significant fraction of X‐Ray Rich GRBs and X‐Ray Flashes.We present here the distributions of the spectral parameters mesured for the time integrated spectra of 50 GRBs. We put emphasis on the distribution of the low energy spectral index α. Because FREGATE and WXM detected all classes of GRBs, we also discuss the connection between GRBs, X‐Ray Rich GRBs and X‐Ray Flashes.FREGATE, the gamma-ray detector of HETE-2 is entirely dedicated to the study of GRBs. Its main characteristic is its broad energy range, from 7 keV to 400 keV. This energy range can be further extended down to 2 keV using the data from the WXM, the X-ray detector of HETE-2. Such a large energy range allows to study in details the prompt emission of GRBs, determining with a high precision their spectral parameters. Moreover, because this energy range extends at low energies, the sample of GRBs detected by both FREGATE and WXM contains a significant fraction of X-Ray Rich GRBs and X-Ray Flashes. nWe present here the distributions of the spectral parameters mesured for the time integrated spectra of 50 GRBs. We put emphasis on the distribution of the low energy spectral index alpha. Because FREGATE and WXM detected all classes of GRBs, we also discuss the connection between GRBs, X-Ray Rich GRBs and X-Ray Flashes.

Lognormal properties of SGR 1806-20 and implications for other SGR sources

The time interval between successive bursts from SGR 1806-20 and the intensity of these bursts are both consistent with lognormal distributions. Monte Carlo simulations of lognormal burst models with a range of distribution parameters have been investigated. The main conclusions are that while most sources like SGR 1806-20 should be detected in a time interval of 25 years, sources with means about 100 times longer have a probability of about 5% of being detected in the same interval. A new breed of experiments that operate for long periods are required to search for sources with mean recurrence intervals much longer than SGR 1806-20.

HETE-2 Observation of the Extremely Soft X-Ray Flashes, XRF010213 and XRF020903

We report HETE‐2 WXM and FREGATE observations of two X‐ray flashes (XRFs), XRF010213 and XRF020903. The signal is only seen in 10 seconds, and this feature is similar to that of the “long” GRBs. According to the time‐averaged spectral analysis using both WXM and FREGATE data, the fluence ratio of 2–30 keV to 30–400 keV energy band is 11.4 and 5.6 for XRF010213 and XRF020903 respectively. The Epeak energy in the Band function is < 10 keV. They are likely to belong to the same class as the X‐ray flash events detected with GINGA and BeppoSAX. In this paper, we will present the detail study of the prompt emission of XRF010213 and XRF020903, and compare with the characteristics of classic GRBs.

Wavelet analysis and lognormal distributions in GRBs

A wavelet analysis has been performed on 80 intense gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the BATSE 3B catalog with durations longer than 2 seconds. The wavelet analysis applied novel features developed for edge detection in image processing and this filtering process was used to extract a fit to the irregular GRB profile from the background. A straightforward algorithm was subsequently used to identify statistically significant peaks in this profile. The areas and FWHM of 270 peaks that were characterised as isolated were found to be consistent with lognormal distributions. The distribution of time intervals between peak maxima for all 963 identified peaks in the GRBs is also presented.

A search for ultra-high energy counterparts to gamma-ray bursts

A small air shower array operating over many years has been used to search for ultra-high energy (UHE) gamma radiation (≥ 50 TeV) associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the BATSE instrument on the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO). Upper limits for a one minute interval after each burst are presented for seven GRBs located with zenith anglesθ < 20°. A 4.3σ excess over background was observed between 10 and 20 minutes following the onset of a GRB on 11 May 1991. The confidence level that this is due to a real effect and not a background fluctuation is 99.8%. If this effect is real then cosmological models are excluded for this burst because of absorption of UHE gamma rays by the intergalactic radiation fields.

GRB 080407: an ultra-long burst discovered by the IPN

We present observations of the extremely long GRB 080704 obtained with the instruments of the Interplanetary Network (IPN). The observations reveal two distinct emission episodes, separated by a approx.1500 s long period of quiescence. The total burst duration is about 2100 s. We compare the temporal and spectral characteristics of this burst with those obtained for other ultra-long GRBs and discuss these characteristics in the context of different models.