Implications of the Early X-Ray Afterglow Light Curves of Swift GRBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granot, Jonathan; /KIPAC, Menlo Park; Konigl, Arieh; /Chicago U., Astron. Astrophys. Ctr. /Chicago U., EFI; Piran, Tsvi; /Hebrew U.

2006-01-17

According to current models, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced when the energy carried by a relativistic outflow is dissipated and converted into radiation. The efficiency of this process, {epsilon}{sub {gamma}}, is one of the critical factors in any GRB model. The X-ray afterglow light curves of Swift GRBs show an early stage of flattish decay. This has been interpreted as reflecting energy injection. When combined with previous estimates, which have concluded that the kinetic energy of the late ({approx}> 10 hr) afterglow is comparable to the energy emitted in {gamma}-rays, this interpretation implies very high values of {epsilon}{sub {gamma}}, corresponding to {approx}> 90% of the initial energy being converted into {gamma}-rays. Such a high efficiency is hard to reconcile with most models, including in particular the popular internal-shocks model. We re-analyze the derivation of the kinetic energy from the afterglow X-ray flux and re-examine the resulting estimates of the efficiency. We confirm that, if the flattish decay arises from energy injection and the pre-Swift broad-band estimates of the kinetic energy are correct, then {epsilon}{sub {gamma}} {approx}> 0.9. We discuss various issues related to this result, including an alternative interpretation of the light curve in terms of a two-component outflow model, which we apply to the X-ray observations of GRB 050315. We point out, however, that another interpretation of the flattish decay--a variable X-ray afterglow efficiency (e.g., due to a time dependence of afterglow shock microphysical parameters)--is possible. We also show that direct estimates of the kinetic energy from the late X-ray afterglow flux are sensitive to the assumed values of the shock microphysical parameters and suggest that broad-band afterglow fits might have underestimated the kinetic energy (e.g., by overestimating the fraction of electrons that are accelerated to relativistic energies). Either one of these possibilities implies a

Short Hard Gamma Ray Bursts And Their Afterglows

CERN Document Server

Dado, Shlomo

2009-01-01

Long duration gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and X-ray flashes (XRFs) are produced by highly- relativistic jets ejected in core-collapse supernova explosions. The origin of short hard gamma-ray bursts (SHBs) has not been established. They may be produced by highly relativistic jets ejected in various processes: mergers of compact stellar objects; large-mass accretion episodes onto compact stars in close binaries or onto intermediate-mass black holes in dense stellar regions; phase transition of compact stars. Natural environments of such events are the dense cores of globular clusters, superstar clusters and young supernova remnants. We have used the cannonball model of GRBs to analyze all Swift SHBs with a well-sampled X-ray afterglow. We show that their prompt gamma-ray emission can be explained by inverse Compton scattering (ICS) of the progenitor's glory light, and their extended soft emission component by ICS of high density light or synchrotron radiation (SR) in a high density interstellar medium within the cl...

THERMAL EMISSION IN THE EARLY X-RAY AFTERGLOWS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS: FOLLOWING THE PROMPT PHASE TO LATE TIMES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Friis, Mette [Centre for Astrophysics and Cosmology, Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik (Iceland); Watson, Darach, E-mail: mef4@hi.is, E-mail: darach@dark-cosmology.dk [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen O (Denmark)

2013-07-01

Thermal radiation, peaking in soft X-rays, has now been detected in a handful of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows and has to date been interpreted as shock break-out of the GRB's progenitor star. We present a search for thermal emission in the early X-ray afterglows of a sample of Swift bursts selected by their brightness in X-rays at early times. We identify a clear thermal component in eight GRBs and track the evolution. We show that at least some of the emission must come from highly relativistic material since two show an apparent super-luminal expansion of the thermal component. Furthermore, we determine very large luminosities and high temperatures for many of the components-too high to originate in a supernova shock break-out. Instead, we suggest that the component may be modeled as late photospheric emission from the jet, linking it to the apparently thermal component observed in the prompt emission of some GRBs at gamma-ray and hard X-ray energies. By comparing the parameters from the prompt emission and the early afterglow emission, we find that the results are compatible with the interpretation that we are observing the prompt quasi-thermal emission component in soft X-rays at a later point in its evolution.

Early optical polarization of a gamma-ray burst afterglow.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundell, Carole G; Steele, Iain A; Smith, Robert J; Kobayashi, Shiho; Melandri, Andrea; Guidorzi, Cristiano; Gomboc, Andreja; Mottram, Chris J; Clarke, David; Monfardini, Alessandro; Carter, David; Bersier, David

2007-03-30

We report the optical polarization of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow, obtained 203 seconds after the initial burst of gamma-rays from GRB 060418, using a ring polarimeter on the robotic Liverpool Telescope. Our robust (2sigma) upper limit on the percentage of polarization, less than 8%, coincides with the fireball deceleration time at the onset of the afterglow. The combination of the rate of decay of the optical brightness and the low polarization at this critical time constrains standard models of GRB ejecta, ruling out the presence of a large-scale ordered magnetic field in the emitting region.

The redshift and afterglow of the extremely energetic gamma-ray burst GRB 080916C

CERN Document Server

Greiner, J.; Kruehler, T.; Kienlin, A.v.; Rau, A.; Sari, R.; Fox, Derek B.; Kawai, N.; Afonso, P.; Ajello, M.; Berger, E.; Cenko, S.B.; Cucchiara, A.; Filgas, R.; Klose, S.; Yoldas, A.Kuepue; Lichti, G.G.; Loew, S.; McBreen, S.; Nagayama, T.; Rossi, A.; Sato, S.; Szokoly, G.; Yoldas, A.; Zhang, X.-L.

2009-01-01

The detection of GeV photons from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has important consequences for the interpretation and modelling of these most-energetic cosmological explosions. The full exploitation of the high-energy measurements relies, however, on the accurate knowledge of the distance to the events. Here we report on the discovery of the afterglow and subsequent redshift determination of GRB 080916C, the first GRB detected by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope with high significance detection of photons at >0.1 GeV. Observations were done with 7-channel imager GROND at the 2.2m MPI/ESO telescope, the SIRIUS instrument at the Nagoya-SAAO 1.4m telescope in South Africa, and the GMOS instrument at Gemini-S. The afterglow photometric redshift of z=4.35+-0.15, based on simultaneous 7-filter observations with the Gamma-Ray Optical and Near-infrared Detector (GROND), places GRB 080916C among the top 5% most distant GRBs, and makes it the most energetic GRB known to date. The detection of GeV photons from such a dista...

Revisiting gamma-ray burst afterglows with time-dependent parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Chao; Zou, Yuan-Chuan; Chen, Wei; Liao, Bin; Lei, Wei-Hua; Liu, Yu

2018-02-01

The relativistic external shock model of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows has been established with five free parameters, i.e., the total kinetic energy E, the equipartition parameters for electrons {{ε }}{{e}} and for the magnetic field {{ε }}{{B}}, the number density of the environment n and the index of the power-law distribution of shocked electrons p. A lot of modified models have been constructed to consider the variety of GRB afterglows, such as: the wind medium environment by letting n change with radius, the energy injection model by letting kinetic energy change with time and so on. In this paper, by assuming all four parameters (except p) change with time, we obtain a set of formulas for the dynamics and radiation, which can be used as a reference for modeling GRB afterglows. Some interesting results are obtained. For example, in some spectral segments, the radiated flux density does not depend on the number density or the profile of the environment. As an application, through modeling the afterglow of GRB 060607A, we find that it can be interpreted in the framework of the time dependent parameter model within a reasonable range.

Phenomenology of reverse-shock emission in the optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Japelj, J.; Kopač, D.; Gomboc, A.; Kobayashi, S.; Harrison, R.; Virgili, F. J.; Mundell, C. G.; Guidorzi, C.; Melandri, A.

2014-01-01

We use a parent sample of 118 gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows, with known redshift and host galaxy extinction, to separate afterglows with and without signatures of dominant reverse-shock (RS) emission and to determine which physical conditions lead to a prominent reverse-shock emission. We identify 10 GRBs with reverse-shock signatures: 990123, 021004, 021211, 060908, 061126, 080319B, 081007, 090102, 090424, and 130427A. By modeling their optical afterglows with reverse- and forward-shock analytic light curves and using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimate the parameter space of the physical quantities describing the ejecta and circumburst medium. We find that physical properties cover a wide parameter space and do not seem to cluster around any preferential values. Comparing the rest-frame optical, X-ray, and high-energy properties of the larger sample of non-RS-dominated GRBs, we show that the early-time (<1 ks) optical spectral luminosity, X-ray afterglow luminosity, and γ-ray energy output of our reverse-shock dominated sample do not differ significantly from the general population at early times. However, the GRBs with dominant reverse-shock emission have fainter than average optical forward-shock emission at late times (>10 ks). We find that GRBs with an identifiable reverse-shock component show a high magnetization parameter R B = ε B,r /ε B,f ∼ 2-10 4 . Our results are in agreement with the mildly magnetized baryonic jet model of GRBs.

The afterglow, redshift and extreme energetics of the gamma-ray burst of 23 January 1999

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kulkarni, [No Value; Djorgovski, SG; Odewahn, SC; Bloom, JS; Gal, RR; Koresko, CD; Harrison, FA; Lubin, LM; Armus, L; Sari, R; Illingworth, GD; Kelson, DD; Magee, DK; van Dokkum, PG; Frail, DA; Mulchaey, JS; Malkan, MA; McClean, IS; Teplitz, HI; Koerner, D; Kirkpatrick, D; Kobayashi, N; Yadigaroglu, IA; Halpern, J; Piran, T; Goodrich, RW; Chaffee, FH; Feroci, M; Costa, E

1999-01-01

Long-lived emission, known as afterglow, has now been detected from about a dozen gamma-ray bursts. Distance determinations place the bursts at cosmological distances, with redshifts,z, ranging from similar to 1 to 3, The energy required to produce these bright gamma-ray flashes is enormous: up to

Fermi and Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Population Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, Judith L.; Oates, S. R.; Schady, P.; Burrows, D. N.; dePasquale, M.; Donato, D.; Gehrels, N.; Koch, S.; McEnery, J.; Piran, T.;

GRB 090926A AND BRIGHT LATE-TIME FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swenson, C. A.; Roming, P. W. A.; Vetere, L.; Kennea, J. A.; Maxham, A.; Zhang, B. B.; Zhang, B.; Schady, P.; Holland, S. T.; Kuin, N. P. M.; Oates, S. R.; De Pasquale, M.; Page, K. L.

2010-01-01

GRB 090926A was detected by both the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. Swift follow-up observations began ∼13 hr after the initial trigger. The optical afterglow was detected for nearly 23 days post trigger, placing it in the long-lived category. The afterglow is of particular interest due to its brightness at late times, as well as the presence of optical flares at T0+10 5 s and later, which may indicate late-time central engine activity. The LAT has detected a total of 16 gamma-ray bursts; nine of these bursts, including GRB 090926A, also have been observed by Swift. Of the nine Swift-observed LAT bursts, six were detected by UVOT, with five of the bursts having bright, long-lived optical afterglows. In comparison, Swift has been operating for five years and has detected nearly 500 bursts, but has only seen ∼30% of bursts with optical afterglows that live longer than 10 5 s. We have calculated the predicted gamma-ray fluence, as would have been seen by the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) on board Swift, of the LAT bursts to determine whether this high percentage of long-lived optical afterglows is unique, when compared to BAT-triggered bursts. We find that, with the exception of the short burst GRB 090510A, the predicted BAT fluences indicate that the LAT bursts are more energetic than 88% of all Swift bursts and also have brighter than average X-ray and optical afterglows.

Multi-Band Light Curves from Two-Dimensional Simulations of Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Science.gov (United States)

MacFadyen, Andrew

2010-01-01

The dynamics of gamma-ray burst outflows is inherently multi-dimensional. 1.) We present high resolution two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamics simulations of GRBs in the afterglow phase using adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). Using standard synchrotron radiation models, we compute multi-band light curves, from the radio to X-ray, directly from the 2D hydrodynamics simulation data. We will present on-axis light curves for both constant density and wind media. We will also present off-axis light curves relevant for searches for orphan afterglows. We find that jet breaks are smoothed due to both off-axis viewing and wind media effects. 2.) Non-thermal radiation mechanisms in GRB afterglows require substantial magnetic field strengths. In turbulence driven by shear instabilities in relativistic magnetized gas, we demonstrate that magnetic field is naturally amplified to half a percent of the total energy (epsilon B = 0.005). We will show high resolution three dimensional relativistic MHD simulations of this process as well as particle in cell (PIC) simulations of mildly relativistic collisionless shocks.

The optical afterglow of the short gamma-ray burst GRB 050709.

Science.gov (United States)

Hjorth, Jens; Watson, Darach; Fynbo, Johan P U; Price, Paul A; Jensen, Brian L; Jørgensen, Uffe G; Kubas, Daniel; Gorosabel, Javier; Jakobsson, Páll; Sollerman, Jesper; Pedersen, Kristian; Kouveliotou, Chryssa

2005-10-06

It has long been known that there are two classes of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), mainly distinguished by their durations. The breakthrough in our understanding of long-duration GRBs (those lasting more than approximately 2 s), which ultimately linked them with energetic type Ic supernovae, came from the discovery of their long-lived X-ray and optical 'afterglows', when precise and rapid localizations of the sources could finally be obtained. X-ray localizations have recently become available for short (duration burst: GRB 050709. The optical afterglow was localized with subarcsecond accuracy, and lies in the outskirts of a blue dwarf galaxy. The optical and X-ray afterglow properties 34 h after the GRB are reminiscent of the afterglows of long GRBs, which are attributable to synchrotron emission from ultrarelativistic ejecta. We did not, however, detect a supernova, as found in most nearby long GRB afterglows, which suggests a different origin for the short GRBs.

VERY HIGH ENERGY OBSERVATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS WITH STACEE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jarvis, A.; Ong, R. A.; Ball, J.; Carson, J. E.; Zweerink, J.; Williams, D. A.; Aune, T.; Covault, C. E.; Driscoll, D. D.; Fortin, P.; Mukherjee, R.; Gingrich, D. M.; Hanna, D. S.; Kildea, J.; Lindner, T.; Mueller, C.; Ragan, K.

2010-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions known in the universe. Sensitive measurements of the high-energy spectra of GRBs can place important constraints on the burst environments and radiation processes. Until recently, there were no observations during the first few minutes of GRB afterglows in the energy range between 30 GeV and ∼1 TeV. With the launch of the Swift GRB Explorer in late 2004, GRB alerts and localizations within seconds of the bursts became available. The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) was a ground-based, gamma-ray telescope with an energy threshold of ∼150 GeV for sources at zenith. At the time of Swift's launch, STACEE was in a rare position to provide >150 GeV follow-up observations of GRBs as fast as three minutes after the burst alert. In addition, STACEE performed follow-up observations of several GRBs that were localized by the HETE-2 and INTEGRAL satellites. Between 2002 June and 2007 July, STACEE made follow-up observations of 23 GRBs. Upper limits are placed on the high-energy gamma-ray fluxes from 21 of these bursts.

Dust extinction in high-z galaxies with gamma-ray burst afterglow spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elíasdóttir, Á.; Fynbo, J. P. U.; Hjorth, J.

2009-01-01

We report the clear detection of the 2175 Å dust absorption feature in the optical afterglow spectrum of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 070802 at a redshift of z = 2.45. This is the highest redshift for a detected 2175 Å dust bump to date, and it is the first clear detection of the 2175 Å bump...

Revisiting the dispersion measure of fast radio bursts associated with gamma-ray burst afterglows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yu, Yun-Wei, E-mail: yuyw@mail.ccnu.edu.cn [Institute of Astrophysics, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079 (China)

2014-12-01

Some fast radio bursts (FRBs) are expected to be associated with the afterglow emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), while a short-lived, supermassive neutron star (NS) forms during the GRBs. I investigate the possible contributions to the dispersion measure (DM) of the FRBs from the GRB ejecta and the wind blown from the precollapsing NS. On the one hand, sometimes an internal X-ray plateau afterglow could be produced by the NS wind, which indicates that a great number of electron-positron pairs are carried by the wind. If the pair-generation radius satisfies a somewhat rigorous condition, the relativistic and dense wind would contribute a high DM to the associated FRB, which can be comparable to and even exceed the DM contributed by the intergalactic medium. On the other hand, if the wind only carries a Goldreich-Julian particle flux, its DM contribution would become negligible; meanwhile, the internal plateau afterglow would not appear. Alternatively, the FRB should be associated with a GRB afterglow produced by the GRB external shock, i.e., an energy-injection-caused shallow-decay afterglow or a normal single-power-law afterglow if the impulsive energy release of the GRB is high enough. In the latter case, the DM contributed by the high-mass GRB ejecta could be substantially important, in particular, for an environment of main-sequence stellar wind. In summary, a careful assessment on the various DM contributors could be required for the cosmological application of the expected FRB-GRB association. The future DM measurements of GRB-associated FRBs could provide a constraint on the physics of NS winds.

Revisiting the dispersion measure of fast radio bursts associated with gamma-ray burst afterglows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Yun-Wei

2014-01-01

Some fast radio bursts (FRBs) are expected to be associated with the afterglow emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), while a short-lived, supermassive neutron star (NS) forms during the GRBs. I investigate the possible contributions to the dispersion measure (DM) of the FRBs from the GRB ejecta and the wind blown from the precollapsing NS. On the one hand, sometimes an internal X-ray plateau afterglow could be produced by the NS wind, which indicates that a great number of electron-positron pairs are carried by the wind. If the pair-generation radius satisfies a somewhat rigorous condition, the relativistic and dense wind would contribute a high DM to the associated FRB, which can be comparable to and even exceed the DM contributed by the intergalactic medium. On the other hand, if the wind only carries a Goldreich-Julian particle flux, its DM contribution would become negligible; meanwhile, the internal plateau afterglow would not appear. Alternatively, the FRB should be associated with a GRB afterglow produced by the GRB external shock, i.e., an energy-injection-caused shallow-decay afterglow or a normal single-power-law afterglow if the impulsive energy release of the GRB is high enough. In the latter case, the DM contributed by the high-mass GRB ejecta could be substantially important, in particular, for an environment of main-sequence stellar wind. In summary, a careful assessment on the various DM contributors could be required for the cosmological application of the expected FRB-GRB association. The future DM measurements of GRB-associated FRBs could provide a constraint on the physics of NS winds.

Very high-energy gamma rays from gamma-ray bursts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadwick, Paula M

2007-05-15

Very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy has undergone a transformation in the last few years, with telescopes of unprecedented sensitivity having greatly expanded the source catalogue. Such progress makes the detection of a gamma-ray burst at the highest energies much more likely than previously. This paper describes the facilities currently operating and their chances for detecting gamma-ray bursts, and reviews predictions for VHE gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts. Results to date are summarized.

A gamma-ray burst with a high-energy spectral component inconsistent with the synchrotron shock model.

Science.gov (United States)

González, M M; Dingus, B L; Kaneko, Y; Preece, R D; Dermer, C D; Briggs, M S

2003-08-14

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most powerful events in nature. These events release most of their energy as photons with energies in the range from 30 keV to a few MeV, with a smaller fraction of the energy radiated in radio, optical, and soft X-ray afterglows. The data are in general agreement with a relativistic shock model, where the prompt and afterglow emissions correspond to synchrotron radiation from shock-accelerated electrons. Here we report an observation of a high-energy (multi-MeV) spectral component in the burst of 17 October 1994 that is distinct from the previously observed lower-energy gamma-ray component. The flux of the high-energy component decays more slowly and its fluence is greater than the lower-energy component; it is described by a power law of differential photon number index approximately -1 up to about 200 MeV. This observation is difficult to explain with the standard synchrotron shock model, suggesting the presence of new phenomena such as a different non-thermal electron process, or the interaction of relativistic protons with photons at the source.

VLT identification of the optical afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB000131 at z=4.50

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, M.I.; Hjorth, J.; Jesen, B.L.

2000-01-01

We report the discovery of the gamma-ray burst GRB 000131 and its optical afterglow. The optical identification was made with the VLT 84 hours after the burst following a BATSE detection and an Inter Planetary Network localization. GRB 000131 was a bright, long-duration GRB, with an apparent...... Angstrom. This places GRB 000131 at a redshift of 4.500 +/- 0.015. The inferred isotropic energy release in gamma rays alone was similar to 10(54) erg (depending on the assumed cosmology). The rapid power-law decay of the afterglow (index alpha = 2.25, similar to bursts with a prior break in the lightcurve...

VLT identification of the optical afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB 000131 at z=4.50

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, M.I.; Hjorth, J.; Pedersen, H.

2000-01-01

We report the discovery of the gamma-ray burst GRB 000131 and its optical afterglow. The optical identification was made with the VLT 84 hours after the burst following a BATSE detection and an Inter Planetary Network localization. GRB 000131 was a bright, long-duration GRB, with an apparent...... Angstrom. This places GRB 000131 at a redshift of 4.500 +/- 0.015. The inferred isotropic energy release in gamma rays alone was similar to 10(54) erg (depending on the assumed cosmology). The rapid power-law decay of the afterglow (index alpha = 2.25, similar to bursts with a prior break in the lightcurve...

The bright optical afterglow of the nearby gamma-ray burst of 29 March 2003.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, P A; Fox, D W; Kulkarni, S R; Peterson, B A; Schmidt, B P; Soderberg, A M; Yost, S A; Berger, E; Djorgovski, S G; Frail, D A; Harrison, F A; Sari, R; Blain, A W; Chapman, S C

2003-06-19

Past studies of cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been hampered by their extreme distances, resulting in faint afterglows. A nearby GRB could potentially shed much light on the origin of these events, but GRBs with a redshift z burst of 29 March 2003 (GRB030329; ref. 2). The brightness of the afterglow and the prompt report of its position resulted in extensive follow-up observations at many wavelengths, along with the measurement of the redshift, z = 0.169 (ref. 4). The gamma-ray and afterglow properties of GRB030329 are similar to those of GRBs at cosmological redshifts. Observations have already identified the progenitor as a massive star that exploded as a supernova.

The Supercritical Pile Gamma-Ray Burst Model: The GRB Afterglow Steep Decline and Plateau Phase

Science.gov (United States)

Sultana, Joseph; Kazanas, D.; Mastichiadis, A.

2013-01-01

We present a process that accounts for the steep decline and plateau phase of the Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT) light curves, vexing features of gamma-ray burst (GRB) phenomenology. This process is an integral part of the "supercritical pile" GRB model, proposed a few years ago to account for the conversion of the GRB kinetic energy into radiation with a spectral peak at E(sub pk) is approx. m(sub e)C(exp 2). We compute the evolution of the relativistic blast wave (RBW) Lorentz factor Gamma to show that the radiation-reaction force due to the GRB emission can produce an abrupt, small (approx. 25%) decrease in Gamma at a radius that is smaller (depending on conditions) than the deceleration radius R(sub D). Because of this reduction, the kinematic criticality criterion of the "supercritical pile" is no longer fulfilled. Transfer of the proton energy into electrons ceases and the GRB enters abruptly the afterglow phase at a luminosity smaller by approx. m(sub p)/m(sub e) than that of the prompt emission. If the radius at which this slow-down occurs is significantly smaller than R(sub D), the RBW internal energy continues to drive the RBW expansion at a constant (new) Gamma and its X-ray luminosity remains constant until R(sub D) is reached, at which point it resumes its more conventional decay, thereby completing the "unexpected" XRT light curve phase. If this transition occurs at R is approx. equal to R(sub D), the steep decline is followed by a flux decrease instead of a "plateau," consistent with the conventional afterglow declines. Besides providing an account of these peculiarities, the model suggests that the afterglow phase may in fact begin before the RBW reaches R is approx. equal to R(sub D), thus providing novel insights into GRB phenomenology.

A Correlation Between the Intrinsic Brightness and Average Decay Rate of Gamma-Ray Burst X-Ray Afterglow Light Curves

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, J. L.; Oates, S. R.; De Pasquale, M.; Kocevski, D.

2016-01-01

We present a correlation between the average temporal decay (alpha X,avg, greater than 200 s) and early-time luminosity (LX,200 s) of X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts as observed by the Swift X-ray Telescope. Both quantities are measured relative to a rest-frame time of 200 s after the gamma-ray trigger. The luminosity â€" average decay correlation does not depend on specific temporal behavior and contains one scale-independent quantity minimizing the role of selection effects. This is a complementary correlation to that discovered by Oates et al. in the optical light curves observed by the Swift Ultraviolet Optical Telescope. The correlation indicates that, on average, more luminous X-ray afterglows decay faster than less luminous ones, indicating some relative mechanism for energy dissipation. The X-ray and optical correlations are entirely consistent once corrections are applied and contamination is removed. We explore the possible biases introduced by different light-curve morphologies and observational selection effects, and how either geometrical effects or intrinsic properties of the central engine and jet could explain the observed correlation.

The signature of supernova ejecta in the X-ray afterglow of the gamma-ray burst 011211.

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, J N; Watson, D; Osborne, J P; Pounds, K A; O'Brien, P T; Short, A D T; Turner, M J L; Watson, M G; Mason, K O; Ehle, M; Schartel, N

2002-04-04

Now that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been determined to lie at cosmological distances, their isotropic burst energies are estimated to be as high as 1054 erg (ref. 2), making them the most energetic phenomena in the Universe. The nature of the progenitors responsible for the bursts remains, however, elusive. The favoured models range from the merger of two neutron stars in a binary system to the collapse of a massive star. Spectroscopic studies of the afterglow emission could reveal details of the environment of the burst, by indicating the elements present, the speed of the outflow and an estimate of the temperature. Here we report an X-ray spectrum of the afterglow of GRB011211, which shows emission lines of magnesium, silicon, sulphur, argon, calcium and possibly nickel, arising in metal-enriched material with an outflow velocity of the order of one-tenth the speed of light. These observations strongly favour models where a supernova explosion from a massive stellar progenitor precedes the burst event and is responsible for the outflowing matter.

Structure in the early afterglow light curve of the gamma-ray burst of 29 March 2003.

Science.gov (United States)

Uemura, Makoto; Kato, Taichi; Ishioka, Ryoko; Yamaoka, Hitoshi; Monard, Berto; Nogami, Daisaku; Maehara, Hiroyuki; Sugie, Atsushi; Takahashi, Susumu

2003-06-19

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are energetic explosions that for 0.01-100 s are the brightest gamma-ray sources in the sky. Observations of the early evolution of afterglows are expected to provide clues about the nature of the bursts, but their rapid fading has hampered such studies; some recent rapid localizations of bursts have improved the situation. Here we report an early detection of the very bright afterglow of the burst of 29 March 2003 (GRB030329). Our data show that, even early in the afterglow phase, the light curve shows unexpectedly complicated structures superimposed on the fading background.

Observations of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts: Prompt Emission and Afterglow

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Edo

2011-09-01

The study of short gamma-ray bursts has been revolutionized by the discovery of afterglows and host galaxies. In this talk I will review observations of the prompt emission, afterglows, and host galaxies, primarily as they pertain to the nature of the progenitor systems. The bulk of the evidence points to the merger of compact objects (NS-NS or NS-BH) making short GRBs the prime candidate for gravitational wave detections with the next generation detectors. This work is partially supported by funds from NASA (through the Swift and Chandra GO programs) and the NSF through an AAG grant.

The afterglow of GRB 050709 and the nature of the short-hard gamma-ray bursts.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, D B; Frail, D A; Price, P A; Kulkarni, S R; Berger, E; Piran, T; Soderberg, A M; Cenko, S B; Cameron, P B; Gal-Yam, A; Kasliwal, M M; Moon, D-S; Harrison, F A; Nakar, E; Schmidt, B P; Penprase, B; Chevalier, R A; Kumar, P; Roth, K; Watson, D; Lee, B L; Shectman, S; Phillips, M M; Roth, M; McCarthy, P J; Rauch, M; Cowie, L; Peterson, B A; Rich, J; Kawai, N; Aoki, K; Kosugi, G; Totani, T; Park, H-S; MacFadyen, A; Hurley, K C

2005-10-06

The final chapter in the long-standing mystery of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) centres on the origin of the short-hard class of bursts, which are suspected on theoretical grounds to result from the coalescence of neutron-star or black-hole binary systems. Numerous searches for the afterglows of short-hard bursts have been made, galvanized by the revolution in our understanding of long-duration GRBs that followed the discovery in 1997 of their broadband (X-ray, optical and radio) afterglow emission. Here we present the discovery of the X-ray afterglow of a short-hard burst, GRB 050709, whose accurate position allows us to associate it unambiguously with a star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.160, and whose optical lightcurve definitively excludes a supernova association. Together with results from three other recent short-hard bursts, this suggests that short-hard bursts release much less energy than the long-duration GRBs. Models requiring young stellar populations, such as magnetars and collapsars, are ruled out, while coalescing degenerate binaries remain the most promising progenitor candidates.

IMPRINTS OF ELECTRON–POSITRON WINDS ON THE MULTIWAVELENGTH AFTERGLOWS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geng, J. J.; Huang, Y. F.; Dai, Z. G.; Wu, X. F.; Li, L.

2016-01-01

Optical rebrightenings in the afterglows of some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are unexpected within the framework of the simple external shock model. While it has been suggested that the central engines of some GRBs are newly born magnetars, we aim to relate the behaviors of magnetars to the optical rebrightenings. A newly born magnetar will lose its rotational energy in the form of Poynting-flux, which may be converted into a wind of electron–positron pairs through some magnetic dissipation processes. As proposed by Dai, this wind will catch up with the GRB outflow and a long-lasting reverse shock (RS) would form. By applying this scenario to GRB afterglows, we find that the RS propagating back into the electron–positron wind can lead to an observable optical rebrightening and a simultaneous X-ray plateau (or X-ray shallow decay). In our study, we select four GRBs (i.e., GRB 080413B, GRB 090426, GRB 091029, and GRB 100814A), of which the optical afterglows are well observed and show clear rebrightenings. We find that they can be well interpreted. In our scenario, the spin-down timescale of the magnetar should be slightly smaller than the peak time of the rebrightening, which can provide a clue to the characteristics of the magnetar.

On the non-existence of a sharp cooling break in gamma-ray burst afterglow spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uhm, Z. Lucas; Zhang, Bing

2014-01-01

Although the widely used analytical afterglow model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) predicts a sharp cooling break ν c in its afterglow spectrum, the GRB observations so far rarely show clear evidence for a cooling break in their spectra or a corresponding temporal break in their light curves. Employing a Lagrangian description of the blast wave, we conduct a sophisticated calculation of the afterglow emission. We precisely follow the cooling history of non-thermal electrons accelerated into each Lagrangian shell. We show that a detailed calculation of afterglow spectra does not in fact give rise to a sharp cooling break at ν c . Instead, it displays a very mild and smooth transition, which occurs gradually over a few orders of magnitude in energy or frequency. The main source of this slow transition is that different mini shells have different evolutionary histories of the comoving magnetic field strength B, so that deriving the current value of ν c of each mini shell requires an integration of its cooling rate over the time elapsed since its creation. We present the time evolution of optical and X-ray spectral indices to demonstrate the slow transition of spectral regimes and discuss the implications of our result in interpreting GRB afterglow data.

Extinction of gamma-ray burst afterglows as a diagnostic of the location of cosmic star formation

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Trentham, Neil; Blain, A. W.

2002-01-01

The properties of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows are used to investigate the location of star formation activity through the history of the Universe. This approach is motivated by the following: (i) GRBs are thought to be associated with the deaths of massive stars and so the GRB rate ought to follow the formation rate of massive stars; (ii) GRBs are the last phase of the evolution of these stars, which do not live long enough to travel far from their place of birth, and so GRBs are located where the stars formed; and (iii) GRB afterglows occur over both X-ray and optical wavelengths, and so the differential effects of dust extinction between the two wavebands can reveal whether or not large amounts of dust are present in galaxies hosting GRBs. Recent evidence suggests that a significant fraction of stars in the Universe formed in galaxies that are bright at rest-frame submillimetre (submm) and infrared wavelengths rather than at ultraviolet wavelengths; we estimate about three quarters of the star formation in the Universe occurred in the submm-bright mode. High-redshift submm-selected galaxies are thought to have properties similar to local ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIGs) such as Arp 220, based on the concordance between their luminosities and spectral energy distributions. If this is the case, then GRBs in submm-bright galaxies should have their optical afterglows extinguished by internal dust absorption, but only very few should have their 2-10keV X-ray afterglows obscured. The value that we quote of three quarters is marginally consistent with observations of GRBs: 60+/-15 per cent of GRBs have no detected optical afterglow, whereas almost all have an X-ray afterglow. A more definitive statement could be made with observations of soft X-ray afterglows (0.5-2keV), in which extinction should be severe for GRBs located in submm-bright galaxies with gas densities similar to those in local ULIGs. If the X-ray afterglows disappear at soft X-ray

Radio Afterglows of Gamma Ray Bursts

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Lekshmi Resmi

2017-09-12

Sep 12, 2017 ... ments on-board high energy missions like BeppoSAX1,. CGRO2, HETE3, .... rest energy of a solar mass object (GRB 080916C; Abdo et al. 2009). ..... Though the same afterglow physics applies to short bursts too, there are.

DIVERSITY OF SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS FROM COMPACT BINARY MERGERS HOSTING PULSARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holcomb, Cole; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; De Colle, Fabio; Montes, Gabriela

2014-01-01

Short-duration gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) are widely believed to result from the mergers of compact binaries. This model predicts an afterglow that bears the characteristic signatures of a constant, low-density medium, including a smooth prompt-afterglow transition, and a simple temporal evolution. However, these expectations are in conflict with observations for a non-negligible fraction of sGRB afterglows. In particular, the onset of the afterglow phase for some of these events appears to be delayed and, in addition, a few of them exhibit late-time rapid fading in their light curves. We show that these peculiar observations can be explained independently of ongoing central engine activity if some sGRB progenitors are compact binaries hosting at least one pulsar. The Poynting flux emanating from the pulsar companion can excavate a bow-shock cavity surrounding the binary. If this cavity is larger than the shock deceleration length scale in the undisturbed interstellar medium, then the onset of the afterglow will be delayed. Should the deceleration occur entirely within the swept-up thin shell, a rapid fade in the light curve will ensue. We identify two types of pulsar that can achieve the conditions necessary for altering the afterglow: low-field, long-lived pulsars, and high-field pulsars. We find that a sizable fraction (≈20%-50%) of low-field pulsars are likely to reside in neutron star binaries based on observations, while their high-field counterparts are not. Hydrodynamical calculations motivated by this model are shown to be in good agreement with observations of sGRB afterglow light curves

Gamma Ray Bursts - Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, N.; Cannizzo, J. K.

2010-01-01

We are in an exciting period of discovery for gamma-ray bursts. The Swift observatory is detecting 100 bursts per year, providing arcsecond localizations and sensitive observations of the prompt and afterglow emission. The Fermi observatory is observing 250 bursts per year with its medium-energy GRB instrument and about 10 bursts per year with its high-energy LAT instrument. In addition, rapid-response telescopes on the ground are providing new capabilities to study optical emission during the prompt phase and spectral signatures of the host galaxies. The combined data set is enabling great advances in our understanding of GRBs including afterglow physics, short burst origin, and high energy emission.

TESTING MODELS FOR THE SHALLOW DECAY PHASE OF GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS WITH POLARIZATION OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lan, Mi-Xiang; Dai, Zi-Gao [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wu, Xue-Feng, E-mail: dzg@nju.edu.cn [Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)

2016-08-01

The X-ray afterglows of almost one-half of gamma-ray bursts have been discovered by the Swift satellite to have a shallow decay phase of which the origin remains mysterious. Two main models have been proposed to explain this phase: relativistic wind bubbles (RWBs) and structured ejecta, which could originate from millisecond magnetars and rapidly rotating black holes, respectively. Based on these models, we investigate polarization evolution in the shallow decay phase of X-ray and optical afterglows. We find that in the RWB model, a significant bump of the polarization degree evolution curve appears during the shallow decay phase of both optical and X-ray afterglows, while the polarization position angle abruptly changes its direction by 90°. In the structured ejecta model, however, the polarization degree does not evolve significantly during the shallow decay phase of afterglows whether the magnetic field configuration in the ejecta is random or globally large-scale. Therefore, we conclude that these two models for the shallow decay phase and relevant central engines would be testable with future polarization observations.

Prompt and Afterglow Emission Properties of Gamma-Ray Bursts with Spectroscopically Identified Supernovae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaneko, Yuki; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.; Granot, J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Woosley, S.E.; Patel, S.K.; Rol, E.; Zand, J.J.M.in' t; a; Wijers, R.A.M.J.; Strom, R.; /USRA, Huntsville

2006-07-12

We present a detailed spectral analysis of the prompt and afterglow emission of four nearby long-soft gamma-ray bursts (GRBs 980425, 030329, 031203, and 060218) that were spectroscopically found to be associated with type Ic supernovae, and compare them to the general GRB population. For each event, we investigate the spectral and luminosity evolution, and estimate the total energy budget based upon broadband observations. The observational inventory for these events has become rich enough to allow estimates of their energy content in relativistic and sub-relativistic form. The result is a global portrait of the effects of the physical processes responsible for producing long-soft GRBs. In particular, we find that the values of the energy released in mildly relativistic outflows appears to have a significantly smaller scatter than those found in highly relativistic ejecta. This is consistent with a picture in which the energy released inside the progenitor star is roughly standard, while the fraction of that energy that ends up in highly relativistic ejecta outside the star can vary dramatically between different events.

Chemical abundances associated with gamma-ray bursts: nucleosynthesis in afterglows

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Tao; Wang, Min

2014-03-01

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta carries huge amounts of energy expanding into the surrounding medium and heats up these materials, making it possible that nucleosynthesis can take place in such hot sites in afterglow stage. Here, we study possible changes in chemical abundances in the GRB afterglow processes of Wolf-Rayet (WR) star wind environments (Case A) and constant density surroundings (Case B). We find that the light element of lithium-beryllium-boron could occur in the afterglows via He+He process and spallation reactions. Some isotopes of F, Ne, Mg, Al, Si, P, S and Fe-group elements are also new species formed in the afterglows via proton-, neutron- and α-capture. The results show that the nucleosynthetic yields might be a diagnostic of the GRB's ambient environment. Our calculations indicate that Mg, Al, Si, P, Cr, Mn, Fe and Co have trended to appear in Case A, while Ne, Ti and Ni trend to occur in Case B. Furthermore, although some species have occurred both in Cases A and B, their mass fractions are quite different in these two cases. Here, we show that the mass fractions of 7Li, 7Be, 24Mg and 30Si are higher in Case A than that in Case B, but 18F gives an opposite conclusion. Nucleosynthetic outputs might also be an indice to estimate the luminosity-temperature relation factor β. In this study, when β reduces, the mass abundances of 11B and 20Ne are higher in Case B than that in Case A; in contrast, as the β becomes larger, this trend would be reversed; therefore, perhaps we could select the above elements as the indicators to estimate the properties of the surroundings around the GRBs. We also suggest that the spectroscopic observations of a GRB afterglow could only reveal the nucleosynthetic outputs from the interaction site between the GRB jet and its ambient matter, but could not represent the original composition of the pre-GRB surrounding medium.

THE HIGH ENERGY BUDGET ALLOCATIONS IN SHOCKS AND GAMMA RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eichler, David; Guetta, Dafne; Pohl, Martin

2010-01-01

The statistical distribution of energies among particles responsible for long gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission is analyzed in light of recent results of the Fermi Observatory. The all-sky flux, F γ , recorded by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is shown, despite its larger energy range, to be not significantly larger than that reported by the Burst and Transient Explorer, suggesting a relatively small flux in the 3-30 MeV energy range. The present-day energy input rate in γ-rays recorded by the GBM from long GRBs is found, assuming star formation rates in the literature, to be W-dot(0)=0.5 F γ H/c=5x10 42 erg Mpc -3 yr -1 . The Large Area Telescope fluence, when observed, is about 5%-10% per decade of the total, in good agreement with the predictions of saturated, nonlinear shock acceleration. The high-energy component of long GRBs, as measured by Fermi, is found to contain only ∼10 -2.5 of the energy needed to produce ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) above 4 EeV, assuming the latter to be extragalactic, when various numerical factors are carefully included, if the cosmic-ray source spectrum has a spectral index of -2. The observed γ-ray fraction of the required UHECR energy is even smaller if the source spectrum is softer than E -2 . The AMANDA II limits rule out such a GRB origin for UHECRs if much more than 10 -2 of the cosmic-ray energy goes into neutrinos that are within, and simultaneous with, the γ-ray beam. It is suggested that 'orphan' neutrinos out of the γ-ray beam might be identifiable via orphan afterglow or other wide angle signatures of GRBs in lieu of coincidence with prompt γ-rays, and it is recommended that feasible single neutrino trigger criteria be established to search for such coincidences.

High energy gamma-ray production in nuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinston, J.A.; Nifenecker, H.; Nifenecker, H.

1989-01-01

Experimental techniques used to study high energy gamma-ray production in nuclear reactions are reviewed. High energy photon production in nucleus-nucleus collisions is discussed. Semi-classical descriptions of the nucleus-nucleus gamma reactions are introduced. Nucleon-nucleon gamma cross sections are considered, including theoretical aspects and experimental data. High energy gamma ray production in proton-nucleus reactions is explained. Theoretical explanations of photon emission in nucleus-nucleus collisions are treated. The contribution of charged pion currents to photon production is mentioned

Cosmic very high-energy {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Plaga, R. [Max-Planck-Institut fur Physik, Muenchen (Germany)

1998-12-31

The article gives a brief overview, aimed at nonspecialists, about the goals and selected recent results of the detection of very-high energy {gamma}-rays (energies above 100 GeV) with ground based detectors. The stress is on the physics questions, specially the origin of Galactic Cosmic Rays and the emission of TeV {gamma}-radiation from active galaxies. Moreover some particle-physics questions which are addressed in this area are discussed.

Very high energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.

1988-01-01

Current interest in gamma-ray astronomy at energies above 100 GeV comes from the identification of Cygnus X-3 and other X-ray binaries as sources. In addition there are reports of emission from radio pulsars and a variety of other objects. The statistical significance of many of the observations is not high and many reported effects await confirmation, but there are a sufficient number of independent reports that very high energy gamma-ray astronomy must now be considered to have an observational basis. The observations are summarized with particular emphasis on those reported since 1980. The techniques used - the detection of small air showers using the secondary photons and particles at ground level - are unusual and are described. Future prospects for the field are discussed in relation to new ground-based experiments, satellite gamma-ray studies and proposed neutrino astronomy experiments. (orig.) With 296 refs

Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt TeV gamma rays from ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

physics pp. 789-792. Ultra-high energy cosmic rays and prompt. TeV gamma rays from gamma ray bursts ... The origin of the observed ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events with ... are proton and electron rest mass, respectively.

AFTERGLOW OBSERVATIONS OF FERMI LARGE AREA TELESCOPE GAMMA-RAY BURSTS AND THE EMERGING CLASS OF HYPER-ENERGETIC EVENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cenko, S. B.; Butler, N. R.; Cobb, B. E.; Cucchiara, A.; Bloom, J. S.; Perley, D. A.; Filippenko, A. V.; Frail, D. A.; Harrison, F. A.; Haislip, J. B.; Reichart, D. E.; Ivarsen, K. M.; LaCluyze, A. P.; Berger, E.; Chandra, P.; Fox, D. B.; Prochaska, J. X.; Glazebrook, K.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Kulkarni, S. R.

2011-01-01

We present broadband (radio, optical, and X-ray) light curves and spectra of the afterglows of four long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs; GRBs 090323, 090328, 090902B, and 090926A) detected by the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope (LAT) instruments on the Fermi satellite. With its wide spectral bandpass, extending to GeV energies, Fermi is sensitive to GRBs with very large isotropic energy releases (10 54 erg). Although rare, these events are particularly important for testing GRB central-engine models. When combined with spectroscopic redshifts, our afterglow data for these four events are able to constrain jet collimation angles, the density structure of the circumburst medium, and both the true radiated energy release and the kinetic energy of the outflows. In agreement with our earlier work, we find that the relativistic energy budget of at least one of these events (GRB 090926A) exceeds the canonical value of 10 51 erg by an order of magnitude. Such energies pose a severe challenge for models in which the GRB is powered by a magnetar or a neutrino-driven collapsar, but remain compatible with theoretical expectations for magnetohydrodynamical collapsar models (e.g., the Blandford-Znajek mechanism). Our jet opening angles (θ) are similar to those found for pre-Fermi GRBs, but the large initial Lorentz factors (Γ 0 ) inferred from the detection of GeV photons imply θΓ 0 ∼ 70-90, values which are above those predicted in magnetohydrodynamic models of jet acceleration. Finally, we find that these Fermi-LAT events preferentially occur in a low-density circumburst environment, and we speculate that this might result from the lower mass-loss rates of their lower-metallicity progenitor stars. Future studies of Fermi-LAT afterglows at radio wavelengths with the order-of-magnitude improvement in sensitivity offered by the Extended Very Large Array should definitively establish the relativistic energy budgets of these events.

Polarization of the prompt gamma-ray emission from the gamma-ray burst of 6 December 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Coburn, Wayne; Boggs, Steven E

2003-05-22

Observations of the afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have revealed that they lie at cosmological distances, and so correspond to the release of an enormous amount of energy. The nature of the central engine that powers these events and the prompt gamma-ray emission mechanism itself remain enigmatic because, once a relativistic fireball is created, the physics of the afterglow is insensitive to the nature of the progenitor. Here we report the discovery of linear polarization in the prompt gamma-ray emission from GRB021206, which indicates that it is synchrotron emission from relativistic electrons in a strong magnetic field. The polarization is at the theoretical maximum, which requires a uniform, large-scale magnetic field over the gamma-ray emission region. A large-scale magnetic field constrains possible progenitors to those either having or producing organized fields. We suggest that the large magnetic energy densities in the progenitor environment (comparable to the kinetic energy densities of the fireball), combined with the large-scale structure of the field, indicate that magnetic fields drive the GRB explosion.

Spectra of gamma-ray bursts at high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matz, S.M.

1986-01-01

Between 1980 February and 1983 August the Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) on the Solar Maximum Mission satellite (SMM) observed 71 gamma-ray bursts. These events form a representative subset of the class of classical gamma-ray bursts. Since their discovery more than 15 years ago, hundreds of gamma-ray bursts have been detected; however, most observations have been limited to an energy range of roughly 30 keV-1 MeV. The large sensitive area and spectral range of the GRS allow, for the first time, an investigation of the high energy (>1 MeV) behavior of a substantial number of gamma-ray bursts. It is found that high-energy emission is seen in a large fraction of all events and that the data are consistent with all bursts emitting to at least 5 MeV with no cut-offs. Further, no burst spectrum measured by GRS has a clear high-energy cut-off. The high-energy emission can be a significant part of the total burst energy on the average about 30% of the observed energy above 30 keV is contained in the >1 MeV photons. The fact that the observations are consistent with the presence of high-energy emission in all events implies a limit on the preferential beaming of high-energy photons, from any mechanism. Single-photon pair-production in a strong magnetic field produces such beaming; assuming that the low-energy emission is isotropic, the data imply an upper limit of 1 x 10 12 G on the typical magnetic field at burst radiation sites

Efficient electron heating in relativistic shocks and gamma-ray-burst afterglow.

Science.gov (United States)

Gedalin, M; Balikhin, M A; Eichler, D

2008-02-01

Electrons in shocks are efficiently energized due to the cross-shock potential, which develops because of differential deflection of electrons and ions by the magnetic field in the shock front. The electron energization is necessarily accompanied by scattering and thermalization. The mechanism is efficient in both magnetized and nonmagnetized relativistic electron-ion shocks. It is proposed that the synchrotron emission from the heated electrons in a layer of strongly enhanced magnetic field is responsible for gamma-ray-burst afterglows.

Optical observations of Gamma-Ray Bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hjorth, J.; Pian, E.; Fynbo, J.P.U.

2004-01-01

We briefly review the status and recent progress in the field of optical observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows. We will focus on the fundamental observational evidence for the relationship between gamma-ray bursts and the final evolutionary phases of massive stars. In particular, we will address (i) gamma-ray burst host galaxies, (ii) optically dark gamma-ray burst afterglows, (iii) the gamma-ray burst-supernova connection, and (iv) the relation between X-ray flashes, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae

High-energy gamma-ray emission in compact binaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cerutti, Benoit

2010-01-01

Four gamma-ray sources have been associated with binary systems in our Galaxy: the micro-quasar Cygnus X-3 and the gamma-ray binaries LS I +61 degrees 303, LS 5039 and PSR B1259-63. These systems are composed of a massive companion star and a compact object of unknown nature, except in PSR B1259-63 where there is a young pulsar. I propose a comprehensive theoretical model for the high-energy gamma-ray emission and variability in gamma-ray emitting binaries. In this model, the high-energy radiation is produced by inverse Compton scattering of stellar photons on ultra-relativistic electron-positron pairs injected by a young pulsar in gamma-ray binaries and in a relativistic jet in micro-quasars. Considering anisotropic inverse Compton scattering, pair production and pair cascade emission, the TeV gamma-ray emission is well explained in LS 5039. Nevertheless, this model cannot account for the gamma-ray emission in LS I +61 degrees 303 and PSR B1259-63. Other processes should dominate in these complex systems. In Cygnus X-3, the gamma-ray radiation is convincingly reproduced by Doppler-boosted Compton emission of pairs in a relativistic jet. Gamma-ray binaries and micro-quasars provide a novel environment for the study of pulsar winds and relativistic jets at very small spatial scales. (author)

An Estimation of the Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Apparent Optical Brightness Distribution Function

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Swan, Heather F.

2007-12-01

By using recent publicly available observational data obtained in conjunction with the NASA Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission and a novel data analysis technique, we have been able to make some rough estimates of the GRB afterglow apparent optical brightness distribution function. The results suggest that 71% of all burst afterglows have optical magnitudes with mRa strong indication that the apparent optical magnitude distribution function peaks at mR~19.5. Such estimates may prove useful in guiding future plans to improve GRB counterpart observation programs. The employed numerical techniques might find application in a variety of other data analysis problems in which the intrinsic distributions must be inferred from a heterogeneous sample.

Impulsive and Varying Injection in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows.

Science.gov (United States)

Sari; Mészáros

2000-05-20

The standard model of gamma-ray burst afterglows is based on synchrotron radiation from a blast wave produced when the relativistic ejecta encounters the surrounding medium. We reanalyze the refreshed shock scenario, in which slower material catches up with the decelerating ejecta and reenergizes it. This energization can be done either continuously or in discrete episodes. We show that such a scenario has two important implications. First, there is an additional component coming from the reverse shock that goes into the energizing ejecta. This persists for as long as the reenergization itself, which could extend for up to days or longer. We find that during this time the overall spectral peak is found at the characteristic frequency of the reverse shock. Second, if the injection is continuous, the dynamics will be different from that in constant energy evolution and will cause a slower decline of the observed fluxes. A simple test of the continuously refreshed scenario is that it predicts a spectral maximum in the far-infrared or millimeter range after a few days.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.; Lewis, D.A.

1991-01-01

The Whipple Observatory High Resolution Camera will be used in a vigorous program of observations to search for new sources of very-high-energy gamma rays. In addition, a search for antimatter using the moon-earth system as an ion spectrometer will be begun. The first phase of GRANITE, the new 37-element 11-m camera, will be concluded with first light scheduled for September, 1991. The two cameras will operate in support of the Gamma Ray Observatory mission in the winter of 1991/2

Afterglow Observations Shed New Light on the Nature of X-ray Flashes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Granot, J

2005-02-17

X-ray flashes (XRFs) and X-ray rich gamma-ray bursts (XRGRBs) share many observational characteristics with long duration ({approx}> 2 s) GRBs, but the reason for which the spectral energy distribution of their prompt emission peaks at lower photon energies, E{sub p}, is still a subject of debate. Although many different models have been invoked in order to explain the lower values of E{sub p}, their implications for the afterglow emission were not considered in most cases, mainly because observations of XRF afterglows have become available only recently. Here we examine the predictions of the various XRF models for the afterglow emission, and test them against the observations of XRF 030723 and XRGRB 041006, the events with the best monitored afterglow light curves in their respective class. We show that most existing XRF models are hard to reconcile with the observed afterglow light curves, which are very flat at early times. Such light curves are, however, naturally produced by a roughly uniform jet with relatively sharp edges that is viewed off-axis (i.e. from outside of the jet aperture). This type of model self consistently accommodates both the observed prompt emission and the afterglow light curves of XRGRB 041006 and XRF 030723, implying viewing angles {theta}{sub obs} from the jet axis of ({theta}{sub obs}-{theta}{sub 0}) {approx} 0.15 {theta}{sub 0} and ({theta}{sub obs}-{theta}{sub 0}) {approx} {theta}{sub 0}, respectively, where {theta}{sub 0} {approx} 3{sup o} is the half-opening angle of the jet. This suggests that GRBs, XRGRBs and XRFs are intrinsically similar relativistic jets viewed from different angles. It is then natural to identify GRBs with {gamma}({theta}{sub obs} - {theta}{sub 0}) {approx}< 1, XRGRBs with 1 {approx}< ({theta}{sub obs} - {theta}{sub 0}) {approx}< a few, and XRFs with {gamma}({theta}{sub obs} - {theta}{sub 0}) {approx}> a few, where {gamma} is the Lorentz factor of the outflow near the edge of the jet from which most of the

The afterglow and elliptical host galaxy of the short gamma-ray burst GRB 050724.

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, E; Price, P A; Cenko, S B; Gal-Yam, A; Soderberg, A M; Kasliwal, M; Leonard, D C; Cameron, P B; Frail, D A; Kulkarni, S R; Murphy, D C; Krzeminski, W; Piran, T; Lee, B L; Roth, K C; Moon, D-S; Fox, D B; Harrison, F A; Persson, S E; Schmidt, B P; Penprase, B E; Rich, J; Peterson, B A; Cowie, L L

2005-12-15

Despite a rich phenomenology, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are divided into two classes based on their duration and spectral hardness--the long-soft and the short-hard bursts. The discovery of afterglow emission from long GRBs was a watershed event, pinpointing their origin to star-forming galaxies, and hence the death of massive stars, and indicating an energy release of about 10(51) erg. While theoretical arguments suggest that short GRBs are produced in the coalescence of binary compact objects (neutron stars or black holes), the progenitors, energetics and environments of these events remain elusive despite recent localizations. Here we report the discovery of the first radio afterglow from the short burst GRB 050724, which unambiguously associates it with an elliptical galaxy at a redshift z = 0.257. We show that the burst is powered by the same relativistic fireball mechanism as long GRBs, with the ejecta possibly collimated in jets, but that the total energy release is 10-1,000 times smaller. More importantly, the nature of the host galaxy demonstrates that short GRBs arise from an old (> 1 Gyr) stellar population, strengthening earlier suggestions and providing support for coalescing compact object binaries as the progenitors.

Challenging the Forward Shock Model with the 80 Ms Follow up of the X-ray Afterglow of Gamma-Ray Burst 130427A

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Massimiliano De Pasquale

2017-01-01

Full Text Available GRB 130427A was the most luminous gamma-ray burst detected in the last 30 years. With an isotropic energy output of 8.5 × 10 53 erg and redshift of 0.34, it combined very high energetics with a relative proximity to Earth in an unprecedented way. Sensitive X-ray observatories such as XMM-Newton and Chandra have detected the afterglow of this event for a record-breaking baseline longer than 80 million seconds. The light curve displays a simple power-law over more than three decades in time. In this presentation, we explore the consequences of this result for a few models put forward so far to interpret GRB 130427A, and more in general the implication of this outcome in the context of the standard forward shock model.

Fermi-LAT Observations of the Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 130427A

Science.gov (United States)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Asano, K.; Atwood, W. B.; Axelsson, M.; Baldini, L.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.;

New stage in high-energy gamma-ray studies with GAMMA-400 after Fermi-LAT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Topchiev N.P.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fermi-LAT has made a significant contribution to the study of high-energy gamma-ray diffuse emission and the observations of 3000 discrete sources. However, one third of all gamma-ray sources (both galactic and extragalactic are unidentified, the data on the diffuse gamma-ray emission should be clarified, and signatures of dark matter particles in the high-energy gamma-ray range are not observed up to now. GAMMA-400, the currently developing gamma-ray telescope, will have angular (∼0.01∘ at 100 GeV and energy (∼1% at 100 GeV resolutions in the energy range of 10–1000 GeV which are better than Fermi-LAT (as well as ground gamma-ray telescopes by a factor of 5–10. It will observe some regions of the Universe (such as the Galactic Center, Fermi Bubbles, Crab, Cygnus, etc. in a highly elliptic orbit (without shading the telescope by the Earth continuously for a long time. It will allow us to identify many discrete sources, to clarify the structure of extended sources, to specify the data on the diffuse emission, and to resolve gamma rays from dark matter particles.

Observations of the highest energy gamma-rays from gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dingus, Brenda L.

2001-01-01

EGRET has extended the highest energy observations of gamma-ray bursts to GeV gamma rays. Such high energies imply the fireball that is radiating the gamma-rays has a bulk Lorentz factor of several hundred. However, EGRET only detected a few gamma-ray bursts. GLAST will likely detect several hundred bursts and may extend the maximum energy to a few 100 GeV. Meanwhile new ground based detectors with sensitivity to gamma-ray bursts are beginning operation, and one recently reported evidence for TeV emission from a burst

Temporal Evolution of the Gamma-ray Burst Afterglow Spectrum for an Observer: GeV–TeV Synchrotron Self-Compton Light Curve

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fukushima, Takuma; Fujita, Yutaka [Department of Earth and Space Science, Osaka University, Osaka, 560-0043 (Japan); To, Sho; Asano, Katsuaki, E-mail: fukushima@vega.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: fujita@vega.ess.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp, E-mail: tosho@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: asanok@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)

2017-08-01

We numerically simulate the gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow emission with a one-zone time-dependent code. The temporal evolutions of the decelerating shocked shell and energy distributions of electrons and photons are consistently calculated. The photon spectrum and light curves for an observer are obtained taking into account the relativistic propagation of the shocked shell and the curvature of the emission surface. We find that the onset time of the afterglow is significantly earlier than the previous analytical estimate. The analytical formulae of the shock propagation and light curve for the radiative case are also different from our results. Our results show that even if the emission mechanism is switching from synchrotron to synchrotron self-Compton, the gamma-ray light curves can be a smooth power law, which agrees with the observed light curve and the late detection of a 32 GeV photon in GRB 130427A. The uncertainty of the model parameters obtained with the analytical formula is discussed, especially in connection with the closure relation between spectral index and decay index.

DISCOVERY OF RADIO AFTERGLOW FROM THE MOST DISTANT COSMIC EXPLOSION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandra, Poonam; Frail, Dale A.; Fox, Derek; Kulkarni, Shrinivas; Harrsion, Fiona; Kasliwal, Mansi; Berger, Edo; Cenko, S. Bradley; Bock, Douglas C.-J.

2010-01-01

We report on the discovery of radio afterglow emission from the gamma-ray burst GRB 090423, which exploded at a redshift of 8.3, making it the object with the highest known redshift in the universe. By combining our radio measurements with existing X-ray and infrared observations, we estimate the kinetic energy of the afterglow, the geometry of the outflow, and the density of the circumburst medium. Our best-fit model suggests a quasi-spherical, high-energy explosion in a low, constant-density medium. GRB 090423 had a similar energy release to the other well-studied high redshift GRB 050904 (z = 6.26), but their circumburst densities differ by 2 orders of magnitude. We compare the properties of GRB 090423 with a sample of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at moderate redshifts. We find that the high energy and afterglow properties of GRB 090423 are not sufficiently different from other GRBs to suggest a different kind of progenitor, such as a Population III (Pop III) star. However, we argue that it is not clear that the afterglow properties alone can provide convincing identification of Pop III progenitors. We suggest that the millimeter and centimeter radio detections of GRB 090423 at early times contained emission from the reverse shock. If true, this may have important implications for the detection of high-redshift GRBs by the next generation of radio facilities.

Modeling Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Swift-Fermi era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hascoet, Romain

2012-01-01

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are short flashes (≅ 10 ms-100 s) of gamma-rays (keV-MeV). These very bright and variable events are followed by an afterglow detected from the X-ray to the optical and radio domains, which decays rapidly and vanishes in a few days/weeks. Their extreme luminosity make them detectable up to cosmological distances (at least to a redshift of 9). They are produced by relativistic jets launched by a newborn compact object. The gamma-ray emission is attributed to internal mechanisms occurring within the jet and the afterglow to the deceleration by the circum-burst medium. The Swift satellite launched in 2004 has improved our knowledge of the afterglow (especially the early phase), while the Fermi satellite launched in 2008 has opened a new spectral window at high energy (above 100 MeV). My research work is in line with these recent observational breakthroughs which challenge the 'standard' GRB model that was established in the 90's. I have developed numerical tools that are well adapted to model in a consistent way the different emission phases experienced by the relativistic jet, from the photosphere to the deceleration. Using these tools, I have obtained several results that contribute to a better understanding of GRB physics. Regarding the GRB itself, I developed a new approach to compute precisely the opacity seen by a high-energy photon that propagates within a ultra-relativistic jet. By comparing predictions to Fermi observations, I obtain critical constraints on the physical conditions in the relativistic jet (especially the Lorentz factor). I have also tried to identify observational signatures that could help to discriminate between different emission models: spectral (optical and high energy emission, thermal component) and temporal (transition to the afterglow) signatures. Regarding the afterglow, I have carried on the development of an alternative model - the 'reverse shock' model - recently proposed to explain the phenomenological

THE LATE PEAKING AFTERGLOW OF GRB 100418A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marshall, F. E.; Holland, S. T.; Sakamoto, T.; Antonelli, L. A.; Burrows, D. N.; Siegel, M. H.; Covino, S.; Fugazza, D.; De Pasquale, M.; Oates, S. R.; Evans, P. A.; O'Brien, P. T.; Osborne, J. P.; Pagani, C.; Liang, E. W.; Wu, X. F.; Zhang, B.

2011-01-01

GRB 100418A is a long gamma-ray burst (GRB) at redshift z = 0.6235 discovered with the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer with unusual optical and X-ray light curves. After an initial short-lived, rapid decline in X-rays, the optical and X-ray light curves observed with Swift are approximately flat or rising slightly out to at least ∼7 x 10 3 s after the trigger, peak at ∼5 x 10 4 s, and then follow an approximately power-law decay. Such a long optical plateau and late peaking is rarely seen in GRB afterglows. Observations with Rapid Eye Mount during a gap in the Swift coverage indicate a bright optical flare at ∼2.5 x 10 4 s. The long plateau phase of the afterglow is interpreted using either a model with continuous injection of energy into the forward shock of the burst or a model in which the jet of the burst is viewed off-axis. In both models the isotropic kinetic energy in the late afterglow after the plateau phase is ≥10 2 times the 10 51 erg of the prompt isotropic gamma-ray energy release. The energy injection model is favored because the off-axis jet model would require the intrinsic T 90 for the GRB jet viewed on-axis to be very short, ∼10 ms, and the intrinsic isotropic gamma-ray energy release and the true jet energy to be much higher than the typical values of known short GRBs. The non-detection of a jet break up to t ∼ 2 x 10 6 s indicates a jet half-opening angle of at least ∼14 0 , and a relatively high-collimation-corrected jet energy of E jet ≥ 10 52 erg.

NEW FERMI-LAT EVENT RECONSTRUCTION REVEALS MORE HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA RAYS FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Atwood, W. B. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, Department of Physics and Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Baldini, L. [Universita di Pisa and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bregeon, J.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Sgro, C.; Tinivella, M. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, I-56127 Pisa (Italy); Bruel, P. [Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, Palaiseau (France); Chekhtman, A. [Center for Earth Observing and Space Research, College of Science, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Cohen-Tanugi, J. [Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, Universite Montpellier 2, CNRS/IN2P3, F-34095 Montpellier (France); Drlica-Wagner, A.; Omodei, N.; Rochester, L. S.; Usher, T. L. [W. W. Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory, Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Granot, J. [Department of Natural Sciences, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, P.O. Box 808, Ra' anana 43537 (Israel); Longo, F. [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste, I-34127 Trieste (Italy); Razzaque, S. [Department of Physics, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park 2006 (South Africa); Zimmer, S., E-mail: melissa.pesce.rollins@pi.infn.it, E-mail: nicola.omodei@stanford.edu, E-mail: granot@openu.ac.il [Department of Physics, Stockholm University, AlbaNova, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden)

2013-09-01

Based on the experience gained during the four and a half years of the mission, the Fermi-LAT Collaboration has undertaken a comprehensive revision of the event-level analysis going under the name of Pass 8. Although it is not yet finalized, we can test the improvements in the new event reconstruction with the special case of the prompt phase of bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), where the signal-to-noise ratio is large enough that loose selection cuts are sufficient to identify gamma rays associated with the source. Using the new event reconstruction, we have re-analyzed 10 GRBs previously detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) for which an X-ray/optical follow-up was possible and found four new gamma rays with energies greater than 10 GeV in addition to the seven previously known. Among these four is a 27.4 GeV gamma ray from GRB 080916C, which has a redshift of 4.35, thus making it the gamma ray with the highest intrinsic energy ({approx}147 GeV) detected from a GRB. We present here the salient aspects of the new event reconstruction and discuss the scientific implications of these new high-energy gamma rays, such as constraining extragalactic background light models, Lorentz invariance violation tests, the prompt emission mechanism, and the bulk Lorentz factor of the emitting region.

MODELING EXTRAGALACTIC EXTINCTION THROUGH GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zonca, Alberto; Mulas, Giacomo; Casu, Silvia; Aresu, Giambattista [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Cagliari, Via della Scienza 5, I-09047 Selargius (Italy); Cecchi-Pestellini, Cesare, E-mail: azonca@oa-cagliari.inaf.it, E-mail: gmulas@oa-cagliari.inaf.it, E-mail: silvia@oa-cagliari.inaf.it, E-mail: garesu@oa-cagliari.inaf.it, E-mail: cecchi-pestellini@astropa.inaf.it [INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, P.za Parlamento 1, I-90134 Palermo (Italy)

2016-09-20

We analyze extragalactic extinction profiles derived through gamma-ray burst afterglows, using a dust model specifically constructed on the assumption that dust grains are not immutable but respond, time-dependently, to the local physics. Such a model includes core-mantle spherical particles of mixed chemical composition (silicate core, sp{sup 2}, and sp{sup 3} carbonaceous layers), and an additional molecular component in the form of free-flying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We fit most of the observed extinction profiles. Failures occur for lines of sight, presenting remarkable rises blueward of the bump. We find a tendency for the carbon chemical structure to become more aliphatic with the galactic activity, and to some extent with increasing redshifts. Moreover, the contribution of the molecular component to the total extinction is more important in younger objects. The results of the fitting procedure (either successes and failures) may be naturally interpreted through an evolutionary prescription based on the carbon cycle in the interstellar medium of galaxies.

High-energy gamma-ray beams from Compton-backscattered laser light

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandorfi, A.M.; LeVine, M.J.; Thorn, C.E.; Giordano, G.; Matone, G.

1983-01-01

Collisions of light photons with relativistic electrons have previously been used to produce polarized ..gamma..-ray beams with modest (-10%) resolution but relatively low intensity. In contrast, the LEGS project (Laser + Electron Gamma Source) at Brookhaven will produce a very high flux (>2 x 10/sup 7/ s/sup -1/) of background-free polarized ..gamma.. rays whose energy will be determined to a high accuracy (..delta..E = 2.3 MeV). Initially, 300(420)-MeV ..gamma.. rays will be produced by backscattering uv light from the new 2.5(3.0)-GeV X-ray storage ring of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The LEGS facility will operate as one of many passive users of the NSLS. In a later stage of the project, a Free Electron Laser is expectred to extend the ..gamma..-ray energy up to 700 MeV.

The hidden X-ray breaks in afterglow light curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curran, P. A.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Horst, A. J. van der; Starling, R. L. C.

2008-01-01

Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglow observations in the Swift era have a perceived lack of achromatic jet breaks compared to the BeppoSAX, or pre-Swift era. Specifically, relatively few breaks, consistent with jet breaks, are observed in the X-ray light curves of these bursts. If these breaks are truly missing, it has serious consequences for the interpretation of GRB jet collimation and energy requirements, and the use of GRBs as standard candles.Here we address the issue of X-ray breaks which are possibly 'hidden' and hence the light curves are misinterpreted as being single power-laws. We show how a number of precedents, including GRB 990510 and GRB 060206, exist for such hidden breaks and how, even with the well sampled light curves of the Swift era, these breaks may be left misidentified. We do so by synthesising X-ray light curves and finding general trends via Monte Carlo analysis. Furthermore, in light of these simulations, we discuss how to best identify achromatic breaks in afterglow light curves via multi-wavelength analysis

Determination of Cosmological Parameters from GRB Correlation between E_iso (gamma) and Afterglow Flux

Science.gov (United States)

Hannachi, Zitouni; Guessoum, Nidhal; Azzam, Walid

2016-07-01

Context: We use the correlation relations between the energy emitted by the GRBs in their prompt phases and the X-ray afterglow fluxes, in an effort to constrain cosmological parameters and construct a Hubble diagram at high redshifts, i.e. beyond those found in Type Ia supernovae. Methods: We use a sample of 128 Swift GRBs, which we have selected among more than 800 ones observed until July 2015. The selection is based on a few observational constraints: GRB flux higher than 0.4 photons/cm^2/s in the band 15-150 keV; spectrum fitted with simple power law; redshift accurately known and given; and X-ray afterglow observed and flux measured. The statistical method of maximum likelihood is then used to determine the best cosmological parameters (Ω_M, Ω_L) that give the best correlation between the isotropic gamma energies E_{iso} and the afterglow fluxes at the break time t_{b}. The χ^2 statistical test is also used as a way to compare results from two methods. Results & Conclusions: Although the number of GRBs with high redshifts is rather small, and despite the notable dispersion found in the data, the results we have obtained are quite encouraging and promising. The values of the cosmological parameters obtained here are close to those currently used.

Characterization of Compton-suppressed TIGRESS detectors for high energy gamma-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, R.; Andreoiu, C.; Cross, D.S.; Galinski, N.; Ball, G.C.; Djongolov, M.; Garnsworthy, A.B.; Hackman, G.; Orce, J.N.; Pearson, C.; Triambak, S.; Williams, S.J.; Drake, T.; Smalley, D.; Svensson, C.E.

2009-01-01

The TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape- Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS) will consist of 12 large-volume, 32-fold segmented HPGe clover detectors. Each detector is shielded by a 20-fold segmented Compton suppression shield. For performing discrete gamma-ray spectroscopy of light mass nuclei with TIGRESS, we need information about full energy peak efficiency, resolution and lineshape of full energy peaks for high energy gamma-rays. However, suitable radioactive sources having decay gamma-rays of energies greater than ∼ 3.5 MeV are not easily available. So the characteristics of gamma spectrometers at energies higher than 3.5 MeV are usually determined from simulation data. Predictions from GEANT4 simulations (experimentally validated from 0.3 to 3 MeV) indicate that TIGRESS will be capable for single 10 MeV gamma-rays of absolute detection efficiency of 1.5% for backward configuration of the array. It has been observed experimentally that simulation results work well up to certain energies and might deviate at higher energies. So, it is essential to check the validity of simulation results for energies above 3.3 MeV. We have investigated the high energy performance of seven TIGRESS detectors up to 8 MeV

Very high energy gamma ray astronomy from Hanle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chitnis, Varsha R.

2015-01-01

Over a past decade very high energy (VHE) gamma ray astronomy has emerged as a major astronomical discipline. In India, we have a long tradition of experiments in this field. Few years ago, multi-institutional Himalayan Gamma Ray Observatory (HiGRO) collaboration was formed to set up VHE gamma rays experiments at Hanle, a high altitude location in Himalayas. HAGAR, the first phase of this collaboration is operational since 2008. HAGAR has successfully detected VHE gamma ray emission from some of the extragalactic objects like Mrk 421, Mrk 501 as well as galactic sources including Crab nebula/pulsar. Details of HAGAR telescope system and results obtained will be discussed. HiGRO is now gearing up for the next phase, i.e. 21 m diameter MACE telescope, which is being installed at Hanle at present. Details of MACE telescope system and future plans will be discussed. (author)

High energy neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts with precursor supernovae.

Science.gov (United States)

Razzaque, Soebur; Mészáros, Peter; Waxman, Eli

2003-06-20

The high energy neutrino signature from proton-proton and photo-meson interactions in a supernova remnant shell ejected prior to a gamma-ray burst provides a test for the precursor supernova, or supranova, model of gamma-ray bursts. Protons in the supernova remnant shell and photons entrapped from a supernova explosion or a pulsar wind from a fast-rotating neutron star remnant provide ample targets for protons escaping the internal shocks of the gamma-ray burst to interact and produce high energy neutrinos. We calculate the expected neutrino fluxes, which can be detected by current and future experiments.

'Jet breaks' and 'missing breaks' in the X-Ray afterglow of Gamma Ray Bursts

CERN Document Server

Dado, Shlomo; De Rújula, Alvaro

2008-01-01

The X-ray afterglows (AGs) of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and X-Ray Flashes (XRFs) have, after the fast decline phase of their prompt emission, a temporal behaviour varying between two extremes. A large fraction of these AGs has a 'canonical' light curve which, after an initial shallow-decay 'plateau' phase, 'breaks smoothly' into a fast power-law decline. Very energetic GRBs, contrariwise, appear not to have a 'break', their AG declines like a power-law from the start of the observations. Breaks and 'missing breaks' are intimately related to the geometry and deceleration of the jets responsible for GRBs. In the frame of the 'cannonball' (CB) model of GRBs and XRFs, we analyze the cited extreme behaviours (canonical and pure power-law) and intermediate cases spanning the observed range of X-ray AG shapes. We show that the entire panoply of X-ray light-curve shapes --measured with Swift and other satellites-- are as anticipated, on very limpid grounds, by the CB model. We test the expected correlations between the...

Are gamma-ray bursts the sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baerwald, Philipp

2014-07-01

We reconsider the possibility that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the sources of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) within the internal shock model, assuming a pure proton composition of the UHECRs. For the first time, we combine the information from gamma-rays, cosmic rays, prompt neutrinos, and cosmogenic neutrinos quantitatively in a joint cosmic ray production and propagation model, and we show that the information on the cosmic energy budget can be obtained as a consequence. In addition to the neutron model, we consider alternative scenarios for the cosmic ray escape from the GRBs, i.e., that cosmic rays can leak from the sources. We find that the dip model, which describes the ankle in UHECR observations by the pair production dip, is strongly disfavored in combination with the internal shock model because (a) unrealistically high baryonic loadings (energy in protons versus energy in electrons/gamma-rays) are needed for the individual GRBs and (b) the prompt neutrino flux easily overshoots the corresponding neutrino bound. On the other hand, GRBs may account for the UHECRs in the ankle transition model if cosmic rays leak out from the source at the highest energies. In that case, we demonstrate that future neutrino observations can efficiently test most of the parameter space - unless the baryonic loading is much larger than previously anticipated.

HELIUM IN NATAL H II REGIONS: THE ORIGIN OF THE X-RAY ABSORPTION IN GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, Darach; Andersen, Anja C.; Fynbo, Johan P. U.; Hjorth, Jens; Krühler, Thomas; Laursen, Peter; Leloudas, Giorgos; Malesani, Daniele; Zafar, Tayyaba; Gorosabel, Javier; Jakobsson, Páll

2013-01-01

Soft X-ray absorption in excess of Galactic is observed in the afterglows of most gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), but the correct solution to its origin has not been arrived at after more than a decade of work, preventing its use as a powerful diagnostic tool. We resolve this long-standing problem and find that absorption by He in the GRB's host H II region is responsible for most of the absorption. We show that the X-ray absorbing column density (N H X ) is correlated with both the neutral gas column density and with the optical afterglow's dust extinction (A V ). This correlation explains the connection between dark bursts and bursts with high N H X values. From these correlations, we exclude an origin of the X-ray absorption which is not related to the host galaxy, i.e., the intergalactic medium or intervening absorbers are not responsible. We find that the correlation with the dust column has a strong redshift evolution, whereas the correlation with the neutral gas does not. From this, we conclude that the column density of the X-ray absorption is correlated with the total gas column density in the host galaxy rather than the metal column density, in spite of the fact that X-ray absorption is typically dominated by metals. The strong redshift evolution of N H X /A V is thus a reflection of the cosmic metallicity evolution of star-forming galaxies and we find it to be consistent with measurements of the redshift evolution of metallicities for GRB host galaxies. We conclude that the absorption of X-rays in GRB afterglows is caused by He in the H II region hosting the GRB. While dust is destroyed and metals are stripped of all of their electrons by the GRB to great distances, the abundance of He saturates the He-ionizing UV continuum much closer to the GRB, allowing it to remain in the neutral or singly-ionized state. Helium X-ray absorption explains the correlation with total gas, the lack of strong evolution with redshift, as well as the absence of dust, metal or

Early optical emission from the gamma-ray burst of 4 October 2002.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, D W; Yost, S; Kulkarni, S R; Torii, K; Kato, T; Yamaoka, H; Sako, M; Harrison, F A; Sari, R; Price, P A; Berger, E; Soderberg, A M; Djorgovski, S G; Barth, A J; Pravdo, S H; Frail, D A; Gal-Yam, A; Lipkin, Y; Mauch, T; Harrison, C; Buttery, H

2003-03-20

Observations of the long-lived emission--or 'afterglow'--of long-duration gamma-ray bursts place them at cosmological distances, but the origin of these energetic explosions remains a mystery. Observations of optical emission contemporaneous with the burst of gamma-rays should provide insight into the details of the explosion, as well as into the structure of the surrounding environment. One bright optical flash was detected during a burst, but other efforts have produced negative results. Here we report the discovery of the optical counterpart of GRB021004 only 193 seconds after the event. The initial decline is unexpectedly slow and requires varying energy content in the gamma-ray burst blastwave over the course of the first hour. Further analysis of the X-ray and optical afterglow suggests additional energy variations over the first few days.

High energy photons and neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dar, A.

1998-01-01

The Hubble space telescope has recently discovered thousands of gigantic comet-like objects in a ring around the central star in the nearest planetary nebula. It is suggested that such circumstellar rings exist around most of stars. Collisions of the relativistic debris from gamma ray bursts in dense stellar regions with such gigantic comet-like objects, which have been stripped off from the circumstellar rings by gravitational perturbations, produce detectable fluxes of high energy gamma-rays and neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

Gamma-ray burst observations with new generation imaging atmospheric Cerenkov Telescopes in the FERMI era

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Covino, S.; Campana, S.; Garczarczyk, M.; Galante, N.; Gaug, M.; Antonelli, A.; Bastieri, D.; Longo, F.; Scapin, V.

2009-01-01

After the launch and successful beginning of operations of the FERMI satellite, the topics related to high-energy observations of gamma-ray bursts have obtained a considerable attention by the scientific community. Undoubtedly, the diagnostic power of high-energy observations in constraining the emission processes and the physical conditions of gamma-ray burst is relevant. We briefly discuss how gamma-ray burst observations with ground-based imaging array Cerenkov telescopes, in the GeV-TeV range, can compete and cooperate with FERMI observations, in the MeV-GeV range, to allow researchers to obtain a more detailed and complete picture of the prompt and afterglow phases of gamma-ray bursts.

Properties of a large NaI(Tl) spectrometer for the energy measurement of high-energy gamma rays on the Gamma Ray Observatory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, E.B.; Finman, L.C.; Hofstadter, R.; Lepetich, J.E.; Lin, Y.C.; Mattox, J.R.; Nolan, P.L.; Parks, R.; Walker, A.H.

1986-01-01

A large NaI(T1) spectrometer is expected to play a crucial role in the measurement of the energy spectra from an all-sky survey of high-energy celestial gamma rays on the Gamma Ray Observatory. The crystal size and requirements of space flight have resulted in a novel crystal-packaging and optics combination. The structure of this spectrometer and the operating characteristics determined in a test program using high energy positrons are described

High energy astrophysics with ground-based gamma ray detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharonian, F; Buckley, J; Kifune, T; Sinnis, G

2008-01-01

Recent advances in ground-based gamma ray astronomy have led to the discovery of more than 70 sources of very high energy (E γ ≥ 100 GeV) gamma rays, falling into a number of source populations including pulsar wind nebulae, shell type supernova remnants, Wolf-Rayet stars, giant molecular clouds, binary systems, the Galactic Center, active galactic nuclei and 'dark' (yet unidentified) galactic objects. We summarize the history of TeV gamma ray astronomy up to the current status of the field including a description of experimental techniques and highlight recent astrophysical results. We also discuss the potential of ground-based gamma ray astronomy for future discoveries and describe possible directions for future instrumental developments

ICF ignition capsule neutron, gamma ray, and high energy x-ray images

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, P. A.; Wilson, D. C.; Swenson, F. J.; Morgan, G. L.

2003-03-01

Post-processed total neutron, RIF neutron, gamma-ray, and x-ray images from 2D LASNEX calculations of burning ignition capsules are presented. The capsules have yields ranging from tens of kilojoules (failures) to over 16 MJ (ignition), and their implosion symmetry ranges from prolate (flattest at the hohlraum equator) to oblate (flattest towards the laser entrance hole). The simulated total neutron images emphasize regions of high DT density and temperature; the reaction-in-flight neutrons emphasize regions of high DT density; the gamma rays emphasize regions of high shell density; and the high energy x rays (>10 keV) emphasize regions of high temperature.

Observations of short gamma-ray bursts.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Derek B; Roming, Peter W A

2007-05-15

We review recent observations of short-hard gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows. The launch and successful ongoing operations of the Swift satellite, along with several localizations from the High-Energy Transient Explorer mission, have provoked a revolution in short-burst studies: first, by quickly providing high-quality positions to observers; and second, via rapid and sustained observations from the Swift satellite itself. We make a complete accounting of Swift-era short-burst localizations and proposed host galaxies, and discuss the implications of these observations for the distances, energetics and environments of short bursts, and the nature of their progenitors. We then review the physical modelling of short-burst afterglows: while the simplest afterglow models are inadequate to explain the observations, there have been several notable successes. Finally, we address the case of an unusual burst that threatens to upset the simple picture in which long bursts are due to the deaths of massive stars, and short bursts to compact-object merger events.

Portable high energy gamma ray imagers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guru, S.V.; Squillante, M.R.

1996-01-01

To satisfy the needs of high energy gamma ray imagers for industrial nuclear imaging applications, three high energy gamma cameras are presented. The RMD-Pinhole camera uses a lead pinhole collimator and a segmented BGO detector viewed by a 3 in. square position sensitive photomultiplier tube (PSPMT). This pinhole gamma camera displayed an energy resolution of 25.0% FWHM at the center of the camera at 662 keV and an angular resolution of 6.2 FWHM at 412 keV. The fixed multiple hole collimated camera (FMCC), used a multiple hole collimator and a continuous slab of NaI(Tl) detector viewed by the same PSPMT. The FMCC displayed an energy resolution of 12.4% FWHM at 662 keV at the center of the camera and an angular resolution of 6.0 FWHM at 412 keV. The rotating multiple hole collimated camera (RMCC) used a 180 antisymmetric rotation modulation collimator and CsI(Tl) detectors coupled to PIN silicon photodiodes. The RMCC displayed an energy resolution of 7.1% FWHM at 662 keV and an angular resolution of 4.0 FWHM at 810 keV. The performance of these imagers is discussed in this paper. (orig.)

What did we learn from gamma-ray burst 080319B?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panaitescu, Alin; Kumar, Pawan

2008-01-01

The optical and gamma-ray observations of GRB 080319B allow us to provide a broad-brush picture for this remarkable burst. The data indicate that the prompt optical and gamma-ray photons were possibly produced at the same location but by different radiation processes: synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton, respectively (but we note that this interpretation of the gamma-ray data faces some difficulties). We find that the burst prompt optical emission was produced at a distance of 10 16.3 cm by an ultrarelativistic source moving at Lorentz factor of -500. A straightforward inference is that about 10 times more energy must have been radiated at tens of GeV than that released at 1 MeV. Assuming that the GRB outflow was baryonic and the gamma-ray source was shock-heated plasma, the collimation-corrected kinetic energy of the jet powering GRB 080319B was larger than 10 52.3 erg. The decay of the early afterglow optical emission (up to 1 ks) is too fast to be attributed to the reverse-shock crossing the GRB ejecta but is consistent with the expectations for the 'large-angle' emission released during the burst. The pure power-law decay of the optical afterglow flux from 1 ks to 10 d is most naturally identified with the (synchrotron) emission from the shock propagating into a wind-like medium. However, the X-ray afterglow requires a departure from the standard blast-wave model.

Identifying high-redshift gamma-ray bursts with RATIR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Littlejohns, O. M.; Butler, N. R. [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, AZ 85287 (United States); Cucchiara, A. [Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Watson, A. M.; Lee, W. H.; Richer, M. G.; De Diego, J. A.; Georgiev, L.; González, J.; Román-Zúñiga, C. G. [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-264, 04510 México, D. F. (Mexico); Kutyrev, A. S.; Troja, E.; Gehrels, N.; Moseley, H. [NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Klein, C. R.; Fox, O. D.; Bloom, J. S. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7450 (United States); Prochaska, J. X.; Ramirez-Ruiz, E. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States)

2014-07-01

We present a template-fitting algorithm for determining photometric redshifts, z {sub phot}, of candidate high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Using afterglow photometry, obtained by the Reionization and Transients InfraRed (RATIR) camera, this algorithm accounts for the intrinsic GRB afterglow spectral energy distribution, host dust extinction, and the effect of neutral hydrogen (local and cosmological) along the line of sight. We present the results obtained by this algorithm and the RATIR photometry of GRB 130606A, finding a range of best-fit solutions, 5.6 < z {sub phot} < 6.0, for models of several host dust extinction laws (none, the Milky Way, Large Magellanic Clouds, and Small Magellanic Clouds), consistent with spectroscopic measurements of the redshift of this GRB. Using simulated RATIR photometry, we find that our algorithm provides precise measures of z {sub phot} in the ranges of 4 < z {sub phot} ≲ 8 and 9 < z {sub phot} < 10 and can robustly determine when z {sub phot} > 4. Further testing highlights the required caution in cases of highly dust-extincted host galaxies. These tests also show that our algorithm does not erroneously find z {sub phot} < 4 when z {sub sim} > 4, thereby minimizing false negatives and allowing us to rapidly identify all potential high-redshift events.

Identifying high-redshift gamma-ray bursts with RATIR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Littlejohns, O. M.; Butler, N. R.; Cucchiara, A.; Watson, A. M.; Lee, W. H.; Richer, M. G.; De Diego, J. A.; Georgiev, L.; González, J.; Román-Zúñiga, C. G.; Kutyrev, A. S.; Troja, E.; Gehrels, N.; Moseley, H.; Klein, C. R.; Fox, O. D.; Bloom, J. S.; Prochaska, J. X.; Ramirez-Ruiz, E.

2014-01-01

We present a template-fitting algorithm for determining photometric redshifts, z phot , of candidate high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Using afterglow photometry, obtained by the Reionization and Transients InfraRed (RATIR) camera, this algorithm accounts for the intrinsic GRB afterglow spectral energy distribution, host dust extinction, and the effect of neutral hydrogen (local and cosmological) along the line of sight. We present the results obtained by this algorithm and the RATIR photometry of GRB 130606A, finding a range of best-fit solutions, 5.6 < z phot < 6.0, for models of several host dust extinction laws (none, the Milky Way, Large Magellanic Clouds, and Small Magellanic Clouds), consistent with spectroscopic measurements of the redshift of this GRB. Using simulated RATIR photometry, we find that our algorithm provides precise measures of z phot in the ranges of 4 < z phot ≲ 8 and 9 < z phot < 10 and can robustly determine when z phot > 4. Further testing highlights the required caution in cases of highly dust-extincted host galaxies. These tests also show that our algorithm does not erroneously find z phot < 4 when z sim > 4, thereby minimizing false negatives and allowing us to rapidly identify all potential high-redshift events.

Characteristics of the telescope for high energy gamma-ray astronomy selected for definition studies on the Gamma Ray Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, E. B.; Hofstadter, R.; Rolfe, J.; Johansson, A.; Bertsch, D. L.; Cruickshank, W. J.; Ehrmann, C. H.; Fichtel, C. E.; Hartman, R. C.; Kniffen, D. A.

1980-01-01

The high energy gamma-ray telescope selected for definition studies on the Gamma Ray Observatory provides a substantial improvement in observational capability over earlier instruments. It will have about 20 times more sensitivity, cover a much broader energy range, have considerably better energy resolution and provide a significantly improved angular resolution. The design and performance are described.

Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows with ALMA

Science.gov (United States)

Urata, Y.; Huang, K.; Takahashi, S.

2015-12-01

We present multi-wavelength observations including sub-millimeter follow-ups for two GRB afterglows. The rapid SMA and multi-wavelength observations for GRB120326A revealed their complex emissions as the synchrotron self-inverse Compton radiation from reverse shock. The observations including ALMA for GRB131030A also showed the significant X-ray excess from the standard forward shock synchrotron model. Based on these results, we also discuss further observations for (A) constraining of the mass of progenitor with polarization, (B) the first confirmation of GRB jet collimation, and (C) revealing the origin of optically dark GRBs.

DISCOVERY OF A TRANSIENT GAMMA-RAY COUNTERPART TO FRB 131104

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeLaunay, J. J.; Murase, K.; Mészáros, P.; Keivani, A.; Messick, C.; Mostafá, M. A.; Oikonomou, F.; Tešić, G.; Turley, C. F.; Fox, D. B.

2016-01-01

We report our discovery in Swift satellite data of a transient gamma-ray counterpart (3.2 σ confidence) to the fast radio burst (FRB) FRB 131104, the first such counterpart to any FRB. The transient has a duration T _9_0 ≳ 100 s and a fluence S_γ ≈ 4 × 10"−"6 erg cm"−"2, increasing the energy budget for this event by more than a billion times; at the nominal z ≈ 0.55 redshift implied by its dispersion measure, the burst’s gamma-ray energy output is E_γ ≈ 5 × 10"5"1 erg. The observed radio to gamma-ray fluence ratio for FRB 131104 is consistent with a lower limit we derive from Swift observations of another FRB, which is not detected in gamma-rays, and with an upper limit previously derived for the brightest gamma-ray flare from SGR 1806−20, which was not detected in the radio. X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations beginning two days after the FRB do not reveal any associated afterglow, supernova, or transient; Swift observations exclude association with the brightest 65% of Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) X-ray afterglows, while leaving the possibility of an associated supernova at much more than 10% the FRB’s nominal distance, D ≳ 320 Mpc, largely unconstrained. Transient high-luminosity gamma-ray emission arises most naturally in a relativistic outflow or shock breakout, such as, for example, from magnetar flares, GRBs, relativistic supernovae, and some types of galactic nuclear activity. Our discovery thus bolsters the case for an extragalactic origin for some FRBs and suggests that future rapid-response observations might identify long-lived counterparts, resolving the nature of these mysterious phenomena and realizing their promise as probes of cosmology and fundamental physics.

DISCOVERY OF A TRANSIENT GAMMA-RAY COUNTERPART TO FRB 131104

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

DeLaunay, J. J.; Murase, K.; Mészáros, P.; Keivani, A.; Messick, C.; Mostafá, M. A.; Oikonomou, F.; Tešić, G.; Turley, C. F. [Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Fox, D. B., E-mail: jjd330@psu.edu [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)

2016-11-20

We report our discovery in Swift satellite data of a transient gamma-ray counterpart (3.2 σ confidence) to the fast radio burst (FRB) FRB 131104, the first such counterpart to any FRB. The transient has a duration T {sub 90} ≳ 100 s and a fluence S{sub γ} ≈ 4 × 10{sup −6} erg cm{sup −2}, increasing the energy budget for this event by more than a billion times; at the nominal z ≈ 0.55 redshift implied by its dispersion measure, the burst’s gamma-ray energy output is E{sub γ} ≈ 5 × 10{sup 51} erg. The observed radio to gamma-ray fluence ratio for FRB 131104 is consistent with a lower limit we derive from Swift observations of another FRB, which is not detected in gamma-rays, and with an upper limit previously derived for the brightest gamma-ray flare from SGR 1806−20, which was not detected in the radio. X-ray, ultraviolet, and optical observations beginning two days after the FRB do not reveal any associated afterglow, supernova, or transient; Swift observations exclude association with the brightest 65% of Swift gamma-ray burst (GRB) X-ray afterglows, while leaving the possibility of an associated supernova at much more than 10% the FRB’s nominal distance, D ≳ 320 Mpc, largely unconstrained. Transient high-luminosity gamma-ray emission arises most naturally in a relativistic outflow or shock breakout, such as, for example, from magnetar flares, GRBs, relativistic supernovae, and some types of galactic nuclear activity. Our discovery thus bolsters the case for an extragalactic origin for some FRBs and suggests that future rapid-response observations might identify long-lived counterparts, resolving the nature of these mysterious phenomena and realizing their promise as probes of cosmology and fundamental physics.

About cosmic gamma ray lines

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Roland

2017-06-01

Gamma ray lines from cosmic sources convey the action of nuclear reactions in cosmic sites and their impacts on astrophysical objects. Gamma rays at characteristic energies result from nuclear transitions following radioactive decays or high-energy collisions with excitation of nuclei. The gamma-ray line from the annihilation of positrons at 511 keV falls into the same energy window, although of different origin. We present here the concepts of cosmic gamma ray spectrometry and the corresponding instruments and missions, followed by a discussion of recent results and the challenges and open issues for the future. Among the lessons learned are the diffuse radioactive afterglow of massive-star nucleosynthesis in 26Al and 60Fe gamma rays, which is now being exploited towards the cycle of matter driven by massive stars and their supernovae; large interstellar cavities and superbubbles have been recognised to be of key importance here. Also, constraints on the complex processes making stars explode as either thermonuclear or core-collapse supernovae are being illuminated by gamma-ray lines, in this case from shortlived radioactivities from 56Ni and 44Ti decays. In particular, the three-dimensionality and asphericities that have recently been recognised as important are enlightened in different ways through such gamma-ray line spectroscopy. Finally, the distribution of positron annihilation gamma ray emission with its puzzling bulge-dominated intensity disctribution is measured through spatially-resolved spectra, which indicate that annihilation conditions may differ in different parts of our Galaxy. But it is now understood that a variety of sources may feed positrons into the interstellar medium, and their characteristics largely get lost during slowing down and propagation of positrons before annihilation; a recent microquasar flare was caught as an opportunity to see positrons annihilate at a source.

Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: how transparent is the universe?

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, J; Aliu, E; Anderhub, H; Antonelli, L A; Antoranz, P; Backes, M; Baixeras, C; Barrio, J A; Bartko, H; Bastieri, D; Becker, J K; Bednarek, W; Berger, K; Bernardini, E; Bigongiari, C; Biland, A; Bock, R K; Bonnoli, G; Bordas, P; Bosch-Ramon, V; Bretz, T; Britvitch, I; Camara, M; Carmona, E; Chilingarian, A; Commichau, S; Contreras, J L; Cortina, J; Costado, M T; Covino, S; Curtef, V; Dazzi, F; De Angelis, A; De Cea Del Pozo, E; de Los Reyes, R; De Lotto, B; De Maria, M; De Sabata, F; Mendez, C Delgado; Dominguez, A; Dorner, D; Doro, M; Errando, M; Fagiolini, M; Ferenc, D; Fernández, E; Firpo, R; Fonseca, M V; Font, L; Galante, N; López, R J García; Garczarczyk, M; Gaug, M; Goebel, F; Hayashida, M; Herrero, A; Höhne, D; Hose, J; Hsu, C C; Huber, S; Jogler, T; Kneiske, T M; Kranich, D; La Barbera, A; Laille, A; Leonardo, E; Lindfors, E; Lombardi, S; Longo, F; López, M; Lorenz, E; Majumdar, P; Maneva, G; Mankuzhiyil, N; Mannheim, K; Maraschi, L; Mariotti, M; Martínez, M; Mazin, D; Meucci, M; Meyer, M; Miranda, J M; Mirzoyan, R; Mizobuchi, S; Moles, M; Moralejo, A; Nieto, D; Nilsson, K; Ninkovic, J; Otte, N; Oya, I; Panniello, M; Paoletti, R; Paredes, J M; Pasanen, M; Pascoli, D; Pauss, F; Pegna, R G; Perez-Torres, M A; Persic, M; Peruzzo, L; Piccioli, A; Prada, F; Prandini, E; Puchades, N; Raymers, A; Rhode, W; Ribó, M; Rico, J; Rissi, M; Robert, A; Rügamer, S; Saggion, A; Saito, T Y; Salvati, M; Sanchez-Conde, M; Sartori, P; Satalecka, K; Scalzotto, V; Scapin, V; Schmitt, R; Schweizer, T; Shayduk, M; Shinozaki, K; Shore, S N; Sidro, N; Sierpowska-Bartosik, A; Sillanpää, A; Sobczynska, D; Spanier, F; Stamerra, A; Stark, L S; Takalo, L; Tavecchio, F; Temnikov, P; Tescaro, D; Teshima, M; Tluczykont, M; Torres, D F; Turini, N; Vankov, H; Venturini, A; Vitale, V; Wagner, R M; Wittek, W; Zabalza, V; Zandanel, F; Zanin, R; Zapatero, J

2008-06-27

The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.

Gamma-Ray Bursts: 4th Huntsville Symposium. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meegan, C.A.; Preece, R.D.; Koshut, T.M.

1998-01-01

These proceedings represent papers presented at the Fourth Huntsville Gamma-Ray Bursts Symposium held in September, 1997 in Huntsville, Alabama, USA. This conference occurred at a crucial time in the history of the gamma-ray burst research. In early 1997, 30 years after the detection of the first gamma-ray burst by the Vela satellites, counterparts to bursts were finally detected at optical and radio wavelengths. The symposium attracted about 200 scientists from 16 countries. Some of the topics discussed include gamma-ray burst spectra, x-ray observations, optical observations, radio observations, host galaxies, shocks and afterglows and models of gamma-ray bursts. There were 183 papers presented, out of these, 16 have been abstracted for the Energy Science and Technology database

Evaluation of scintillator afterglow for use in a combined optical and PET imaging tomograph

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douraghy, Ali [Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, A136, 700 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770 (United States)]. E-mail: adouraghy@mednet.ucla.edu; Prout, David L. [Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, A136, 700 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770 (United States); Silverman, Robert W. [Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, A136, 700 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770 (United States); Chatziioannou, Arion F. [Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, UCLA School of Medicine, A136, 700 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1770 (United States)

2006-12-20

The design of a dual modality imaging system for small animal optical and positron emission tomography imaging (OPET) is underway. Its detector must be capable of imaging high energy {gamma}-rays from PET while also resolving optical wavelength photons from bioluminescence. GSO, high purity GSO, BGO, LSO, LYSO, and LaBr scintillators were investigated for their use in the OPET detector. Of specific interest were scintillators with low afterglow, since afterglow photons in the decay of the larger {gamma}-ray events are indistinguishable from the photons generated by bioluminescence. Samples from these crystals were coupled to a photomultiplier tube (PMT) and produced scintillation light from {gamma}-ray events originating from a positron source. The PMT output was directed to a special signal processing circuit that allowed measurement of single photons at different times in the decay of the scintillation. GSO and BGO exhibited optimal performance for use in the OPET system due to their low afterglow. LSO, LYSO, and LaBr were determined unsuitable for use with the current OPET design due to their significant afterglow components. The effect of the afterglow of GSO on the detection of the bioluminescence signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was evaluated for the OPET system.

Gamma-ray Burst X-ray Flares Light Curve Fitting

Science.gov (United States)

Aubain, Jonisha

2018-01-01

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous explosions in the Universe. These electromagnetic explosions produce jets demonstrated by a short burst of prompt gamma-ray emission followed by a broadband afterglow. There are sharp increases of flux in the X-ray light curves known as flares that occurs in about 50% of the afterglows. In this study, we characterized all of the X-ray afterglows that were detected by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT), whether with flares or without. We fit flares to the Norris function (Norris et al. 2005) and power laws with breaks where necessary (Racusin et al. 2009). After fitting the Norris function and power laws, we search for the residual pattern detected in prompt GRB pulses (Hakkila et al. 2014, 2015, 2017), that may indicate a common signature of shock physics. If we find the same signature in flares and prompt pulses, it provides insight into what causes them, as well as, how these flares are produced.

TGF Afterglows: A New Radiation Mechanism From Thunderstorms

Science.gov (United States)

Rutjes, C.; Diniz, G.; Ferreira, I. S.; Ebert, U.

2017-10-01

Thunderstorms are known to create terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGFs) which are microsecond-long bursts created by runaway of thermal electrons from propagating lightning leaders, as well as gamma ray glows that possibly are created by relativistic runaway electron avalanches (RREA) that can last for minutes or more and are sometimes terminated by a discharge. In this work we predict a new intermediate thunderstorm radiation mechanism, which we call TGF afterglow, as it is caused by the capture of photonuclear neutrons produced by a TGF. TGF afterglows are milliseconds to seconds long; this duration is caused by the thermalization time of the intermediate neutrons. TGF afterglows indicate that the primary TGF has produced photons in the energy range of 10-30 MeV; they are nondirectional in contrast to the primary TGF. Gurevich et al. might have reported TGF afterglows in 2011.

Contraband detection using high-energy gamma rays from 16O*

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Micklich, B.J.; Fink, C.L.; Sagalovsky, L.; Smith, D.L.

1996-01-01

High-energy monoenergetic gamma rays (6.13 and 7.12 MeV) from the decay of excited states of the 16 O* nucleus are highly penetrating and thus offer potential for non-intrusive inspection of loaded containers for narcotics, explosives, and other contraband items. These excited states can be produced by irradiation of water with 14-MeV neutrons from a DT neutron generator or through the 19 F(p,α) 16 O* reaction. Resonances in 19 F(p,α) 16 O* at proton energies between 340 keV and 2 MeV allow use of a low-energy accelerator to provide a compact, portable gamma source of reasonable intensity. The present work provides estimates of gamma source parameters and suggests how various types of contraband could be detected. Gamma rays can be used to perform transmission or emission radiography of containers or other objects. Through the use of (γ, n) and (γ, fission) reactions, this technique is also capable of detecting special nuclear materials such as deuterium, lithium, beryllium, uranium, and plutonium. Analytic and Monte Carlo techniques are used to model empty and loaded container inspection for accelerator-produced gamma, radioisotope, and x-ray sources

COASTING EXTERNAL SHOCK IN WIND MEDIUM: AN ORIGIN FOR THE X-RAY PLATEAU DECAY COMPONENT IN SWIFT GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen Rongfeng; Matzner, Christopher D., E-mail: rfshen@astro.utoronto.ca, E-mail: matzner@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H4 (Canada)

2012-01-01

The plateaus observed in about one half of the early X-ray afterglows are the most puzzling feature in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by Swift. By analyzing the temporal and spectral indices of a large X-ray plateau sample, we find that 55% can be explained by external, forward shock synchrotron emission produced by a relativistic ejecta coasting in a {rho}{proportional_to}r{sup -2}, wind-like medium; no energy injection into the shock is needed. After the ejecta collects enough medium and transitions to the adiabatic, decelerating blast wave phase, it produces the post-plateau decay. For those bursts consistent with this model, we find an upper limit for the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta, {Gamma}{sub 0} {<=} 46({epsilon}{sub e}/0.1){sup -0.24}({epsilon}{sub B}/0.01){sup 0.17}; the isotropic equivalent total ejecta energy is E{sub iso} {approx} 10{sup 53}({epsilon}{sub e}/0.1){sup -1.3}({epsilon}{sub B}/0.01){sup -0.09}(t{sub b} /10{sup 4} s) erg, where {epsilon}{sub e} and {epsilon}{sub B} are the fractions of the total energy at the shock downstream that are carried by electrons and the magnetic field, respectively, and t{sub b} is the end of the plateau. Our finding supports Wolf-Rayet stars as the progenitor stars of some GRBs. It raises intriguing questions about the origin of an intermediate-{Gamma}{sub 0} ejecta, which we speculate is connected to the GRB jet emergence from its host star. For the remaining 45% of the sample, the post-plateau decline is too rapid to be explained in the coasting-in-wind model, and energy injection appears to be required.

Thermal Electrons in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ressler, Sean M.; Laskar, Tanmoy [Department of Astronomy, University of California, 501 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2017-08-20

To date, nearly all multi-wavelength modeling of long-duration γ -ray bursts has ignored synchrotron radiation from the significant population of electrons expected to pass the shock without acceleration into a power-law distribution. We investigate the effect of including the contribution of thermal, non-accelerated electrons to synchrotron absorption and emission in the standard afterglow model, and show that these thermal electrons provide an additional source of opacity to synchrotron self-absorption, and yield an additional emission component at higher energies. The extra opacity results in an increase in the synchrotron self-absorption frequency by factors of 10–100 for fiducial parameters. The nature of the additional emission depends on the details of the thermal population, but is generally observed to yield a spectral peak in the optical brighter than radiation from the nonthermal population by similar factors a few seconds after the burst, remaining detectable at millimeter and radio frequencies several days later.

Constraining Gamma-ray Burst Initial Lorentz Factor with the Afterglow Onset Feature and Discovery of a Tight Γ0-E γ,iso Correlation

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, En-Wei; Yi, Shuang-Xi; Zhang, Jin; Lü, Hou-Jun; Zhang, Bin-Bin; Zhang, Bing

2010-12-01

The onset of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow is characterized by a smooth bump in the early afterglow light curve as the GRB fireball is decelerated by the circumburst medium. We extensively search for GRBs with such an onset feature in their optical and X-ray light curves from the literature and from the catalog established with the Swift/XRT. Twenty optically selected GRBs and 12 X-ray-selected GRBs are obtained, among which 17 optically selected and 2 X-ray-selected GRBs have redshift measurements. We fit these light curves with a smooth broken power law and measure the width (w), rising timescale (t r), and decaying timescale (t d) at full width at half-maximum. Strong mutual correlations among these timescales and with the peak time (t p) are found. The ratio t r/t d is almost universal among bursts, but the ratio t r/t p varies from 0.3 to ~1. The optical peak luminosity in the R band (L R,p) is anti-correlated with t p and w in the burst frame, indicating a dimmer and broader bump peaking at a later time. The isotropic prompt gamma-ray energy (E γ,iso) is also tightly correlated with L R,p and t p in the burst frame. Assuming that the bumps signal the deceleration of the GRB fireballs in a constant density medium, we calculate the initial Lorentz factor (Γ0) and the deceleration radius (R d) of the GRBs with redshift measurements. The derived Γ0 is typically a few hundreds, and the deceleration radius is R dec ~ 2 × 1017 cm. More intriguingly, a tight correlation between Γ0 and E γ,iso is found, namely Γ0 ~= 182(E γ,iso/1052 erg)0.25. This correlation also applies to the small sample of GRBs which show the signature of the afterglow onset in their X-ray afterglow, and to two bursts (GRBs 990123 and 080319B) whose early optical emission is dominated by a reverse shock. The lower limits of Γ0 derived from a sample of optical afterglow light curves showing a decaying feature from the beginning of the observation are also generally consistent with such

GAMMA-RAY BURST REVERSE SHOCK EMISSION IN EARLY RADIO AFTERGLOWS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Resmi, Lekshmi [Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Trivandrum (India); Zhang, Bing, E-mail: l.resmi@iist.ac.in [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas (United States)

2016-07-01

Reverse shock (RS) emission from gamma-ray bursts is an important tool in investigating the nature of the ejecta from the central engine. If the magnetization of the ejecta is not high enough to suppress the RS, a strong RS emission component, usually peaking in the optical/IR band early on, would provide an important contribution to early afterglow light curve. In the radio band, synchrotron self-absorption may suppress early RS emission and also delay the RS peak time. In this paper, we calculate the self-absorbed RS emission in the radio band under different dynamical conditions. In particular, we stress that the RS radio emission is subject to self-absorption in both RSs and forward shocks (FSs). We calculate the ratio between the RS to FS flux at the RS peak time for different frequencies, which is a measure of the detectability of the RS emission component. We then constrain the range of physical parameters for a detectable RS, in particular the role of magnetization. We notice that unlike optical RS emission which is enhanced by moderate magnetization, moderately magnetized ejecta do not necessarily produce a brighter radio RS due to the self-absorption effect. For typical parameters, the RS emission component would not be detectable below 1 GHz unless the medium density is very low (e.g., n < 10{sup −3} cm{sup −3} for the interstellar medium and A {sub *} < 5 × 10{sup −4} for wind). These predictions can be tested using the afterglow observations from current and upcoming radio facilities such as the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, the Low-Frequency Array, the Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, and the Square Kilometer Array.

Fermi observations of high-energy gamma-ray emission from GRB 080916C.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdo, A A; Ackermann, M; Arimoto, M; Asano, K; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Band, D L; Barbiellini, G; Baring, M G; Bastieri, D; Battelino, M; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellardi, F; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bhat, P N; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, E D; Bogaert, G; Bogart, J R; Bonamente, E; Bonnell, J; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Briggs, M S; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, T H; Burrows, D; Busetto, G; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Ceccanti, M; Cecchi, C; Celotti, A; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C C; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, J; Cominsky, L R; Connaughton, V; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; Deklotz, M; Dermer, C D; de Angelis, A; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dingus, B L; do Couto E Silva, E; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Evans, P A; Fabiani, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Finke, J; Fishman, G; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giommi, P; Giordano, F; Glanzman, T; Godfrey, G; Goldstein, A; Granot, J; Greiner, J; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M-H; Grove, J E; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Haller, G; Hanabata, Y; Harding, A K; Hayashida, M; Hays, E; Hernando Morat, J A; Hoover, A; Hughes, R E; Jóhannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, T; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kavelaars, A; Kawai, N; Kelly, H; Kennea, J; Kerr, M; Kippen, R M; Knödlseder, J; Kocevski, D; Kocian, M L; Komin, N; Kouveliotou, C; Kuehn, F; Kuss, M; Lande, J; Landriu, D; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lavalley, C; Lee, B; Lee, S-H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lichti, G G; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, P; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marangelli, B; Mazziotta, M N; McBreen, S; McEnery, J E; McGlynn, S; Meegan, C; Mészáros, P; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Minuti, M; Mirizzi, N; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Moretti, E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, I V; Murgia, S; Nakamori, T; Nelson, D; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, T; Okumura, A; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paciesas, W S; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrosian, V; Pinchera, M; Piron, F; Porter, T A; Preece, R; Rainò, S; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Rando, R; Rapposelli, E; Razzano, M; Razzaque, S; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, T; Reyes, L C; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F-W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Saz Parkinson, P M; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Segal, K N; Sgrò, C; Shimokawabe, T; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stamatikos, M; Starck, J-L; Stecker, F W; Steinle, H; Stephens, T E; Strickman, M S; Suson, D J; Tagliaferri, G; Tajima, H; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Tenze, A; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, D F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Turri, M; Tuvi, S; Usher, T L; van der Horst, A J; Vigiani, L; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; von Kienlin, A; Waite, A P; Williams, D A; Wilson-Hodge, C; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wu, X F; Yamazaki, R; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-03-27

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 gammaray 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.

Fermi Observations of high-energy gamma-ray emissions from GRB 080916C

CERN Document Server

Abdo, A A; Arimoto, M; Asano, K; Atwood, W B; Axelsson, M; Baldini, L; Ballet, J; Band, D L; Barbiellini, Guido; Baring, Matthew G; Bastieri, Denis; Battelino, M; Baughman, B M; Bechtol, K; Bellardi, F; Bellazzini, R; Berenji, B; Bhat, P N; Bissaldi, E; Blandford, R D; Bloom, Elliott D; Bogaert, G; Bogart, J R; Bonamente, E; Bonnell, J; Borgland, A W; Bouvier, A; Bregeon, J; Brez, A; Briggs, M S; Brigida, M; Bruel, P; Burnett, Thompson H; Burrows, David N; Busetto, Giovanni; Caliandro, G A; Cameron, R A; Caraveo, P A; Casandjian, J M; Ceccanti, M; Cecchi, C; Celotti, Annalisa; Charles, E; Chekhtman, A; Cheung, C.C.Teddy; Chiang, J; Ciprini, S; Claus, R; Cohen-Tanugi, Johann; Cominsky, Lynn R; Connaughton, V; Conrad, J; Costamante, L; Cutini, S; DeKlotz, M; Dermer, C D; De Angelis, Alessandro; de Palma, F; Digel, S W; Dingus, B L; do Couto e Silva, Eduardo; Drell, P S; Dubois, R; Dumora, D; Edmonds, Y; Evans, P A; Fabiani, D; Farnier, C; Favuzzi, C; Finke, Justin D; Fishman, G; Focke, W B; Frailis, M; Fukazawa, Y; Funk, S; Fusco, P; Gargano, F; Gasparrini, D; Gehrels, N; Germani, S; Giebels, B; Giglietto, N; Giommi, P; Giordano, F; Glanzman, Thomas Lynn; Godfrey, Gary L; Goldstein, A; Granot, J; Greiner, J; Grenier, I A; Grondin, M H; Grove, J.Eric; Guillemot, L; Guiriec, S; Haller, G; Hanabata, Y; Harding, Alice K; Hayashida, M; Hays, Elizabeth A; Hernando Morata, J A; Hoover, A; Hughes, R E; Johannesson, G; Johnson, A S; Johnson, R P; Johnson, T J; Johnson, W N; Kamae, Tsuneyoshi; Katagiri, H; Kataoka, J; Kavelaars, A; Kawai, N; Kelly, H; Kennea, J; Kerr, M; Kippen, R M; Knodlseder, J; Kocevski, D; Kocian, M L; Komin, N; Kouveliotou, C; Kuehn, Frederick Gabriel Ivar; Kuss, Michael; Lande, J; Landriu, D; Larsson, S; Latronico, L; Lavalley, C; Lee, B; Lee, S H; Lemoine-Goumard, M; Lichti, G G; Longo, F; Loparco, F; Lott, B; Lovellette, M N; Lubrano, Pasquale; Madejski, G M; Makeev, A; Marangelli, B; Mazziotta, M N; McBreen, Sheila; McEnery, J E; McGlynn, S; Meegan, C; Miszaros, P; Meurer, C; Michelson, P F; Minuti, M; Mirizzi, N; Mitthumsiri, W; Mizuno, T; Moiseev, A A; Monte, C; Monzani, M E; Moretti, E; Morselli, A; Moskalenko, Igor Vladimirovich; Murgia, Simona; Nakamori, T; Nelson, D; Nolan, P L; Norris, J P; Nuss, E; Ohno, M; Ohsugi, Takashi; Okumura, Akira; Omodei, N; Orlando, E; Ormes, J F; Ozaki, M; Paciesas, W S; Paneque, D; Panetta, J H; Parent, D; Pelassa, V; Pepe, M; Perri, M; Pesce-Rollins, M; Petrosian, Vahe; Pinchera, M; Piron, F; Porter, Troy A; Preece, R; Rainr, S; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Rando, R; Rapposelli, E; Razzano, M; Razzaque, Soebur; Rea, N; Reimer, A; Reimer, O; Reposeur, Thierry; Reyes, Luis C; Ritz, S; Rochester, L S; Rodriguez, A Y; Roth, M; Ryde, F; Sadrozinski, H F W; Sanchez, D; Sander, A; Parkinson, P.M.Saz; Scargle, J D; Schalk, T L; Segal, K N; Sgro, C; Shimokawabe, T; Siskind, E J; Smith, D A; Smith, P D; Spandre, G; Spinelli, P; Stamatikos, M; Starck, Jean-Luc; Stecker, Floyd William; Steinle, H; Stephens, T E; Strickman, M S; Suson, Daniel J; Tagliaferri, G.; Tajima, Hiroyasu; Takahashi, H; Takahashi, T; Tanaka, T; Tenze, A; Thayer, J B; Thayer, J G; Thompson, D J; Tibaldo, L; Torres, Diego F; Tosti, G; Tramacere, A; Turri, M; Tuvi, S; Usher, T L; van der Horst, A J; Vigiani, L; Vilchez, N; Vitale, V; von Kienlin, A; Waite, A P; Williams, D A; Wilson-Hodge, C; Winer, B L; Wood, K S; Wu, X F; Yamazaki, R; Ylinen, T; Ziegler, M

2009-01-01

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 gammaray 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.

Two Early Gamma-ray Bursts Optical Afterglow Detections with TAOS Telescopes--GRB 071010B and GRB 071112C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, K. Y.; Wang, S. Y.; Urata, Y.

2009-01-01

We present on two early detections of GRB afterglows with the Taiwanese-American Occltation Sruvey (TAOS) telescopes. The robotic TAOS system has been devised so that the routine Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) survey is interrupted when a GRB alert is triggered. Our first detection, GRB 071010B was detected by TAOS 62 s after the burst and showed a weak early brightening during the observations. No significant correction with the prompt gamma-ray emission indicated that our optical emission detected is afterglow emission. The second detection of TAOS, GRB 071112C was detected 96 s after the burst, also showed a possible initial raising then followed a steep decay in the R-band light curve.

Recent achievements in the field of gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu Tan; Dai Zigao

2001-01-01

Recent progresses in the field of gamma-ray bursts is briefly introduced. Gamma-ray bursts are the most energetic explosion since the Big Bang of the universe. Within a few tens of seconds, the energy released in gamma-ray bursts could be several hundred times larger than that released form the sun in its whole life (about 10 billion years). The authors will first briefly discuss the observational facts, based on which the authors will discuss the standard fireball model, the dynamical behavior and evolution of gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows. Then, various observational phenomena that contradict the standard model are given and the importance of these post-standard effects are pointed out. The questions related to the energy source of gamma-ray bursts are still unanswered, and other important questions also remain to be solved

A cannonball model of gamma-ray bursts superluminal signatures

CERN Document Server

Dar, Arnon; Dar, Arnon; Rujula, Alvaro De

2000-01-01

Recent observations suggest that the long-duration gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows are produced by highly relativistic jets emitted in supernova explosions. We propose that the result of the event is not just a compact object plus the ejecta: within a day, a fraction of the parent star falls back to produce a thick accretion disk. The subsequent accretion generates jets and constitutes the GRB ``engine'', as in the observed ejection of relativistic ``cannonballs'' of plasma by microquasars and active galactic nuclei. The GRB is produced as the jetted cannonballs exit the supernova shell reheated by the collision, re-emitting their own radiation and boosting the light of the shell. They decelerate by sweeping up interstellar matter, which is accelerated to cosmic-ray energies and emits synchrotron radiation: the afterglow. We emphasize here a smoking-gun signature of this model of GRBs: the superluminal motion of the afterglow, that can be searched for ---the sooner the better--- in the particular...

Impact of intense x-ray pulses on a NaI(Tl)-based gamma camera

Science.gov (United States)

Koppert, W. J. C.; van der Velden, S.; Steenbergen, J. H. L.; de Jong, H. W. A. M.

2018-03-01

In SPECT/CT systems x-ray and γ-ray imaging is performed sequentially. Simultaneous acquisition may have advantages, for instance in interventional settings. However, this may expose a gamma camera to relatively high x-ray doses and deteriorate its functioning. We studied the NaI(Tl) response to x-ray pulses with a photodiode, PMT and gamma camera, respectively. First, we exposed a NaI(Tl)-photodiode assembly to x-ray pulses to investigate potential crystal afterglow. Next, we exposed a NaI(Tl)-PMT assembly to 10 ms LED pulses (mimicking x-ray pulses) and measured the response to flashing LED probe-pulses (mimicking γ-pulses). We then exposed the assembly to x-ray pulses, with detector entrance doses of up to 9 nGy/pulse, and analysed the response for γ-pulse variations. Finally, we studied the response of a Siemens Diacam gamma camera to γ-rays while exposed to x-ray pulses. X-ray exposure of the crystal, read out with a photodiode, revealed 15% afterglow fraction after 3 ms. The NaI(Tl)-PMT assembly showed disturbances up to 10 ms after 10 ms LED exposure. After x-ray exposure however, responses showed elevated baselines, with 60 ms decay-time. Both for x-ray and LED exposure and after baseline subtraction, probe-pulse analysis revealed disturbed pulse height measurements shortly after exposure. X-ray exposure of the Diacam corroborated the elementary experiments. Up to 50 ms after an x-ray pulse, no events are registered, followed by apparent energy elevations up to 100 ms after exposure. Limiting the dose to 0.02 nGy/pulse prevents detrimental effects. Conventional gamma cameras exhibit substantial dead-time and mis-registration of photon energies up to 100 ms after intense x-ray pulses. This is due PMT limitations and due to afterglow in the crystal. Using PMTs with modified circuitry, we show that deteriorative afterglow effects can be reduced without noticeable effects on the PMT performance, up to x-ray pulse doses of 1 nGy.

High energy X-ray observations of COS-B gamma-ray sources from OSO-8

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, J. F.; Crannell, C. J.; Dennis, B. R.; Frost, K. J.; Orwig, L. E.; Caraveo, P. A.

1985-01-01

During the three years between satellite launch in June 1975 and turn-off in October 1978, the high energy X-ray spectrometer on board OSO-8 observed nearly all of the COS-B gamma-ray source positions given in the 2CG catalog (Swanenburg et al., 1981). An X-ray source was detected at energies above 20 keV at the 6-sigma level of significance in the gamma-ray error box containing 2CG342 - 02 and at the 3-sigma level of significance in the error boxes containing 2CG065 + 00, 2CG195 + 04, and 2CG311 - 01. No definite association between the X-ray and gamma-ray sources can be made from these data alone. Upper limits are given for the 2CG sources from which no X-ray flux was detected above 20 keV.

High energy radiation from black holes gamma rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos

CERN Document Server

Dermer, Charles D

2009-01-01

Bright gamma-ray flares observed from sources far beyond our Milky Way Galaxy are best explained if enormous amounts of energy are liberated by black holes. The highest- energy particles in nature--the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays--cannot be confined by the Milky Way's magnetic field, and must originate from sources outside our Galaxy. Understanding these energetic radiations requires an extensive theoretical framework involving the radiation physics and strong-field gravity of black holes. In High Energy Radiation from Black Holes, Charles Dermer and Govind Menon present a systemat

An Artificial Intelligence Classification Tool and Its Application to Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Hakkila, Jon; Haglin, David J.; Roiger, Richard J.; Giblin, Timothy; Paciesas, William S.; Pendleton, Geoffrey N.; Mallozzi, Robert S.

2004-01-01

Despite being the most energetic phenomenon in the known universe, the astrophysics of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has still proven difficult to understand. It has only been within the past five years that the GRB distance scale has been firmly established, on the basis of a few dozen bursts with x-ray, optical, and radio afterglows. The afterglows indicate source redshifts of z=1 to z=5, total energy outputs of roughly 10(exp 52) ergs, and energy confined to the far x-ray to near gamma-ray regime of the electromagnetic spectrum. The multi-wavelength afterglow observations have thus far provided more insight on the nature of the GRB mechanism than the GRB observations; far more papers have been written about the few observed gamma-ray burst afterglows in the past few years than about the thousands of detected gamma-ray bursts. One reason the GRB central engine is still so poorly understood is that GRBs have complex, overlapping characteristics that do not appear to be produced by one homogeneous process. At least two subclasses have been found on the basis of duration, spectral hardness, and fluence (time integrated flux); Class 1 bursts are softer, longer, and brighter than Class 2 bursts (with two second durations indicating a rough division). A third GRB subclass, overlapping the other two, has been identified using statistical clustering techniques; Class 3 bursts are intermediate between Class 1 and Class 2 bursts in brightness and duration, but are softer than Class 1 bursts. We are developing a tool to aid scientists in the study of GRB properties. In the process of developing this tool, we are building a large gamma-ray burst classification database. We are also scientifically analyzing some GRB data as we develop the tool. Tool development thus proceeds in tandem with the dataset for which it is being designed. The tool invokes a modified KDD (Knowledge Discovery in Databases) process, which is described as follows.

Modeling high-energy gamma-rays from the Fermi Bubbles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Splettstoesser, Megan

2015-09-17

In 2010, the Fermi Bubbles were discovered at the galactic center of the Milky Way. These giant gamma-ray structures, extending 55° in galactic latitude and 20°-30° in galactic longitude, were not predicted. We wish to develop a model for the gamma-ray emission of the Fermi Bubbles. To do so, we assume that second order Fermi acceleration requires charged particles and irregular magnetic fields- both of which are present in the disk of the Milky Way galaxy. By solving the steady-state case of the transport equation, I compute the proton spectrum due to second order Fermi acceleration. I compare the analytical solutions of the proton spectrum to a numerical solution. I find that the numerical solution to the transport equation converges to the analytical solution in all cases. The gamma-ray spectrum due to proton-proton interaction is compared to Fermi Bubble data (from Ackermann et al. 2014), and I find that second order Fermi acceleration is a good fit for the gamma-ray spectrum of the Fermi Bubbles at low energies with an injection source term of S = 1.5 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹. I find that a non-steady-state solution to the gamma-ray spectrum with an injection source term of S = 2 x 10⁻¹⁰ GeV⁻¹cm⁻³yr⁻¹ matches the bubble data at high energies.

GRB 090902B: AFTERGLOW OBSERVATIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pandey, S. B.; Akerlof, C.; McKay, T. A.; Swenson, C. A.; Perley, D. A.; Kleiser, I. K. W.; Guidorzi, C.; Wiersema, K.; Malesani, D.; Ashley, M. C. B.; Bersier, D.; Cano, Z.; Kobayashi, S.; Melandri, A.; Mottram, C. J.; Gomboc, A.; Ilyin, I.; Jakobsson, P.; Kouveliotou, C.; Levan, A. J.

2010-01-01

The optical-infrared afterglow of the Large Area Telescope (LAT)-detected long-duration burst, GRB 090902B, has been observed by several instruments. The earliest detection by ROTSE-IIIa occurred 80 minutes after detection by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor instrument on board the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope, revealing a bright afterglow and a decay slope suggestive of a reverse shock origin. Subsequent optical-IR observations followed the light curve for 6.5 days. The temporal and spectral behavior at optical-infrared frequencies is consistent with synchrotron fireball model predictions; the cooling break lies between optical and XRT frequencies ∼1.9 days after the burst. The inferred electron energy index is p = 1.8 ± 0.2, which would however imply an X-ray decay slope flatter than observed. The XRT and LAT data have similar spectral indices and the observed steeper value of the LAT temporal index is marginally consistent with the predicted temporal decay in the radiative regime of the forward shock model. Absence of a jet break during the first 6 days implies a collimation-corrected γ-ray energy E γ > 2.2 x 10 52 erg, one of the highest ever seen in a long-duration gamma-ray bursts. More events combining GeV photon emission with multiwavelength observations will be required to constrain the nature of the central engine powering these energetic explosions and to explore the correlations between energetic quanta and afterglow emission.

GRB 110205A: ANATOMY OF A LONG GAMMA-RAY BURST

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gendre, B.; Stratta, G.; Atteia, J. L.; Klotz, A.; Boër, M.; Colas, F.; Vachier, F.; Kugel, F.; Rinner, C.; Laas-Bourez, M.; Strajnic, J.

2012-01-01

The Swift burst GRB 110205A was a very bright burst visible in the Northern Hemisphere. GRB 110205A was intrinsically long and very energetic and it occurred in a low-density interstellar medium environment, leading to delayed afterglow emission and a clear temporal separation of the main emitting components: prompt emission, reverse shock, and forward shock. Our observations show several remarkable features of GRB 110205A: the detection of prompt optical emission strongly correlated with the Burst Alert Telescope light curve, with no temporal lag between the two; the absence of correlation of the X-ray emission compared to the optical and high-energy gamma-ray ones during the prompt phase; and a large optical re-brightening after the end of the prompt phase, that we interpret as a signature of the reverse shock. Beyond the pedagogical value offered by the excellent multi-wavelength coverage of a gamma-ray burst with temporally separated radiating components, we discuss several questions raised by our observations: the nature of the prompt optical emission and the spectral evolution of the prompt emission at high energies (from 0.5 keV to 150 keV); the origin of an X-ray flare at the beginning of the forward shock; and the modeling of the afterglow, including the reverse shock, in the framework of the classical fireball model.

HETEROGENEITY IN SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norris, Jay P.; Gehrels, Neil; Scargle, Jeffrey D.

2011-01-01

We analyze the Swift/BAT sample of short gamma-ray bursts, using an objective Bayesian Block procedure to extract temporal descriptors of the bursts' initial pulse complexes (IPCs). The sample is comprised of 12 and 41 bursts with and without extended emission (EE) components, respectively. IPCs of non-EE bursts are dominated by single pulse structures, while EE bursts tend to have two or more pulse structures. The medians of characteristic timescales-durations, pulse structure widths, and peak intervals-for EE bursts are factors of ∼2-3 longer than for non-EE bursts. A trend previously reported by Hakkila and colleagues unifying long and short bursts-the anti-correlation of pulse intensity and width-continues in the two short burst groups, with non-EE bursts extending to more intense, narrower pulses. In addition, we find that preceding and succeeding pulse intensities are anti-correlated with pulse interval. We also examine the short burst X-ray afterglows as observed by the Swift/X-Ray Telescope (XRT). The median flux of the initial XRT detections for EE bursts (∼6x10 -10 erg cm -2 s -1 ) is ∼>20x brighter than for non-EE bursts, and the median X-ray afterglow duration for EE bursts (∼60,000 s) is ∼30x longer than for non-EE bursts. The tendency for EE bursts toward longer prompt-emission timescales and higher initial X-ray afterglow fluxes implies larger energy injections powering the afterglows. The longer-lasting X-ray afterglows of EE bursts may suggest that a significant fraction explode into denser environments than non-EE bursts, or that the sometimes-dominant EE component efficiently powers the afterglow. Combined, these results favor different progenitors for EE and non-EE short bursts.

A Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrum of 1ES 2344+514

OpenAIRE

Schroedter, M.; Badran, H. M.; Buckley, J. H.; Gordo, J. Bussons; Carter-Lewis, D. A.; Duke, C.; Fegan, D. J.; Fegan, S. F.; Finley, J. P.; Gillanders, G. H.; Grube, J.; Horan, D.; Kenny, G. E.; Kertzman, M.; Kosack, K.

2005-01-01

The BL Lacertae (BL Lac) object 1ES 2344+514 (1ES 2344), at a redshift of 0.044, was discovered as a source of very high energy (VHE) gamma rays by the Whipple Collaboration in 1995 \\citep{2344Catanese98}. This detection was recently confirmed by the HEGRA Collaboration \\citep{2344Hegra03}. As is typical for high-frequency peaked blazars, the VHE gamma-ray emission is highly variable. On the night of 20 December, 1995, a gamma-ray flare of 5.3-sigma significance was detected, the brightest ou...

The Arcminute Microkelvin Imager catalogue of gamma-ray burst afterglows at 15.7 GHz

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, G. E.; Staley, T. D.; van der Horst, A. J.; Fender, R. P.; Rowlinson, A.; Mooley, K. P.; Broderick, J. W.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Rumsey, C.; Titterington, D. J.

2018-01-01

We present the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager (AMI) Large Array catalogue of 139 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). AMI observes at a central frequency of 15.7 GHz and is equipped with a fully automated rapid-response mode, which enables the telescope to respond to high-energy transients detected by Swift. On receiving a transient alert, AMI can be on-target within 2 min, scheduling later start times if the source is below the horizon. Further AMI observations are manually scheduled for several days following the trigger. The AMI GRB programme probes the early-time (<1 d) radio properties of GRBs, and has obtained some of the earliest radio detections (GRB 130427A at 0.36 and GRB 130907A at 0.51 d post-burst). As all Swift GRBs visible to AMI are observed, this catalogue provides the first representative sample of GRB radio properties, unbiased by multiwavelength selection criteria. We report the detection of six GRB radio afterglows that were not previously detected by other radio telescopes, increasing the rate of radio detections by 50 per cent over an 18-month period. The AMI catalogue implies a Swift GRB radio detection rate of ≳ 15 per cent, down to ∼0.2 mJy beam-1. However, scaling this by the fraction of GRBs AMI would have detected in the Chandra & Frail sample (all radio-observed GRBs between 1997 and 2011), it is possible ∼ 44-56 per cent of Swift GRBs are radio bright, down to ∼0.1-0.15 mJy beam-1. This increase from the Chandra & Frail rate (∼30 per cent) is likely due to the AMI rapid-response mode, which allows observations to begin while the reverse-shock is contributing to the radio afterglow.

Natural background gamma-ray spectrum. List of gamma-rays ordered in energy from natural radionuclides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ichimiya, Tsutomu [Japan Radioisotope Association, Tokyo (Japan); Narita, Tsutomu; Kitao, Kensuke

1998-03-01

A quick index to {gamma}-rays and X-rays from natural radionuclides is presented. In the list, {gamma}-rays are arranged in order of increasing energy. The list also contains {gamma}-rays from radioactive nuclides produced in a germanium detector and its surrounding materials by interaction with cosmic neutrons, as well as direct {gamma}-rays from interaction with the neutrons. Artificial radioactive nuclides emitting {gamma}-rays with same or near energy value as that of the natural {gamma}-rays and X-rays are also listed. In appendix, {gamma}-ray spectra from a rock, uranium ore, thorium, monazite and uraninite and also background spectra obtained with germanium detectors placed in iron or lead shield have been given. The list is designed for use in {gamma}-ray spectroscopy under the conditions of highly natural background, such as in-situ environmental radiation monitoring or low-level activity measurements, with a germanium detector. (author)

The future of high energy gamma ray astronomy and its potential astrophysical implications

Science.gov (United States)

Fichtel, C. E.

1982-01-01

Future satellites should carry instruments having over an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than those flown thus far as well as improved energy and angular resolution. The information to be obtained from these experiments should greatly enhance knowledge of: the very energetic and nuclear processes associated with compact objects; the structure of our galaxy; the origin and dynamic pressure effects of the cosmic rays; the high energy particles and energetic processes in other galaxies; and the degree of matter-antimatter symmetry of the universe. The relevant aspects of extragalactic gamma ray phenomena are emphasized along with the instruments planned. The high energy gamma ray results of forthcoming programs such as GAMMA-1 and the Gamma Ray Observatory should justify even more sophisticated telescopes. These advanced instruments might be placed on the space station currently being considered by NASA.

The bright gamma-ray burst of 2000 February 10: A case study of an optically dark gamma-ray burst

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Piro, L.; Frail, D.A.; Gorosabel, J.

2002-01-01

The gamma-ray burst GRB 000210 had the highest gamma-ray peak flux of any event localized by BeppoSAX as yet, but it did not have a detected optical afterglow, despite prompt and deep searches down to R-lim approximate to 23.5. It is therefore one of the events recently classified as dark GRBs......, whose origin is still unclear. Chandra observations allowed us to localize the X-ray afterglow of GRB 000210 to within approximate to1", and a radio transient was detected with the Very Large Array. The precise X-ray and radio positions allowed us to identify the likely host galaxy of this burst...

EARLY AFTERGLOWS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS IN A STRATIFIED MEDIUM WITH A POWER-LAW DENSITY DISTRIBUTION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yi, Shuang-Xi; Dai, Zi-Gao; Wu, Xue-Feng

2013-01-01

A long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) has been widely thought to arise from the collapse of a massive star, and it has been suggested that its ambient medium is a homogenous interstellar medium (ISM) or a stellar wind. There are two shocks when an ultra-relativistic fireball that has been ejected during the prompt gamma-ray emission phase sweeps up the circumburst medium: a reverse shock that propagates into the fireball, and a forward shock that propagates into the ambient medium. In this paper, we investigate the temporal evolution of the dynamics and emission of these two shocks in an environment with a general density distribution of n∝R –k (where R is the radius) by considering thick-shell and thin-shell cases. A GRB afterglow with one smooth onset peak at early times is understood to result from such external shocks. Thus, we can determine the medium density distribution by fitting the onset peak appearing in the light curve of an early optical afterglow. We apply our model to 19 GRBs and find that their k values are in the range of 0.4-1.4, with a typical value of k ∼ 1, implying that this environment is neither a homogenous ISM with k = 0 nor a typical stellar wind with k = 2. This shows that the progenitors of these GRBs might have undergone a new mass-loss evolution

High-energy neutrinos from gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermer, Charles D.; Atoyan, Armen

2003-01-01

We treat high-energy neutrino production in gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Detailed calculations of photomeson neutrino production are presented for the collapsar model, where internal nonthermal synchrotron radiation is the primary target photon field, and the supranova model, where external pulsar-wind synchrotron radiation provides important additional target photons. Detection of > or approx. 10 TeV neutrinos from GRBs with Doppler factors > or approx. 200, inferred from γ-ray observations, would support the supranova model. Detection of or approx. 3x10 -4 erg cm -2 offer a realistic prospect for detection of ν μ

VERITAS OBSERVATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS DETECTED BY SWIFT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acciari, V. A.; Benbow, W.; Aliu, E.; Errando, M.; Arlen, T.; Aune, T.; Beilicke, M.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V.; Bradbury, S. M.; Byrum, K.; Cannon, A.; Collins-Hughes, E.; Cesarini, A.; Connolly, M. P.; Christiansen, J. L.; Ciupik, L.; Cui, W.; Duke, C.; Falcone, A.

2011-01-01

We present the results of 16 Swift-triggered Gamma-ray burst (GRB) follow-up observations taken with the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) telescope array from 2007 January to 2009 June. The median energy threshold and response time of these observations were 260 GeV and 320 s, respectively. Observations had an average duration of 90 minutes. Each burst is analyzed independently in two modes: over the whole duration of the observations and again over a shorter timescale determined by the maximum VERITAS sensitivity to a burst with a t –1.5 time profile. This temporal model is characteristic of GRB afterglows with high-energy, long-lived emission that have been detected by the Large Area Telescope on board the Fermi satellite. No significant very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission was detected and upper limits above the VERITAS threshold energy are calculated. The VERITAS upper limits are corrected for gamma-ray extinction by the extragalactic background light and interpreted in the context of the keV emission detected by Swift. For some bursts the VHE emission must have less power than the keV emission, placing constraints on inverse Compton models of VHE emission.

The high intensity {gamma}-ray source (HI{gamma}S) and recent results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tonchev, A.P. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States)]. E-mail: tonchev@tunl.duke.edu; Boswell, M. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and TUNL, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Howell, C.R. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States); Karwowski, H.J. [University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and TUNL, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Kelley, J.H. [North Carolina State University and TUNL, Raleigh, NC 27695 (United States); Tornow, W. [Duke University and TUNL, Triangle University Nuclear Laboratory, P.O. Box 90308, Durham, NC 27708 0308 (United States); Wu, Y.K. [Duke University and Duke Free Electron Laser Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708-0319 (United States)

2005-12-15

The high intensity {gamma}-ray source (HI{gamma}S) utilizes intra-cavity backscattering of free electron laser photons from the Duke electron storage ring to produce a unique monoenergetic beam of high-flux {gamma}-rays with high polarization and selectable energy resolution. At present, {gamma}-ray beams with energies from 2 to 58 MeV are available with intensities as high as 10{sup 5}-5 x 10{sup 6} {gamma}/s, energy spreads of 3% or better, and nearly 100% linear polarization. The quality and intensity of the {gamma}-ray beams at HI{gamma}S are responsible for the unprecedented performance of this facility in a broad range of research programs in nuclear structure, nuclear astrophysics and nuclear applications. Recent results from excitation of isomeric states in ({gamma}, n) reactions and parity assignments of dipole states determined via the ({gamma}, {gamma}') reaction are presented.

Heterogeneity in Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, Jay P.; Gehrels Neil; Scargle, Jeffrey D.

2011-01-01

We analyze the Swift/BAT sample of short gamma-ray bursts, using an objective Bayesian Block procedure to extract temporal descriptors of the bursts' initial pulse complexes (IPCs). The sample comprises 12 and 41 bursts with and without extended emission (EE) components, respectively. IPCs of non-EE bursts are dominated by single pulse structures, while EE bursts tend to have two or more pulse structures. The medians of characteristic timescales - durations, pulse structure widths, and peak intervals - for EE bursts are factors of approx 2-3 longer than for non-EE bursts. A trend previously reported by Hakkila and colleagues unifying long and short bursts - the anti-correlation of pulse intensity and width - continues in the two short burst groups, with non-EE bursts extending to more intense, narrower pulses. In addition we find that preceding and succeeding pulse intensities are anti-correlated with pulse interval. We also examine the short burst X-ray afterglows as observed by the Swift/XRT. The median flux of the initial XRT detections for EE bursts (approx 6 X 10(exp -10) erg / sq cm/ s) is approx > 20 x brighter than for non-EE bursts, and the median X-ray afterglow duration for EE bursts (approx 60,000 s) is approx 30 x longer than for non-EE bursts. The tendency for EE bursts toward longer prompt-emission timescales and higher initial X-ray afterglow fluxes implies larger energy injections powering the afterglows. The longer-lasting X-ray afterglows of EE bursts may suggest that a significant fraction explode into more dense environments than non-EE bursts, or that the sometimes-dominant EE component efficiently p()wers the afterglow. Combined, these results favor different progenitors for EE and non-EE short bursts.

Gamma-ray burst theory after Swift.

Science.gov (United States)

Piran, Tsvi; Fan, Yi-Zhong

2007-05-15

Afterglow observations in the pre-Swift era confirmed to a large extend the relativistic blast wave model for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Together with the observations of properties of host galaxies and the association with (type Ic) SNe, this has led to the generally accepted collapsar origin of long GRBs. However, most of the afterglow data was collected hours after the burst. The X-ray telescope and the UV/optical telescope onboard Swift are able to slew to the direction of a burst in real time and record the early broadband afterglow light curves. These observations, and in particular the X-ray observations, resulted in many surprises. While we have anticipated a smooth transition from the prompt emission to the afterglow, many observed that early light curves are drastically different. We review here how these observations are changing our understanding of GRBs.

THE HIGH-ENERGY, ARCMINUTE-SCALE GALACTIC CENTER GAMMA-RAY SOURCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernyakova, M.; Malyshev, D.; Aharonian, F. A.; Crocker, R. M.; Jones, D. I.

2011-01-01

Employing data collected during the first 25 months of observations by the Fermi-LAT, we describe and subsequently seek to model the very high energy (>300 MeV) emission from the central few parsecs of our Galaxy. We analyze the morphological, spectral, and temporal characteristics of the central source, 1FGL J1745.6-2900. The data show a clear, statistically significant signal at energies above 10 GeV, where the Fermi-LAT has angular resolution comparable to that of HESS at TeV energies. This makes a meaningful joint analysis of the data possible. Our analysis of the Fermi data (alone) does not uncover any statistically significant variability of 1FGL J1745.6-2900 at GeV energies on the month timescale. Using the combination of Fermi data on 1FGL J1745.6-2900 and HESS data on the coincident, TeV source HESS J1745-290, we show that the spectrum of the central gamma-ray source is inflected with a relatively steep spectral region matching between the flatter spectrum found at both low and high energies. We model the gamma-ray production in the inner 10 pc of the Galaxy and examine cosmic ray (CR) proton propagation scenarios that reproduce the observed spectrum of the central source. We show that a model that instantiates a transition from diffusive propagation of the CR protons at low energy to almost rectilinear propagation at high energies can explain well the spectral phenomenology. We find considerable degeneracy between different parameter choices which will only be broken with the addition of morphological information that gamma-ray telescopes cannot deliver given current angular resolution limits. We argue that a future analysis performed in combination with higher-resolution radio continuum data holds out the promise of breaking this degeneracy.

Light Dawns on Dark Gamma-ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-01

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most energetic events in the Universe, but some appear curiously faint in visible light. The biggest study to date of these so-called dark gamma-ray bursts, using the GROND instrument on the 2.2-metre MPG/ESO telescope at La Silla in Chile, has found that these gigantic explosions don't require exotic explanations. Their faintness is now fully explained by a combination of causes, the most important of which is the presence of dust between the Earth and the explosion. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), fleeting events that last from less than a second to several minutes, are detected by orbiting observatories that can pick up their high energy radiation. Thirteen years ago, however, astronomers discovered a longer-lasting stream of less energetic radiation coming from these violent outbursts, which can last for weeks or even years after the initial explosion. Astronomers call this the burst's afterglow. While all gamma-ray bursts [1] have afterglows that give off X-rays, only about half of them were found to give off visible light, with the rest remaining mysteriously dark. Some astronomers suspected that these dark afterglows could be examples of a whole new class of gamma-ray bursts, while others thought that they might all be at very great distances. Previous studies had suggested that obscuring dust between the burst and us might also explain why they were so dim. "Studying afterglows is vital to further our understanding of the objects that become gamma-ray bursts and what they tell us about star formation in the early Universe," says the study's lead author Jochen Greiner from the Max-Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Garching bei München, Germany. NASA launched the Swift satellite at the end of 2004. From its orbit above the Earth's atmosphere it can detect gamma-ray bursts and immediately relay their positions to other observatories so that the afterglows could be studied. In the new study, astronomers combined Swift

Bursts of the Crab Nebula gamma-ray emission at high and ultra-high energies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidvansky A.S.

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Characteristics of the flares of gamma rays detected from the Crab Nebula by the AGILE and Fermi-LAT satellite instruments are compared with those of a gamma ray burst recorded by several air shower arrays on February 23, 1989 and with one recent observation made by the ARGO-YBJ array. It is demonstrated that though pulsar-periodicity and energy spectra of emissions at 100 MeV (satellite gamma ray telescopes and 100 TeV (EAS arrays are different, their time structures seem to be similar. Moreover, maybe the difference between “flares” and “waves” recently found in the Crab Nebula emission by the AGILE team also exists at ultra-high energies.

Modulated High-Energy Gamma-Ray Emission from the Micro-quasar Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A.A.; Cheung, C.C.; Dermer, C.D.; Grove, J.E.; Johnson, W.N.; Lovellette, M.N.; Makeev, A.; Ray, P.S.; Strickman, M.S.; Wood, K.S.; Abdo, A.A.; Cheung, C.C.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R.D.; Bloom, E.D.; Borgland, A.W.; Cameron, R.A.; Chiang, J.; Claus, R.; Digel, S.W.; Silva, E.D.E.; Drell, P.S.; Dubois, R.; Focke, W.B.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Hayashida, M.; Johannesson, G.; Johnson, A.S.; Kamae, T.; Kocian, M.L.; Lande, J.; Madejski, G.M.; Michelson, P.F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Monzani, M.E.; Moskalenko, I.V.; Murgia, S.; Nolan, P.L.; Paneque, D.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Rochester, L.S.; Romani, R.W.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J.B.; Tramacere, A.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T.L.; Waite, A.P.; Wang, P.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R.D.; Bloom, E.D.; Borgland, A.W.; Cameron, R.A.; Chiang, J.; Claus, R.; Digel, S.W.; Silva, E.D.E.; Drell, P.S.; Dubois, R.; Focke, W.B.; Glanzman, T.; Godfrey, G.; Hayashida, M.; Johannesson, G.; Johnson, A.S.; Kamae, T.; Kocian, M.L.; Lande, J.; Madejski, G.M.; Michelson, P.F.; Mitthumsiri, W.; Monzani, M.E.; Moskalenko, I.V.; Murgia, S.; Nolan, P.L.; Paneque, D.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Rochester, L.S.; Romani, R.W.; Tanaka, T.; Thayer, J.B.; Tramacere, A.; Uchiyama, Y.; Usher, T.L.; Waite, A.P.; Wang, P.; Axelsson, M.; Hjalmarsdotter, L.; Axelsson, M.; Conrad, J.; Hjalmarsdotter, L.; Jackson, M.S.; Meurer, C.; Ryde, F.; Ylinen, T.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Brez, A.; Kuss, M.; Latronico, L.; Omodei, N.; Pesce-Rollins, M.; Razzano, M.; Sgro, C.; Ballet, J.; Casandjian, J.M.; Chaty, S.; Corbel, S.; Grenier, I.A.; Koerding, E.; Rodriguez, J.; Starck, J.L.; Tibaldo, L.

2009-01-01

Micro-quasars are accreting black holes or neutron stars in binary systems with associated relativistic jets. Despite their frequent outburst activity, they have never been unambiguously detected emitting high-energy gamma rays. The Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) has detected a variable high-energy source coinciding with the position of the x-ray binary and micro-quasar Cygnus X-3. Its identification with Cygnus X-3 is secured by the detection of its orbital period in gamma rays, as well as the correlation of the LAT flux with radio emission from the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3. The gamma-ray emission probably originates from within the binary system, opening new areas in which to study the formation of relativistic jets. (authors)

Ultra high energy gamma rays and observations with CYGNUS/MILAGRO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weeks, D.D.; Yodh, G.B.

1992-01-01

This talk discusses high-energy observations of the Crab pulsar/nebula and the pulsar in the X-ray binary, Hercules X-1, and makes the case for continued observations with ground-based γ-ray detectors. The CYGNUS Air Shower Array has a wide field of view on monitors several astrophysical γ-ray sources at the same time, many of which are prime objects observed by the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) and air Cerenkov telescopes. This array and the future MILAGRO Water Cerenkov Detector can perform observations that are simultaneous with similar experiments to provide confirmation of emission, and can measure source spectra at a range of high energies previously unexplored

DETECTION OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION DURING THE X-RAY FLARING ACTIVITY IN GRB 100728A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Bissaldi, E.; Bonamente, E.; Bonnell, J.; Bouvier, A.; Brigida, M.

2011-01-01

We present the simultaneous Swift and Fermi observations of the bright GRB 100728A and its afterglow. The early X-ray emission is dominated by a vigorous flaring activity continuing until 1 ks after the burst. In the same time interval, high-energy emission is significantly detected by the Fermi/Large Area Telescope. Marginal evidence of GeV emission is observed up to later times. We discuss the broadband properties of this burst within both the internal and external shock scenarios, with a particular emphasis on the relation between X-ray flares, the GeV emission, and a continued long-duration central engine activity as their power source.

NEUTRINO EMISSION FROM HIGH-ENERGY COMPONENT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, Julia K.; Olivo, Martino; Halzen, Francis; O Murchadha, Aongus

2010-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have the potential to produce the particle energies (up to 10 21 eV) and energy budget (10 44 erg yr -1 Mpc -3 ) to accommodate the spectrum of the highest energy cosmic rays; on the other hand, there is no observational evidence that they accelerate hadrons. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope recently observed two bursts that exhibit a power-law high-energy extension of a typical (Band) photon spectrum that extends to ∼30 GeV. On the basis of fireball phenomenology we argue that these two bursts, along with GRB941017 observed by EGRET in 1994, show indirect evidence for considerable baryon loading. Since the detection of neutrinos is the only unambiguous way to establish that GRBs accelerate protons, we use two methods to estimate the neutrino flux produced when they interact with fireball photons to produce charged pions and neutrinos. While the number of events expected from the two Fermi bursts discussed is small, should GRBs be the sources of the observed cosmic rays, a GRB941017-like event that has a hadronic power-law tail extending to several tens of GeV will be detected by the IceCube neutrino telescope.

Discovery of the short gamma-ray burst GRB 050709.

Science.gov (United States)

Villasenor, J S; Lamb, D Q; Ricker, G R; Atteia, J-L; Kawai, N; Butler, N; Nakagawa, Y; Jernigan, J G; Boer, M; Crew, G B; Donaghy, T Q; Doty, J; Fenimore, E E; Galassi, M; Graziani, C; Hurley, K; Levine, A; Martel, F; Matsuoka, M; Olive, J-F; Prigozhin, G; Sakamoto, T; Shirasaki, Y; Suzuki, M; Tamagawa, T; Vanderspek, R; Woosley, S E; Yoshida, A; Braga, J; Manchanda, R; Pizzichini, G; Takagishi, K; Yamauchi, M

2005-10-06

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) fall into two classes: short-hard and long-soft bursts. The latter are now known to have X-ray and optical afterglows, to occur at cosmological distances in star-forming galaxies, and to be associated with the explosion of massive stars. In contrast, the distance scale, the energy scale and the progenitors of the short bursts have remained a mystery. Here we report the discovery of a short-hard burst whose accurate localization has led to follow-up observations that have identified the X-ray afterglow and (for the first time) the optical afterglow of a short-hard burst; this in turn led to the identification of the host galaxy of the burst as a late-type galaxy at z = 0.16 (ref. 10). These results show that at least some short-hard bursts occur at cosmological distances in the outskirts of galaxies, and are likely to be caused by the merging of compact binaries.

High-z Universe with Gamma Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Kouveliotou, C.

2011-01-01

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous explosions in space and trace the cosmic star formation history back to the first generations of stars. Their bright afterglows allow us to trace the abundances of heavy elements to large distances, thereby measuring cosmic chemical evolution. To date GRBs have been detected up to distances of z=8.23 and possibly even beyond z9. This makes GRBs a unique and powerful tool to probe the high-z Universe up to the re-ionization era. We discuss the current status of the field, place it in context with other probes, and also discuss new mission concepts that have been planned to utilize GRBs as probes.

Fermi-LAT Gamma-ray Bursts and Insight from Swift

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, Judith L.

2011-01-01

A new revolution in GRB observation and theory has begun over the last 3 years since the launch of the Fermi gamma-ray space telescope. The new window into high energy gamma-rays opened by the Fermi-LAT is providing insight into prompt emission mechanisms and possibly also afterglow physics. The LAT detected GRBs appear to be a new unique subset of extremely energetic and bright bursts. In this talk I will discuss the context and recent discoveries from these LAT GRBs and the large database of broadband observations collected by Swift over the last 7 years and how through comparisons between the Swift, GBM, and LAT GRB samples, we can learn about the unique characteristics and relationships between each population.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF GAMMA-RAY BURST OPTICAL EMISSION. II. AFTERGLOW ONSET AND LATE RE-BRIGHTENING COMPONENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang Enwei; Li Liang; Liang Yunfeng; Tang Qingwen; Chen Jiemin; Lu Ruijing; Lue Lianzhong [Department of Physics and GXU-NAOC Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004 (China); Gao He; Zhang, Bing; Lue Houjun [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States); Wu Xuefeng [Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Yi Shuangxi; Dai Zigao [School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093 (China); Zhang Jin; Wei Jianyan, E-mail: lew@gxu.edu.cn, E-mail: zhang@physics.unlv.edu [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China)

2013-09-01

We continue our systematic statistical study of various components of gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical light curves. We decompose the early onset bump and the late re-brightening bump with empirical fits and analyze their statistical properties. Among the 146 GRBs that have well-sampled optical light curves, the onset and re-brightening bumps are observed in 38 and 26 GRBs, respectively. It is found that the typical rising and decaying slopes for both the onset and re-brightening bumps are {approx}1.5 and {approx} - 1.15, respectively. No early onset bumps in the X-ray band are detected to be associated with the optical onset bumps, while an X-ray re-brightening bump is detected for half of the re-brightening optical bumps. The peak luminosity is anti-correlated with the peak time L{sub p}{proportional_to}t{sub p}{sup -1.81{+-}0.32} for the onset bumps and L{sub p}{proportional_to}t{sub p}{sup -0.83{+-}0.17} for the re-brightening bumps. Both L{sub p} and the isotropic energy release of the onset bumps are correlated with E{sub {gamma},iso}, whereas no similar correlation is found for the re-brightening bumps. These results suggest that the afterglow onset bumps are likely due to the deceleration of the GRB fireballs. Taking the onset bumps as probes for the properties of the fireballs and their ambient medium, we find that the typical power-law index of the relativistic electrons is 2.5 and the medium density profile behaves as n{proportional_to}r {sup -1} within the framework of the synchrotron external shock models. With the medium density profile obtained from our analysis, we also confirm the correlation between the initial Lorentz factor ({Gamma}{sub 0}) and E{sub iso,{gamma}} in our previous work. The jet component that produces the re-brightening bump seems to be on-axis and independent of the prompt emission jet component. Its typical kinetic energy budget would be about one order of magnitude larger than the prompt emission component, but with a lower {Gamma

Search for very-high-energy emission from Gamma-ray Bursts using the first 18 months of data from the HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory

OpenAIRE

The HAWC collaboration; Alfaro, R.; Alvarez, C.; Álvarez, J. D.; Arceo, R.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Rojas, D. Avila; Solares, H. A. Ayala; Barber, A. S.; Bautista-Elivar, N.; Becerril, A.; Belmont-Moreno, E.; BenZvi, S. Y.; Bernal, A.; Braun, J.

2017-01-01

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) Gamma-ray Observatory is an extensive air shower detector operating in central Mexico, which has recently completed its first two years of full operations. If for a burst like GRB 130427A at a redshift of 0.34 and a high-energy component following a power law with index -1.66, the high-energy component is extended to higher energies with no cut-off other than from extragalactic background light attenuation, HAWC would observe gamma rays with a peak ene...

High Energy Gamma-rays from FR I Jets

CERN Document Server

Sikora, M

2003-01-01

Thanks to Hubble and Chandra telescopes, some of the large scale jets in extragalactic radio sources are now being observed at optical and X-ray frequencies. For the FR I objects the synchrotron nature of this emission is surely established, although a lot of uncertainties--connected for example with the particle acceleration processes involved--remain. In this paper we study production of high energy gamma-rays in FR I kiloparsec-scale jets by inverse-Compton emission of the synchrotron-emitting electrons. We consider different origin of seed photons contributing to the inverse-Compton scattering, including nuclear jet radiation as well as ambient, stellar and circumstellar emission of the host galaxies. We discuss how future detections or non-detections of the evaluated gamma-ray fluxes can provide constraints on the unknown large scale jet parameters, i.e. the magnetic field intensity and the jet Doppler factor. For the nearby sources Centaurus A and M 87, we find measurable fluxes of TeV photons resulting...

The opacity of the universe for high and very high energy {gamma}-rays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Manuel

2013-08-15

The flux of high energy (HE, energy 100 MeVhigh energy (VHE, E>or similar 100 GeV) {gamma}-rays originating from cosmological sources is attenuated due to pair production in interactions with photons at ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths of the extragalactic background light (EBL). The main components contributing to the EBL photon density are the starlight integrated over cosmic time and the starlight reprocessed by dust in galaxies. Consequently, the EBL is an integral measure of the cosmic star formation history. Depending on the source distance, the Universe should be opaque to {gamma}-rays above a certain energy. Nevertheless, the number of detected {gamma}-ray sources has increased continuously in recent years. VHE emitting objects beyond redshifts of z>0.5 have been detected with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), while HE {gamma}-rays from active galactic nuclei (AGN) above redshifts z>or similar 3 have been observed with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi satellite. In this work, a large sample of VHE {gamma}-ray spectra will be combined with data of the Fermi-LAT to derive upper limits on the EBL photon density at z = 0. Generic EBL realizations are used to correct AGN spectra for absorption, which are subsequently tested against model assumptions. The evolution of the EBL with redshift is accounted for, and a possible formation of electromagnetic cascades is considered. As a result, the EBL density is constrained over almost three orders of magnitude in wavelength, between 0.4 {mu}m and 100 {mu}m. At optical wavelengths, an EBL intensity above 24 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1} is ruled out, and between 8 {mu}m and 31 {mu}m it is limited to be below 5 nW m{sup -2}sr{sup -1}. In the infrared, the constraints are within a factor {proportional_to} 2 of lower limits derived from galaxy number counts. Additionally,the behavior of VHE spectra in the transition from the optical depth regimes {tau

ESA's Integral detects closest cosmic gamma-ray burst

Science.gov (United States)

2004-08-01

5 August 2004 A gamma-ray burst detected by ESA's Integral gamma-ray observatory on 3 December 2003 has been thoroughly studied for months by an armada of space and ground-based observatories. Astronomers have now concluded that this event, called GRB 031203, is the closest cosmic gamma-ray burst on record, but also the faintest. This also suggests that an entire population of sub-energetic gamma-ray bursts has so far gone unnoticed... Gamma ray burst model hi-res Size hi-res: 22 KB Credits: CXC/M. Weiss Artist impression of a low-energy gamma-ray burst This illustration describes a model for a gamma-ray burst, like the one detected by Integral on 3 December 2003 (GRB 031203). A jet of high-energy particles from a rapidly rotating black hole interacts with surrounding matter. Observations with Integral on 3 December 2003 and data on its afterglow, collected afterwards with XMM-Newton, Chandra and the Very Large Array telescope, show that GRB 031203 radiated only a fraction of the energy of normal gamma-ray bursts. Like supernovae, gamma-ray bursts are thought to be produced by the collapse of the core of a massive star. However, while the process leading to supernovae is relatively well understood, astronomers still do not know what happens when a core collapses to form a black hole. The discovery of 'under-energetic' gamma-ray bursts, like GRB 031203, should provide valuable clues as to links between supernovae, black holes and gamma-ray bursts. Lo-res JPG (22 Kb) Hi-res TIFF (5800 Kb) Cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are flashes of gamma rays that can last from less than a second to a few minutes and occur at random positions in the sky. A large fraction of them is thought to result when a black hole is created from a dying star in a distant galaxy. Astronomers believe that a hot disc surrounding the black hole, made of gas and matter falling onto it, somehow emits an energetic beam parallel to the axis of rotation. According to the simplest picture, all GRBs

A CORRELATED STUDY OF OPTICAL AND X-RAY AFTERGLOWS OF GRBs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Liang; Ryde, Felix [Department of Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Wu, Xue-Feng [Chinese Center for Antarctic Astronomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Huang, Yong-Feng; Tang, Qing-Wen; Geng, Jin-Jun [Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, Jiangsu (China); Wang, Xiang-Gao; Liang, En-Wei [GXU-NAOC Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Department of Physics, Guangxi University, Nanjing 530004 (China); Liang, Yun-Feng [Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China); Zhang, Bin-Bin [Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR), University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Wang, Yu [Dip. di Fisica and ICRA, Sapienza Universit di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Rome (Italy); Wei, Jian-Yan [National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100012 (China); Zhang, Bing, E-mail: fryde@kth.se, E-mail: liang.li@fysik.su.se [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States)

2015-05-20

We study an extensive sample of 87 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) for which there are well-sampled and simultaneous optical and X-ray light curves. We extract the cleanest possible signal of the afterglow component and compare the temporal behaviors of the X-ray light curve, observed by Swift XRT, and optical data, observed by UVOT and ground-based telescopes for each individual burst. Overall we find that 62% of the GRBs are consistent with the standard afterglow model. When more advanced modeling is invoked, up to 91% of the bursts in our sample may be consistent with the external-shock model. A large fraction of these bursts are consistent with occurring in a constant interstellar density medium (61%) while only 39% of them occur in a wind-like medium. Only nine cases have afterglow light curves that exactly match the standard fireball model prediction, having a single power-law decay in both energy bands that are observed during their entire duration. In particular, for the bursts with chromatic behavior, additional model assumptions must be made over limited segments of the light curves in order for these bursts to fully agree with the external-shock model. Interestingly, for 54% of the X-ray and 40% of the optical band observations, the end of the shallow decay (t{sup ∼−0.5}) period coincides with the jet-break (t{sup ∼−p}) time, causing an abrupt change in decay slope. The fraction of the burst that is consistent with the external-shock model is independent of the observational epochs in the rest frame of GRBs. Moreover, no cases can be explained by the cooling frequency crossing the X-ray or optical band.

The X-ray Telescope for the SWIFT Gamma-Ray Burst Mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wells, A.; Abbey, A.F.; Beardmore, A.; Mukerjee, K.; Osborne, J.P.; Watson, D.J.; Willingale, R.; Burrows, D. N.; Hill, J. E.; Nousek, J.A.; Miles, B.J.; Mori, K.; Morris, D.C.; Zugger, M.; Chincarini, G.; Campana, S.; Citterio, O.; Moretti, A.; Tagliaferri, G.; Bosworth, J.

2004-01-01

The X-ray Telescope (XRT) for the SWIFT mission, built by the international consortium from Pennsylvania State University (United States), University of Leicester (UK) and Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera (Italy), is already installed on the SWIFT spacecraft. The XRT has two key functions on SWIFT; to determine locations of GRBs to better than 5 arc seconds within 100 seconds of initial detection of a burst and to measure spectra and light curves of the X-ray afterglow over around four orders of magnitude of decay in the afterglow intensity. This paper summarises the XRT performance, operating modes and sensitivity for the detection of prompt and extended X-ray afterglows from gamma-ray bursts. The performance characteristics have been determined from data taken during the ground calibration campaign at MPE's Panter facility in September 2002

The Multi-Messenger Approach to High-Energy Gamma-Ray Sources

CERN Document Server

Paredes, Josep M; Torres, Diego F

2008-01-01

This book provides a theoretical and observational overview of the state of the art of gamma-ray astrophysics, and their impact and connection with the physics of cosmic rays and neutrinos. With the aim of shedding new and fresh light on the problem of the nature of the gamma-ray sources, particularly those yet unidentified, this book summarizes contributions to a workshop that continues with the series initiated by the meeting held at Tonantzintla in October 2000, and Hong-Kong in May 2004. This books will be of interest for all active researchers in the field of high energy astrophysics and astroparticle physics, as well as for graduate students entering into the subject.

Implications from the upper limit of radio afterglow emission of FRB 131104/Swift J0644.5-5111

OpenAIRE

Gao, He; Zhang, Bing

2016-01-01

A $\\gamma$-ray transient, Swift J0644.5-5111, has been claimed to be associated with FRB 131104. The $\\gamma$-ray energy output is estimated as $E_\\gamma \\approx 5\\times 10^{51}$\\,erg at the nominal $z\\approx 0.55$ redshift implied by the dispersion measure of FRB 131104. However, a long-term radio imaging follow-up observations only place an upper limit on the radio afterglow flux of Swift J0644.5-5111. Applying the external shock model, we make a detailed constraint on the afterglow paramet...

Gamma Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil; Meszaros, Peter

2012-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are bright flashes of gamma-rays coming from the cosmos. They occur roughly once per day ,last typically lOs of seconds and are the most luminous events in the universe. More than three decades after their discovery, and after pioneering advances from space and ground experiments, they still remain mysterious. The launch of the Swift and Fermi satellites in 2004 and 2008 brought in a trove of qualitatively new data. In this review we survey the interplay between these recent observations and the theoretical models of the prompt GRB emission and the subsequent afterglows.

High-energy photons and neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dar, A.

1998-01-01

The Hubble Space Telescope has recently discovered thousands of gigantic cometlike objects in a ring around the central star in the nearest planetary nebula. It is assumed that such circumstellar rings exist around the majority of stars. Collisions of relativistic debris from gamma-ray bursts (GRB) in dense stellar regions with such gigantic cometlike objects, which have been stripped off from the circumstellar rings by gravitational perturbations, produce detectable fluxes of high energy γ rays and neutrinos from GRBs

Absolute peak detection efficiencies of a Ge(Li) detector for high gamma-ray energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katagiri, Masaki

1985-11-01

Absolute peak detection efficiencies of a Ge(Li) detector for gamma-rays of 3.5 MeV to 12 MeV were measured using four (p,γ) reactions and a (n,γ) reaction. Two-line-method was used to obtaine peak detection efficiencies. The efficiencies with the both cases are agreed very well. Utilization of (n,γ) reaction is, therefore, effective for measuring these efficiencies, because high energy gamma-rays can be generated easily by using a neutron source. These results were applied to calibration of a gamma-ray standard source, emitting 6.13 MeV gamma-rays, and of intensities of 56 Co standard gamma-ray source. (author)

The relation of the colors of the optical afterglow of GRB030329/SN 2003dh to other afterglows

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimon, Vojtěch; Hudec, René; Pizzichini, G.

2005-01-01

Roč. 28, 04-05 (2005), s. 545-548 ISSN 0390-5551. [Gamma-Ray Burst in the Afterglow Era. Roma, 18.10.2004-22.10.2004] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA3003206 Keywords : gamma-ray sources * gamma-ray bursts * supernovae Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics

The two-component afterglow of Swift GRB 050802

Science.gov (United States)

Oates, S. R.; de Pasquale, M.; Page, M. J.; Blustin, A. J.; Zane, S.; McGowan, K.; Mason, K. O.; Poole, T. S.; Schady, P.; Roming, P. W. A.; Page, K. L.; Falcone, A.; Gehrels, N.

2007-09-01

This paper investigates GRB 050802, one of the best examples of a Swift gamma-ray burst afterglow that shows a break in the X-ray light curve, while the optical counterpart decays as a single power law. This burst has an optically bright afterglow of 16.5 mag, detected throughout the 170-650nm spectral range of the Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT) onboard Swift. Observations began with the X-ray Telescope and UVOT telescopes 286s after the initial trigger and continued for 1.2 ×106s. The X-ray light curve consists of three power-law segments: a rise until 420s, followed by a slow decay with α =0.63 +/-0.03 until 5000s, after which, the light curve decays faster with a slope of α3 =1.59 +/-0.03. The optical light curve decays as a single power law with αO =0.82 +/-0.03 throughout the observation. The X-ray data on their own are consistent with the break at 5000s being due to the end of energy injection. Modelling the optical to X-ray spectral energy distribution, we find that the optical afterglow cannot be produced by the same component as the X-ray emission at late times, ruling out a single-component afterglow. We therefore considered two-component jet models and find that the X-ray and optical emission is best reproduced by a model in which both components are energy injected for the duration of the observed afterglow and the X-ray break at 5000s is due to a jet break in the narrow component. This bright, well-observed burst is likely a guide for interpreting the surprising finding of Swift that bursts seldom display achromatic jet breaks.

Correlation between X-ray and high energy gamma-ray emission form Cygnus X-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.; Danaher, S.; Fegan, D.J.; Porter, N.A.

1981-01-01

In May-June 1980, the 4.8 hour modulated X-ray flux from Cygnus X-3 underwent a significant change in the shape of the light curve; this change correlates with the peak in the high-energy (E > 2 x 10 12 eV) gamma ray emission at the same epoch. (orig.)

Galactic and extragalactic hydrogen in the X-ray spectra of Gamma Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Rácz, I. I.; Bagoly, Z.; Tóth, L. V.; Balázs, L. G.; Horváth, I.; Pintér, S.

2017-07-01

Two types of emission can be observed from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs): the prompt emission from the central engine which can be observed in gamma or X-ray (as a low energy tail) and the afterglow from the environment in X-ray and at shorter frequencies. We examined the Swift XRT spectra with the XSPEC software. The correct estimation of the galactic interstellar medium is very important because we observe the host emission together with the galactic hydrogen absorption. We found that the estimated intrinsic hydrogen column density and the X-ray flux depend heavily on the redshift and the galactic foreground hydrogen. We also found that the initial parameters of the iteration and the cosmological parameters did not have much effect on the fitting result.

Wide field X-ray telescopes: Detecting X-ray transients/afterglows related to gamma ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudec, Rene; Pina, Ladislav; Inneman, Adolf; Gorenstein, Paul; Rezek, Tomas

1999-01-01

The recent discovery of X-ray afterglows of GRBs opens the possibility of analyses of GRBs by their X-ray detections. However, imaging X-ray telescopes in current use mostly have limited field of view. Alternative X-ray optics geometries achieving very large fields of view have been theoretically suggested in the 70ies but not constructed and used so far. We review the geometries and basic properties of the wide-field X-ray optical systems based on one- and two-dimensional lobster-eye geometry and suggest technologies for their development and construction. First results of the development of double replicated X-ray reflecting flats for use in one-dimensional X-ray optics of lobster eye type are presented and discussed. Optimum strategy for locating GRBs upon their X-ray counterparts is also presented and discussed

The goals of gamma-ray spectroscopy in high energy astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Lingenfelter, Richard E.; Higdon, James C.; Leventhal, Marvin; Ramaty, Reuven; Woosley, Stanford E.

1990-01-01

The use of high resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy in astrophysics is discussed with specific attention given to the application of the Nuclear Astrophysics Explorer (NAE). The gamma-ray lines from nuclear transitions in radionucleic decay and positron annihilation permits the study of current sites, rates and models of nucleosynthesis, and galactic structure. Diffuse galactic emission is discussed, and the high-resolution observations of gamma-ray lines from discrete sites are also described. Interstellar mixing and elemental abundances can also be inferred from high-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy of nucleosynthetic products. Compact objects can also be examined by means of gamma-ray emissions, allowing better understanding of neutron stars and the accreting black hole near the galactic center. Solar physics can also be investigated by examining such features as solar-flare particle acceleration and atmospheric abundances.

Fermi-LAT Gamma-Ray Bursts and Insights from Swift

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, Judith L.

2010-01-01

A new revolution in Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) observations and theory has begun over the last two years since the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. The new window into high energy gamma-rays opened by the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) is providing insight into prompt emission mechanisms and possibly also afterglow physics. The LAT detected GRBs appear to be a new unique subset of extremely energetic and bright bursts compared to the large sample detected by Swift over the last 6 years. In this talk, I will discuss the context and recent discoveries from these LAT GRBs and the large database of broadband observations collected by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) and UV/Optical Telescope (UVOT). Through comparisons between the GRBs detected by Swift-BAT, G8M, and LAT, we can learn about the unique characteristics, physical differences, and the relationships between each population. These population characteristics provide insight into the different physical parameters that contribute to the diversity of observational GRB properties.

Long-term continuous energy injection in the afterglow of GRB 060729

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Ming; Huang Yongfeng; Lu Tan

2009-01-01

A long plateau phase and an amazing level of brightness have been observed in the X-ray afterglow of GRB 060729. This peculiar light curve is likely due to long-term energy injection in external shock. Here, we present a detailed numerical study of the energy injection process of magnetic dipole radiation from a strongly magnetized millisecond pulsar and model the multi-band afterglow observations. It is found that this model can successfully explain the long plateaus in the observed X-ray and optical afterglow light curves. The sharp break following the plateaus could be due to the rapid decline of the emission power of the central pulsar. At an even later time (∼ 5 x 10 6 s), an obvious jet break appears, which implies a relatively large half opening angle of θ ∼ 0.3 for the GRB ejecta. Due to the energy injection, the Lorentz factor of the outflow is still larger than two even at 10 7 s after the GRB trigger, making the X-ray afterglow of this burst detectable by Chandra even 642 d after the burst.

Radio Flares from Gamma-ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Kopač, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Kobayashi, S.; Virgili, F. J.; Harrison, R.; Japelj, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Melandri, A.; Gomboc, A.

2015-06-01

We present predictions of centimeter and millimeter radio emission from reverse shocks (RSs) in the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the goal of determining their detectability with current and future radio facilities. Using a range of GRB properties, such as peak optical brightness and time, isotropic equivalent gamma-ray energy, and redshift, we simulate radio light curves in a framework generalized for any circumburst medium structure and including a parameterization of the shell thickness regime that is more realistic than the simple assumption of thick- or thin-shell approximations. Building on earlier work by Mundell et al. and Melandri et al. in which the typical frequency of the RS was suggested to lie at radio rather than optical wavelengths at early times, we show that the brightest and most distinct RS radio signatures are detectable up to 0.1-1 day after the burst, emphasizing the need for rapid radio follow-up. Detection is easier for bursts with later optical peaks, high isotropic energies, lower circumburst medium densities, and at observing frequencies that are less prone to synchrotron self-absorption effects—typically above a few GHz. Given recent detections of polarized prompt gamma-ray and optical RS emission, we suggest that detection of polarized radio/millimeter emission will unambiguously confirm the presence of low-frequency RSs at early time.

RADIO FLARES FROM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopač, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Kobayashi, S.; Virgili, F. J.; Harrison, R.; Japelj, J.; Gomboc, A.; Guidorzi, C.; Melandri, A.

2015-01-01

We present predictions of centimeter and millimeter radio emission from reverse shocks (RSs) in the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the goal of determining their detectability with current and future radio facilities. Using a range of GRB properties, such as peak optical brightness and time, isotropic equivalent gamma-ray energy, and redshift, we simulate radio light curves in a framework generalized for any circumburst medium structure and including a parameterization of the shell thickness regime that is more realistic than the simple assumption of thick- or thin-shell approximations. Building on earlier work by Mundell et al. and Melandri et al. in which the typical frequency of the RS was suggested to lie at radio rather than optical wavelengths at early times, we show that the brightest and most distinct RS radio signatures are detectable up to 0.1–1 day after the burst, emphasizing the need for rapid radio follow-up. Detection is easier for bursts with later optical peaks, high isotropic energies, lower circumburst medium densities, and at observing frequencies that are less prone to synchrotron self-absorption effects—typically above a few GHz. Given recent detections of polarized prompt gamma-ray and optical RS emission, we suggest that detection of polarized radio/millimeter emission will unambiguously confirm the presence of low-frequency RSs at early time

Clustering of galaxies around gamma-ray burst sight-lines

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudilovsky, V.; Greiner, J.; Rau, A.

2013-01-01

-lines, as strong MgII tends to trace these sources. In this work, we test this expectation by calculating the two point angular correlation function of galaxies within 120'' (~470 h Kpc470h71-1Kpc at z ~ 0.4) of GRB afterglows. We compare the gamma-ray burst optical and near-infrared detector (GROND) GRB afterglow.......3. This result is contrary to the expectations from the MgII excess derived from GRB afterglow spectroscopy, although many confirmed galaxy counterparts to MgII absorbers may be too faint to detect in our sample-especially those at z > 1. We note that the addition of higher sensitivity Spitzer/IRAC or HST/WFC3......There is evidence of an overdensity of strong intervening MgII absorption line systems distributed along the lines of sight toward gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows relative to quasar sight-lines. If this excess is real, one should also expect an overdensity of field galaxies around GRB sight...

High-energy gamma-ray beams from Compton-backscattered laser light

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandorfi, A.M.; LeVine, M.J.; Thorn, C.E.; Giordano, G.; Matone, G.

1983-01-01

Collisions of light photons with relativistic electrons have previously been used to produce polarized #betta#-ray beams with modest (-10%) resolution but relatively low intensity. In contrast, the LEGS project (Laser + Electron Gamma Source) at Brookhaven will produce a very high flux (>2 x 10 7 s - 1 ) of background-free polarized #betta# rays whose energy will be determined to a high accuracy (δE = 2.3 MeV). Initially, 300(420)-MeV #betta# rays will be produced by backscattering uv light from the new 2.5(3.0)-GeV X-ray storage ring of the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). The LEGS facility will operate as one of many passive users of the NSLS. In a later stage of the project, a Free Electron Laser is expectred to extend the #betta#-ray energy up to 700 MeV

Plutonium characterisation with prompt high energy gamma-rays from (n,gamma) reactions for nuclear warhead dismantlement verification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Postelt, Frederik; Gerald, Kirchner [Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker-Centre for Science and Peace Research, Hamburg (Germany)

2015-07-01

Measurements of neutron induced gammas allow the characterisation of fissile material (i.e. plutonium and uranium), despite self- and additional shielding. Most prompt gamma-rays from radiative neutron capture reactions in fissile material have energies between 3 and 6.5 MeV. Such high energy photons have a high penetrability and therefore minimise shielding and self-absorption effects. They are also isotope specific and therefore well suited to determine the isotopic composition of fissile material. As they are non-destructive, their application in dismantlement verification is desirable. Disadvantages are low detector efficiencies at high gamma energies, as well as a high background of gammas which result from induced fission reactions in the fissile material, as well as delayed gammas from both, (n,f) and(n,gamma) reactions. In this talk, simulations of (n,gamma) measurements and their implications are presented. Their potential for characterising fissile material is assessed and open questions are addressed.

An optical spectrum of the afterglow of a gamma-ray burst at a redshift of z = 6.295.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawai, N; Kosugi, G; Aoki, K; Yamada, T; Totani, T; Ohta, K; Iye, M; Hattori, T; Aoki, W; Furusawa, H; Hurley, K; Kawabata, K S; Kobayashi, N; Komiyama, Y; Mizumoto, Y; Nomoto, K; Noumaru, J; Ogasawara, R; Sato, R; Sekiguchi, K; Shirasaki, Y; Suzuki, M; Takata, T; Tamagawa, T; Terada, H; Watanabe, J; Yatsu, Y; Yoshida, A

2006-03-09

The prompt gamma-ray emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) should be detectable out to distances of z > 10 (ref. 1), and should therefore provide an excellent probe of the evolution of cosmic star formation, reionization of the intergalactic medium, and the metal enrichment history of the Universe. Hitherto, the highest measured redshift for a GRB has been z = 4.50 (ref. 5). Here we report the optical spectrum of the afterglow of GRB 050904 obtained 3.4 days after the burst; the spectrum shows a clear continuum at the long-wavelength end of the spectrum with a sharp cut-off at around 9,000 A due to Lyman alpha absorption at z approximately 6.3 (with a damping wing). A system of absorption lines of heavy elements at z = 6.295 +/- 0.002 was also detected, yielding the precise measurement of the redshift. The Si ii fine-structure lines suggest a dense, metal-enriched environment around the progenitor of the GRB.

Very high energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.

1989-01-01

It is apparent that very high gamma-ray astronomy, at the very end of the electromagnetic spectrum, is just at the threshold of becoming an important channel of astronomical information. The author discusses how, to fully develop, it requires telescopes with improved minimum flux sensitivity; development of techniques that characterize the nature of the primary; more overlapping observations to remove any question of the reality of the detected phenomenon; more consistency in the application of statistics among experimenters and more openness about methods used; development of models that will predict the phenomenon to be expected rather than explain what has been observed; and more accurate calibrations to determine absolute fluxes and energies

DETERMINATION OF THE INTRINSIC LUMINOSITY TIME CORRELATION IN THE X-RAY AFTERGLOWS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dainotti, Maria Giovanna; Petrosian, Vahe'; Singal, Jack; Ostrowski, Michal

2013-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which have been observed up to redshifts z ≈ 9.5, can be good probes of the early universe and have the potential to test cosmological models. Dainotti's analysis of GRB Swift afterglow light curves with known redshifts and a definite X-ray plateau shows an anti-correlation between the rest-frame time when the plateau ends (the plateau end time) and the calculated luminosity at that time (or approximately an anti-correlation between plateau duration and luminosity). Here, we present an update of this correlation with a larger data sample of 101 GRBs with good light curves. Since some of this correlation could result from the redshift dependences of these intrinsic parameters, namely, their cosmological evolution, we use the Efron-Petrosian method to reveal the intrinsic nature of this correlation. We find that a substantial part of the correlation is intrinsic and describe how we recover it and how this can be used to constrain physical models of the plateau emission, the origin of which is still unknown. The present result could help to clarify the debated nature of the plateau emission

Observations of Early Optical Afterglows

OpenAIRE

Roming, Peter W. A.; Mason, Keith O.

2006-01-01

The Swift Ultra-Violet/Optical Telescope (UVOT) has performed extensive follow-up on 71 Swift Burst Alert Telescope triggered gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in its first ten months of operations. In this paper, we discuss some of the UV and optical properties of UVOT detected afterglows such as XRF 050406, the bright GRB 050525A, the high redshift GRB 050730, the early flaring GRB 050801, and others. We also discuss some of the implications of why 75% of GRB afterglows observed by UVOT in less than ...

INTEGRAL and XMM-Newton observations of the weak gamma-ray burst GRB 030227

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mereghetti, S.; Gotz, D.; Tiengo, A.

2003-01-01

We present International Gamma-Ray Astrophysical Laboratory ( INTEGRAL) and XMM-Newton observations of the prompt gamma-ray emission and the X-ray afterglow of GRB 030227, the first gamma-ray burst for which the quick localization obtained with the INTEGRAL Burst Alert System has led...

Afterglow Population Studies from Swift Follow-Up Observations of Fermi LAT GRBs

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, Judith L.; Oates, S. R.; McEnery, J.; Vasileiou, V.; Troja, E.; Gehrels, N.

2010-01-01

The small population of Fermi LAT detected GRBs discovered over the last year has been providing interesting and unexpected clues into GRB prompt and afterglow emission mechanisms. Over the last 5 years, it has been Swift that has provided the robust data set of UV/optical and X-ray afterglow observations that opened many windows into other components of GRB emission structure. We explore the new ability to utilize both of these observatories to study the same GRBs over 10 orders of magnitude in energy, although not always concurrently. Almost all LAT GRBs that have been followed-up by Swift within 1-day have been clearly detected and carefully observed. We will present the context of the lower-energy afterglows of this special subset of GRBs that has > 100 MeV emission compared to the hundreds in the Swift database that may or may not have been observed by LAT, and theorize upon the relationship between these properties and the origin of the high energy gamma-ray emission.

COS-B observation of the milky way in high-energy gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mayer-Hasselwander, H.A.; Lebrun, F.; Masnou, J.L.

1978-01-01

The Caravane Collaboration's gamma-ray astronomy experiment aboard ESA's satellite COS-B has been recording celestial gamma rays in the energy range from about 50 MeV to several GeV since August 1975. These observations covers the whole range of galactic longitude, thus making it possible to present here the first complete detailed gamma-ray survey of the Milky Way with greatly improved statistical accuracy and significantly better energy measurement than in the previous survey. The present work concentrates on the spatial aspects of the gamma radiation, including localised sources

Radiation processing with high-energy X-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleland, Marshall R.; Stichelbaut, Frederic

2009-01-01

The physical, chemical or biological characteristics of selected commercial products and materials can be improved by radiation processing. The ionizing energy can be provided by accelerated electrons with energies between 75 keV and 10 MeV, gamma rays from cobalt-60 with average energies of 1.25 MeV or X-rays with maximum energies up to 7.5 MeV. Electron beams are preferred for thin products, which are processed at high speeds. Gamma rays are used for products that are too thick for treatment with electron beams. High-energy X-rays can also be used for these purposes because their penetration in solid materials is similar to or even slightly greater than that of gamma rays. Previously, the use of X-rays had been inhibited by their slower processing rates and higher costs when compared with gamma rays. Since then, the price of cobalt-60 sources has been increased and the radiation intensity from high-energy, high-power X-ray generators has also increased. For facilities requiring at least 2 MCi of cobalt-60, the capital and operating costs of X-ray facilities with equivalent processing rates can be less than that of gamma-ray irradiators. Several high-energy electron beam facilities have been equipped with removable X-ray targets so that irradiation processes can be done with either type of ionizing energy. A new facility is now being built which will be used exclusively in the X-ray mode to sterilize medical products. Operation of this facility will show that high-energy, high-power X-ray generators are practical alternatives to large gamma-ray sources. (author)

Gamma-Ray Burst Dynamics and Afterglow Radiation from Adaptive Mesh Refinement, Special Relativistic Hydrodynamic Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

De Colle, Fabio; Granot, Jonathan; López-Cámara, Diego; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico

2012-02-01

We report on the development of Mezcal-SRHD, a new adaptive mesh refinement, special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) code, developed with the aim of studying the highly relativistic flows in gamma-ray burst sources. The SRHD equations are solved using finite-volume conservative solvers, with second-order interpolation in space and time. The correct implementation of the algorithms is verified by one-dimensional (1D) and multi-dimensional tests. The code is then applied to study the propagation of 1D spherical impulsive blast waves expanding in a stratified medium with ρvpropr -k , bridging between the relativistic and Newtonian phases (which are described by the Blandford-McKee and Sedov-Taylor self-similar solutions, respectively), as well as to a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrically symmetric impulsive jet propagating in a constant density medium. It is shown that the deceleration to nonrelativistic speeds in one dimension occurs on scales significantly larger than the Sedov length. This transition is further delayed with respect to the Sedov length as the degree of stratification of the ambient medium is increased. This result, together with the scaling of position, Lorentz factor, and the shock velocity as a function of time and shock radius, is explained here using a simple analytical model based on energy conservation. The method used for calculating the afterglow radiation by post-processing the results of the simulations is described in detail. The light curves computed using the results of 1D numerical simulations during the relativistic stage correctly reproduce those calculated assuming the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution for the evolution of the flow. The jet dynamics from our 2D simulations and the resulting afterglow light curves, including the jet break, are in good agreement with those presented in previous works. Finally, we show how the details of the dynamics critically depend on properly resolving the structure of the relativistic flow.

GAMMA-RAY BURST DYNAMICS AND AFTERGLOW RADIATION FROM ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT, SPECIAL RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Granot, Jonathan; López-Cámara, Diego

2012-01-01

We report on the development of Mezcal-SRHD, a new adaptive mesh refinement, special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) code, developed with the aim of studying the highly relativistic flows in gamma-ray burst sources. The SRHD equations are solved using finite-volume conservative solvers, with second-order interpolation in space and time. The correct implementation of the algorithms is verified by one-dimensional (1D) and multi-dimensional tests. The code is then applied to study the propagation of 1D spherical impulsive blast waves expanding in a stratified medium with ρ∝r –k , bridging between the relativistic and Newtonian phases (which are described by the Blandford-McKee and Sedov-Taylor self-similar solutions, respectively), as well as to a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrically symmetric impulsive jet propagating in a constant density medium. It is shown that the deceleration to nonrelativistic speeds in one dimension occurs on scales significantly larger than the Sedov length. This transition is further delayed with respect to the Sedov length as the degree of stratification of the ambient medium is increased. This result, together with the scaling of position, Lorentz factor, and the shock velocity as a function of time and shock radius, is explained here using a simple analytical model based on energy conservation. The method used for calculating the afterglow radiation by post-processing the results of the simulations is described in detail. The light curves computed using the results of 1D numerical simulations during the relativistic stage correctly reproduce those calculated assuming the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution for the evolution of the flow. The jet dynamics from our 2D simulations and the resulting afterglow light curves, including the jet break, are in good agreement with those presented in previous works. Finally, we show how the details of the dynamics critically depend on properly resolving the structure of the relativistic flow.

GAMMA-RAY BURST DYNAMICS AND AFTERGLOW RADIATION FROM ADAPTIVE MESH REFINEMENT, SPECIAL RELATIVISTIC HYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico [Astronomy and Astrophysics Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Granot, Jonathan [Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Lopez-Camara, Diego [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ap. 70-543, 04510 D.F. (Mexico)

2012-02-20

We report on the development of Mezcal-SRHD, a new adaptive mesh refinement, special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) code, developed with the aim of studying the highly relativistic flows in gamma-ray burst sources. The SRHD equations are solved using finite-volume conservative solvers, with second-order interpolation in space and time. The correct implementation of the algorithms is verified by one-dimensional (1D) and multi-dimensional tests. The code is then applied to study the propagation of 1D spherical impulsive blast waves expanding in a stratified medium with {rho}{proportional_to}r{sup -k}, bridging between the relativistic and Newtonian phases (which are described by the Blandford-McKee and Sedov-Taylor self-similar solutions, respectively), as well as to a two-dimensional (2D) cylindrically symmetric impulsive jet propagating in a constant density medium. It is shown that the deceleration to nonrelativistic speeds in one dimension occurs on scales significantly larger than the Sedov length. This transition is further delayed with respect to the Sedov length as the degree of stratification of the ambient medium is increased. This result, together with the scaling of position, Lorentz factor, and the shock velocity as a function of time and shock radius, is explained here using a simple analytical model based on energy conservation. The method used for calculating the afterglow radiation by post-processing the results of the simulations is described in detail. The light curves computed using the results of 1D numerical simulations during the relativistic stage correctly reproduce those calculated assuming the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution for the evolution of the flow. The jet dynamics from our 2D simulations and the resulting afterglow light curves, including the jet break, are in good agreement with those presented in previous works. Finally, we show how the details of the dynamics critically depend on properly resolving the structure of the

ON ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS AND THEIR RESULTANT GAMMA-RAYS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gavish, Eyal; Eichler, David [Physics Department, Ben-Gurion University, Be’er-Sheva 84105 (Israel)

2016-05-01

The Fermi Large Area Telescope collaboration has recently reported on 50 months of measurements of the isotropic extragalactic gamma-ray background (EGRB) spectrum between 100 MeV and 820 GeV. Ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) protons interact with the cosmic microwave background photons and produce cascade photons of energies 10 MeV–1 TeV that contribute to the EGRB flux. We examine seven possible evolution models for UHECRs and find that UHECR sources that evolve as the star formation rate (SFR), medium low luminosity active galactic nuclei type-1 ( L = 10{sup 43.5} erg s{sup −1} in the [0.5–2] KeV band), and BL Lacertae objects (BL Lacs) are the most acceptable given the constraints imposed by the observed EGRB. Other possibilities produce too much secondary γ -radiation. In all cases, the decaying dark matter (DM) contribution improves the fit at high energy, but the contribution of still unresolved blazars, which would leave the smallest role for decaying DM, may yet provide an alternative improvement. The possibility that the entire EGRB can be fitted with resolvable but not-yet-resolved blazars, as recently claimed by Ajello et al., would leave little room in the EGRB to accommodate γ -rays from extragalactic UHECR production, even for many source evolution rates that would otherwise be acceptable. We find that under the assumption of UHECRs being mostly protons, there is not enough room for producing extragalactic UHECRs with active galactic nucleus, gamma-ray burst, or even SFR source evolution. Sources that evolve as BL Lacs, on the other hand, would produce much less secondary γ -radiation and would remain a viable source of UHECRs, provided that they dominate.

FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GRB 080825C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdo, A. A.; Ackermann, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Bloom, E. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bouvier, A.; Asano, K.; Atwood, W. B.; Axelsson, M.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Ballet, J.; Band, D. L.; Barbiellini, G.; Bastieri, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Bissaldi, E.; Bonamente, E.

2009-01-01

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.

Ultra high energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wdowczyk, J.

1986-01-01

The experimental data on ultra high energy γ-rays are reviewed and a comparison of the properties of photon and proton initiated shower is made. The consequences of the existence of the strong ultra high energy γ-ray sources for other observations is analysed and possible mechanisms for the production of ultra high energy γ-rays in the sources are discussed. It is demonstrated that if the γ-rays are produced via cosmic ray interactions the sources have to produce very high fluxes of cosmic ray particles. In fact it is possible that a small number of such sources can supply the whole Galactic cosmic ray flux

Janus probe, a detection system for high energy reactor gamma-ray spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gold, R.; Kaiser, B.J.

1980-03-01

In reactor environments, gamma-ray spectra are continuous and the absolute magnitude as well as the general shape of the gamma continuum are of paramount importance. Consequently, conventional methods of gamma-ray detection are not suitable for in-core gamma-ray spectrometry. To meet these specific needs, a method of continuous gamma-ray spectrometry, namely Compton Recoil Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, was developed for in-situ observations of reactor environments. A new gamma-ray detection system has been developed which extends the applicability of Compton Recoil Gamma-Ray Spectrometry up to roughly 7 MeV. This detection system is comprised of two separate Si(Li) detectors placed face-to-face. Hence this new detection system is called the Janus probe. Also shown is the block diagram of pulse processing instrumentation for the Janus probe. This new gamma probe not only extends the upper energy limit of in-core gamma-ray spectrometry, but in addition possesses other fundamental advantages

Systematic search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars

Science.gov (United States)

H.E.S.S. Collaboration; Abdalla, H.; Abramowski, A.; Aharonian, F.; Ait Benkhali, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Andersson, T.; Angüner, E. O.; Arakawa, M.; Arrieta, M.; Aubert, P.; Backes, M.; Balzer, A.; Barnard, M.; Becherini, Y.; Becker Tjus, J.; Berge, D.; Bernhard, S.; Bernlöhr, K.; Blackwell, R.; Böttcher, M.; Boisson, C.; Bolmont, J.; Bordas, P.; Bregeon, J.; Brun, F.; Brun, P.; Bryan, M.; Büchele, M.; Bulik, T.; Capasso, M.; Carr, J.; Casanova, S.; Cerruti, M.; Chakraborty, N.; Chalme-Calvet, R.; Chaves, R. C. G.; Chen, A.; Chevalier, J.; Chrétien, M.; Coffaro, M.; Colafrancesco, S.; Cologna, G.; Condon, B.; Conrad, J.; Cui, Y.; Davids, I. D.; Decock, J.; Degrange, B.; Deil, C.; Devin, J.; deWilt, P.; Dirson, L.; Djannati-Ataï, A.; Domainko, W.; Donath, A.; Drury, L. O.'C.; Dutson, K.; Dyks, J.; Edwards, T.; Egberts, K.; Eger, P.; Ernenwein, J.-P.; Eschbach, S.; Farnier, C.; Fegan, S.; Fernandes, M. V.; Fiasson, A.; Fontaine, G.; Förster, A.; Funk, S.; Füßling, M.; Gabici, S.; Gajdus, M.; Gallant, Y. A.; Garrigoux, T.; Giavitto, G.; Giebels, B.; Glicenstein, J. F.; Gottschall, D.; Goyal, A.; Grondin, M.-H.; Hahn, J.; Haupt, M.; Hawkes, J.; Heinzelmann, G.; Henri, G.; Hermann, G.; Hervet, O.; Hinton, J. A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoischen, C.; Holler, M.; Horns, D.; Ivascenko, A.; Iwasaki, H.; Jacholkowska, A.; Jamrozy, M.; Janiak, M.; Jankowsky, D.; Jankowsky, F.; Jingo, M.; Jogler, T.; Jouvin, L.; Jung-Richardt, I.; Kastendieck, M. A.; Katarzyński, K.; Katsuragawa, M.; Katz, U.; Kerszberg, D.; Khangulyan, D.; Khélifi, B.; Kieffer, M.; King, J.; Klepser, S.; Klochkov, D.; Kluźniak, W.; Kolitzus, D.; Komin, Nu.; Kosack, K.; Krakau, S.; Kraus, M.; Krüger, P. P.; Laffon, H.; Lamanna, G.; Lau, J.; Lees, J.-P.; Lefaucheur, J.; Lefranc, V.; Lemière, A.; Lemoine-Goumard, M.; Lenain, J.-P.; Leser, E.; Lohse, T.; Lorentz, M.; Liu, R.; López-Coto, R.; Lypova, I.; Marandon, V.; Marcowith, A.; Mariaud, C.; Marx, R.; Maurin, G.; Maxted, N.; Mayer, M.; Meintjes, P. J.; Meyer, M.; Mitchell, A. M. W.; Moderski, R.; Mohamed, M.; Mohrmann, L.; Morå, K.; Moulin, E.; Murach, T.; Nakashima, S.; de Naurois, M.; Niederwanger, F.; Niemiec, J.; Oakes, L.; O'Brien, P.; Odaka, H.; Öttl, S.; Ohm, S.; Ostrowski, M.; Oya, I.; Padovani, M.; Panter, M.; Parsons, R. D.; Pekeur, N. W.; Pelletier, G.; Perennes, C.; Petrucci, P.-O.; Peyaud, B.; Piel, Q.; Pita, S.; Poon, H.; Prokhorov, D.; Prokoph, H.; Pühlhofer, G.; Punch, M.; Quirrenbach, A.; Raab, S.; Reimer, A.; Reimer, O.; Renaud, M.; de los Reyes, R.; Richter, S.; Rieger, F.; Romoli, C.; Rowell, G.; Rudak, B.; Rulten, C. B.; Sahakian, V.; Saito, S.; Salek, D.; Sanchez, D. A.; Santangelo, A.; Sasaki, M.; Schlickeiser, R.; Schüssler, F.; Schulz, A.; Schwanke, U.; Schwemmer, S.; Seglar-Arroyo, M.; Settimo, M.; Seyffert, A. S.; Shafi, N.; Shilon, I.; Simoni, R.; Sol, H.; Spanier, F.; Spengler, G.; Spies, F.; Stawarz, Ł.; Steenkamp, R.; Stegmann, C.; Stycz, K.; Sushch, I.; Takahashi, T.; Tavernet, J.-P.; Tavernier, T.; Taylor, A. M.; Terrier, R.; Tibaldo, L.; Tiziani, D.; Tluczykont, M.; Trichard, C.; Tsuji, N.; Tuffs, R.; Uchiyama, Y.; van der Walt, D. J.; van Eldik, C.; van Rensburg, C.; van Soelen, B.; Vasileiadis, G.; Veh, J.; Venter, C.; Viana, A.; Vincent, P.; Vink, J.; Voisin, F.; Völk, H. J.; Vuillaume, T.; Wadiasingh, Z.; Wagner, S. J.; Wagner, P.; Wagner, R. M.; White, R.; Wierzcholska, A.; Willmann, P.; Wörnlein, A.; Wouters, D.; Yang, R.; Zabalza, V.; Zaborov, D.; Zacharias, M.; Zanin, R.; Zdziarski, A. A.; Zech, A.; Zefi, F.; Ziegler, A.; Żywucka, N.

2018-04-01

Context. Runaway stars form bow shocks by ploughing through the interstellar medium at supersonic speeds and are promising sources of non-thermal emission of photons. One of these objects has been found to emit non-thermal radiation in the radio band. This triggered the development of theoretical models predicting non-thermal photons from radio up to very-high-energy (VHE, E ≥ 0.1 TeV) gamma rays. Subsequently, one bow shock was also detected in X-ray observations. However, the data did not allow discrimination between a hot thermal and a non-thermal origin. Further observations of different candidates at X-ray energies showed no evidence for emission at the position of the bow shocks either. A systematic search in the Fermi-LAT energy regime resulted in flux upper limits for 27 candidates listed in the E-BOSS catalogue. Aim. Here we perform the first systematic search for VHE gamma-ray emission from bow shocks of runaway stars. Methods: Using all available archival H.E.S.S. data we search for very-high-energy gamma-ray emission at the positions of bow shock candidates listed in the second E-BOSS catalogue release. Out of the 73 bow shock candidates in this catalogue, 32 have been observed with H.E.S.S. Results: None of the observed 32 bow shock candidates in this population study show significant emission in the H.E.S.S. energy range. Therefore, flux upper limits are calculated in five energy bins and the fraction of the kinetic wind power that is converted into VHE gamma rays is constrained. Conclusions: Emission from stellar bow shocks is not detected in the energy range between 0.14 and 18 TeV.The resulting upper limits constrain the level of VHE gamma-ray emission from these objects down to 0.1-1% of the kinetic wind energy.

Real-time image parameterization in high energy gamma-ray astronomy using transputers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Punch, M.; Fegan, D.J.

1991-01-01

Recently, significant advances in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray astronomy have been made by parameterization of the Cherenkov images arising from gamma-ray initiated showers in the Earth's atmosphere. A prototype system to evaluate the use of Transputers as a parallel-processing elements for real-time analysis of data from a Cherenkov imaging camera is described in this paper. The operation of and benefits resulting from such a system are described, and the viability of an applicaiton of the prototype system is discussed

Gamma ray energy tracking in GRETINA

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, I. Y.

2011-10-01

The next generation of stable and exotic beam accelerators will provide physics opportunities to study nuclei farther away from the line of stability. However, these experiments will be more demanding on instrumentation performance. These come from the lower production rate for more exotic beams, worse beam impurities, and large beam velocity from the fragmentation and inverse reactions. Gamma-ray spectroscopy will be one of the most effective tools to study exotic nuclei. However, to fully exploit the physics reach provided by these new facilities, better gamma-ray detector will be needed. In the last 10 years, a new concept, gamma-ray energy tracking array, was developed. Tracking arrays will increase the detection sensitivity by factors of several hundred compared to current arrays used in nuclear physics research. Particularly, the capability of reconstructing the position of the interaction with millimeters resolution is needed to correct the Doppler broadening of gamma rays emitted from high velocity nuclei. GRETINA is a gamma-ray tracking array which uses 28 Ge crystals, each with 36 segments, to cover ¼ of the 4 π of the 4 π solid angle. The gamma ray tracking technique requires detailed pulse shape information from each of the segments. These pulses are digitized using 14-bit 100 MHz flash ADCs, and digital signal analysis algorithms implemented in the on-board FPGAs provides energy, time and selection of pulse traces. A digital trigger system, provided flexible trigger functions including a fast trigger output, and also allows complicated trigger decisions to be made up to 20 microseconds. Further analyzed, carried out in a computer cluster, determine the energy, time, and three-dimensional positions of all gamma-ray interactions in the array. This information is then utilized, together with the characteristics of Compton scattering and pair-production processes, to track the scattering sequences of the gamma rays. GRETINA construction is completed in

Numerical simulations on efficiency and measurement of capabilities of BGO detectors for high energy gamma ray

CERN Document Server

Wen Wan Xin

2002-01-01

The energy resolution and time resolution of two phi 75 x 100 BGO detectors for high energy gamma ray newly made were measured with sup 1 sup 3 sup 7 Cs and sup 6 sup 0 Co resources. The two characteristic gamma rays of high energy emitted from the thermal neutron capture of germanium in BGO crystal were used for the energy calibration of gamma spectra. The intrinsic photopeak efficiency, single escape probability and double escape probabilities of BGO detectors in photon energy range of 4-30 MeV are numerically calculated with GEANT code. The real count response and count ratio of the uniformly distributed incident photons in energy range of 0-30 MeV are also calculated. The distortion of gamma spectra caused by the photon energy loss extension to lower energy in detection medium is discussed

Gamma-Ray Bursts: Lighting Up the High-Redshift Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Toy, Vicki Louise

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most luminous events in the Universe with Egamma,iso ˜ 1048-54 erg. Leading models hypothesize that GRBs are created from inter- nal collisions within collimated and ultrarelativistic jets. The jets then shock-heat the surrounding material (e.g. interstellar medium) to create GRB afterglows. These afterglows are extremely useful probes of the Universe because long GRBs are (1) bright events that can be used as backlights for absorption studies, (2) able to probe at all redshifts massive stars exist, and (3) transient events that allow us to follow- up on the host galaxies at late times. In this thesis we study the environments of GRBs. We first explore the relationship between GRB and supernova (SN) using a nearby GRB-SN (GRB 130702A/SN 2013dx) at z = 0.145. There are only nine other GRB-SNe that were close enough to have extensive spectroscopic and photometric follow-up of the SN at late times. We create a quasi-bolometic light curve of SN 2013dx and fit an analytical equation to the quasi-bolometric light curve combined with measurements of the photospheric velocity to determine SN parameters: mass of 56Ni, kinetic energy, and ejecta mass. We examine the relationship between SN parameters and E gamma,iso for the 10 well-studied GRB-SNe, but find no correlations despite numerical simulation predictions that the mass of 56Ni should correlate with the degree of asymmetry. We then move to larger distance scales and use GRB afterglows as bright back- lights to study distant galaxies. We examine the galactic environments of Damped Lyman-alpha systems (DLAs; NHI ≥ 1020.3 cm-2 ) identified with GRB afterglows at z ˜ 2 - 6. We use late-time photometry after the GRB afterglow has faded to determine star formation rates (SFRs) from rest-frame ultraviolet measurements or spectral energy distribution (SED) models from multiband photometry. We com- pare our sample's SFRs to a sample of quasars (QSOs) DLA host galaxies. Despite the

High-energy gamma-ray emission from solar flares: Constraining the accelerated proton spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, David; Dunphy, Philip P.; Mackinnon, Alexander L.

1994-01-01

Using a multi-component model to describe the gamma-ray emission, we investigate the flares of December 16, 1988 and March 6, 1989 which exhibited unambiguous evidence of neutral pion decay. The observations are then combined with theoretical calculations of pion production to constrain the accelerated proton spectra. The detection of pi(sup 0) emission alone can indicate much about the energy distribution and spectral variation of the protons accelerated to pion producing energies. Here both the intensity and detailed spectral shape of the Doppler-broadened pi(sup 0) decay feature are used to determine the spectral form of the accelerated proton energy distribution. The Doppler width of this gamma-ray emission provides a unique diagnostic of the spectral shape at high energies, independent of any normalisation. To our knowledge, this is the first time that this diagnostic has been used to constrain the proton spectra. The form of the energetic proton distribution is found to be severely limited by the observed intensity and Doppler width of the pi(sup 0) decay emission, demonstrating effectively the diagnostic capabilities of the pi(sup 0) decay gamma-rays. The spectral index derived from the gamma-ray intensity is found to be much harder than that derived from the Doppler width. To reconcile this apparent discrepancy we investigate the effects of introducing a high-energy cut-off in the accelerated proton distribution. With cut-off energies of around 0.5-0.8 GeV and relatively hard spectra, the observed intensities and broadening can be reproduced with a single energetic proton distribution above the pion production threshold.

The Average Temporal and Spectral Evolution of Gamma-Ray Bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fenimore, E.E.

1999-01-01

We have averaged bright BATSE bursts to uncover the average overall temporal and spectral evolution of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We align the temporal structure of each burst by setting its duration to a standard duration, which we call T left-angleDurright-angle . The observed average open-quotes aligned T left-angleDurright-angle close quotes profile for 32 bright bursts with intermediate durations (16 - 40 s) has a sharp rise (within the first 20% of T left-angleDurright-angle ) and then a linear decay. Exponentials and power laws do not fit this decay. In particular, the power law seen in the X-ray afterglow (∝T -1.4 ) is not observed during the bursts, implying that the X-ray afterglow is not just an extension of the average temporal evolution seen during the gamma-ray phase. The average burst spectrum has a low-energy slope of -1.03, a high-energy slope of -3.31, and a peak in the νF ν distribution at 390 keV. We determine the average spectral evolution. Remarkably, it is also a linear function, with the peak of the νF ν distribution given by ∼680-600(T/T left-angleDurright-angle ) keV. Since both the temporal profile and the peak energy are linear functions, on average, the peak energy is linearly proportional to the intensity. This behavior is inconsistent with the external shock model. The observed temporal and spectral evolution is also inconsistent with that expected from variations in just a Lorentz factor. Previously, trends have been reported for GRB evolution, but our results are quantitative relationships that models should attempt to explain. copyright copyright 1999. The American Astronomical Society

Method of incident low-energy gamma-ray direction reconstruction in the GAMMA-400 gamma-ray space telescope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kheymits, M D; Leonov, A A; Zverev, V G; Galper, A M; Arkhangelskaya, I V; Arkhangelskiy, A I; Yurkin, Yu T; Bakaldin, A V; Suchkov, S I; Topchiev, N P; Dalkarov, O D

2016-01-01

The GAMMA-400 gamma-ray space-based telescope has as its main goals to measure cosmic γ-ray fluxes and the electron-positron cosmic-ray component produced, theoretically, in dark-matter-particles decay or annihilation processes, to search for discrete γ-ray sources and study them in detail, to examine the energy spectra of diffuse γ-rays — both galactic and extragalactic — and to study gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and γ-rays from the active Sun. Scientific goals of GAMMA-400 telescope require fine angular resolution. The telescope is of a pair-production type. In the converter-tracker, the incident gamma-ray photon converts into electron-positron pair in the tungsten layer and then the tracks are detected by silicon- strip position-sensitive detectors. Multiple scattering processes become a significant obstacle in the incident-gamma direction reconstruction for energies below several gigaelectronvolts. The method of utilising this process to improve the resolution is proposed in the presented work. (paper)

Experimental techniques for the detection of the high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, Gh.; Angelescu, T.; Radu, A.A.

2002-01-01

The observation of high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin in the early 90 by Volcano Ranch experiment opened a new direction of study in astrophysics. The very high energy and the very low flux of these gamma rays, posed numerous detection problems which in turn were the object of a very intense research activity. The present article tries to review the detection techniques for the high energy gamma rays of cosmic origin. In the 'Introduction' we summarize the specific problems involved in the detection of this type of radiation. 'Chapter 1' presents the classic technique based on the use of scintillation detectors. 'Chapter 2' includes the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique (IACT) and the sampling wavefront technique. 'Chapter 3' is dedicated to the detection of the atmospheric nitrogen. 'Chapter 4' describes issues related to the calibration of the detectors, the cross checking of the experimental data, the use of the Monte Carlo simulations and the use of the density observed at a distance of 600 m S(600), in order to estimate the primary energy. The characteristics of some future developments of the above presented techniques are included in the last chapter. (authors)

GEMINI SPECTROSCOPY OF THE SHORT-HARD GAMMA-RAY BURST GRB 130603B AFTERGLOW AND HOST GALAXY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cucchiara, A.; Prochaska, J. X.; Werk, J. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, UCO/Lick Observatory, University of California, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Perley, D.; Cao, Y. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cenko, S. B. [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Cardwell, A.; Turner, J. [Gemini South Observatory, AURA, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Bloom, J. S. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States); Cobb, B. E., E-mail: acucchia@ucolick.org [The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States)

2013-11-10

We present early optical photometry and spectroscopy of the afterglow and host galaxy of the bright short-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 130603B discovered by the Swift satellite. Using our Target of Opportunity program on the Gemini South telescope, our prompt optical spectra reveal a strong trace from the afterglow superimposed on continuum and emission lines from the z = 0.3568 ± 0.0005 host galaxy. The combination of a relatively bright optical afterglow (r' = 21.52 at Δt = 8.4 hr), together with an observed offset of 0.''9 from the host nucleus (4.8 kpc projected distance at z = 0.3568), allow us to extract a relatively clean spectrum dominated by afterglow light. Furthermore, the spatially resolved spectrum allows us to constrain the properties of the explosion site directly, and compare these with the host galaxy nucleus, as well as other short-duration GRB host galaxies. We find that while the host is a relatively luminous (L∼0.8 L{sup *}{sub B}), star-forming (SFR = 1.84 M{sub ☉} yr{sup –1}) galaxy with almost solar metallicity, the spectrum of the afterglow exhibits weak Ca II absorption features but negligible emission features. The explosion site therefore lacks evidence of recent star formation, consistent with the relatively long delay time distribution expected in a compact binary merger scenario. The star formation rate (SFR; both in an absolute sense and normalized to the luminosity) and metallicity of the host are both consistent with the known sample of short-duration GRB hosts and with recent results which suggest GRB 130603B emission to be the product of the decay of radioactive species produced during the merging process of a neutron-star-neutron-star binary ({sup k}ilonova{sup )}. Ultimately, the discovery of more events similar to GRB 130603B and their rapid follow-up from 8 m class telescopes will open new opportunities for our understanding of the final stages of compact-objects binary systems and provide crucial

Large-area atmospheric Cherenkov detectors for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ong, R.A.

1996-01-01

This paper describes the development of new ground-based gamma-ray detectors to explore the energy region between 20 and 200 GeV. This region in energy is interesting because it is currently unexplored by any experiment. The proposed detectors use the atmospheric Cherenkov technique, in which Cherenkov radiation produced in the gamma-ray air showers is detected using mirrors and light-sensitive devices. The important feature of the proposed experiments is the use of large mirror collection areas, which should allow for a significant improvement (i.e. reduction) in energy threshold over existing experiments. Large mirror areas are available for relatively low cost at central tower solar power plants, and there are two groups developing gamma-ray experiments using solar heliostat arrays. This paper summarizes the progress in the design of experiments using this novel approach

FERMI OBSERVATIONS OF HIGH-ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM GRB 090217A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackermann, M.; Ajello, M.; Bechtol, K.; Berenji, B.; Blandford, R. D.; Borgland, A. W.; Bouvier, A.; Baldini, L.; Bellazzini, R.; Bregeon, J.; Brez, A.; Ballet, J.; Barbiellini, G.; Baring, M. G.; Bastieri, D.; Bhat, P. N.; Briggs, M. S.; Bissaldi, E.; Bonamente, E.; Brigida, M.

2010-01-01

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 9σ. 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 ∼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.

High-energy gamma-ray astronomy and the COS-B mission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wills, R.D.

1977-01-01

The most significant results in gamma-ray astronomy have been produced by satellite- and balloon-borne instruments sensitive in the range 30 MeV to approximately 10 GeV. The COS-B instrument which is described is typical of this type of detector. For this reason the review of gamma-ray production mechanisms gives greater attention to those processes which are specifically important in that energy range. (orig.) [de

A review of gamma ray bursts

CERN Document Server

Rees, Martin J

2000-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts, an enigma for more than 25 years, are now coming into focus. They involve extraordinary power outputs, and highly relativistic dynamics. The 'trigger' involves stellar-mass compact objects. The most plausible progenitors, ranging from neutron star binary mergers to collapsars (sometimes called 'hypernovae') eventually lead to the formation of a black hole with a torus of hot neutron-density material around it, the extractable energy being up to 10 sup 5 sup 4 ergs. Magnetic fields may exceed 10 sup 1 sup 5 G and particles may be accelerated up to > or approx. 10 sup 2 sup 0 eV. Details of the afterglow may be easier to understand than the initial trigger. Bursts at very high redshift can be astronomically-important as probes of the distant universe.

GRB 110530A: Peculiar Broad Bump and Delayed Plateau in Early Optical Afterglows

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Shu-Qing; Xin, Li-Ping; Liang, En-Wei; Wei, Jian-Yan; Urata, Yuji; Huang, Kui-Yun; Qiu, Yu-Lei; Deng, Can-Min; Wang, Yuan-Zhu; Deng, Jin-Song

2016-11-01

We report our very early optical observations of GRB 110530A and investigate its jet properties together with its X-ray afterglow data. A peculiar broad onset bump followed by a plateau is observed in its early R band afterglow light curve. The optical data in the other bands and the X-ray data are well consistent with the temporal feature of the R band light curve. Our joint spectral fits of the optical and X-ray data show that they are in the same regime, with a photon index of ∼1.70. The optical and X-ray afterglow light curves are well fitted with the standard external shock model by considering a delayed energy injection component. Based on our modeling results, we find that the radiative efficiency of the gamma-ray burst jet is ∼ 1 % and the magnetization parameter of the afterglow jet is \\lt 0.04 with a derived extremely low {ε }B (the ratio of shock energy to the magnetic field) of (1.64+/- 0.25)× {10}-6. These results indicate that the jet may be matter dominated. A discussion on delayed energy injection from the accretion of the late fall-back material of its pre-supernova star is also presented.

On the high energy gamma ray spectrum and the particle production model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohta, Itaru; Tezuka, Ikuo.

1979-01-01

A small emulsion chamber, 25 cm x 20 cm in area and 12 radiation lengths in thick, was exposed with JAL jet-cargo at an atmospheric depth of 260 g/cm 2 during 150 hrs. The gamma ray spectrum derived by combining data from X-ray films and nuclear emulsions is well represented by I sub(r) (>=Er) = (3.65 +- 0.30) x 10 -8 [E sub(r)/TeV]sup(-1.89+0.06-0.09)/cm 2 sr sec in the energy range 200 - 3,000 GeV. This result is in good agreement with those of several other groups. We discuss our data in terms of Feynman's and Koba-Nielsen-Olesen's scaling law of high energy particle production model. Interpreted in terms of an assumption of mild violation of the scaling law as x.d delta-s / delta-s indx = AE sup(2a)exp (-BE sup(a)x), our gamma ray spectrum results suggest an existence of a violation parameter of a = 0.18, which is consistent with results from gamma ray spectrum observations at great depth such as the mountain elevations. (author)

High-energy Emission from Nonrelativistic Radiative Shocks: Application to Gamma-Ray Novae

Science.gov (United States)

Vurm, Indrek; Metzger, Brian D.

2018-01-01

The observation of GeV gamma-rays from novae by Fermi/LAT demonstrates that the nonrelativistic radiative shocks in these systems can accelerate particles to energies of at least ∼10 GeV. The low-energy extension of the same nonthermal particle distribution inevitably gives rise to emission in the hard X-ray band. Above ≳ 10 {keV}, this radiation can escape the system without significant absorption/attenuation, and can potentially be detected by NuSTAR. We present theoretical models for hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission from radiative shocks in both leptonic and hadronic scenarios, accounting for the rapid evolution of the downstream properties due to the fast cooling of thermal plasma. We find that due to strong Coulomb losses, only a fraction of {10}-4{--}{10}-3 of the gamma-ray luminosity is radiated in the NuSTAR band; nevertheless, this emission could be detectable simultaneously with the LAT emission in bright gamma-ray novae with a ∼50 ks exposure. The spectral slope in hard X-rays is α ≈ 0 for typical nova parameters, thus serving as a testable prediction of the model. Our work demonstrates how combined hard X-ray and gamma-ray observations can be used to constrain properties of the nova outflow (velocity, density, and mass outflow rate) and particle acceleration at the shock. A very low X-ray to gamma-ray luminosity ratio ({L}{{X}}/{L}γ ≲ 5× {10}-4) would disfavor leptonic models for the gamma-ray emission. Our model can also be applied to other astrophysical environments with radiative shocks, including SNe IIn and colliding winds in massive star binaries.

HIGH-ENERGY ELECTROMAGNETIC OFFLINE FOLLOW-UP OF LIGO-VIRGO GRAVITATIONAL-WAVE BINARY COALESCENCE CANDIDATE EVENTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blackburn, L.; Camp, J. [NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Briggs, M. S.; Connaughton, V.; Jenke, P. [University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, AL (United States); Christensen, N. [Carleton College, Northfield, MN (United States); Remillard, R. A. [Massachussetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (United States); Veitch, J. [University of Birmingham, Birmingham (United Kingdom)

2015-03-15

We present two different search methods for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave (GW) events from ground-based detectors using archival NASA high-energy data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and RXTE All-sky Monitor (ASM) instruments. To demonstrate the methods, we use a limited number of representative GW background noise events produced by a search for binary neutron star coalescence over the last two months of the LIGO-Virgo S6/VSR3 joint science run. Time and sky location provided by the GW data trigger a targeted search in the high-energy photon data. We use two custom pipelines: one to search for prompt gamma-ray counterparts in GBM, and the other to search for a variety of X-ray afterglow model signals in ASM. We measure the efficiency of the joint pipelines to weak gamma-ray burst counterparts, and a family of model X-ray afterglows. By requiring a detectable signal in either electromagnetic instrument coincident with a GW event, we are able to reject a large majority of GW candidates. This reduces the signal-to-noise ratio of the loudest surviving GW background event by around 15–20%.

High-Energy Electromagnetic Offline Follow-Up of Ligo-Virgo Gravitational-Wave Binary Coalescence Candidate Events

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, L.; Briggs, M. S.; Camp, J.; Christensen, N.; Connaughton, V.; Jenke, P.; Remillard, R. A.; Veitch, J.

2015-01-01

We present two different search methods for electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational-wave (GW) events from ground-based detectors using archival NASA high-energy data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and RXTE All-sky Monitor (ASM) instruments. To demonstrate the methods, we use a limited number of representative GW background noise events produced by a search for binary neutron star coalescence over the last two months of the LIGO-Virgo S6/VSR3 joint science run. Time and sky location provided by the GW data trigger a targeted search in the high-energy photon data. We use two custom pipelines: one to search for prompt gamma-ray counterparts in GBM, and the other to search for a variety of X-ray afterglow model signals in ASM. We measure the efficiency of the joint pipelines to weak gamma-ray burst counterparts, and a family of model X-ray afterglows. By requiring a detectable signal in either electromagnetic instrument coincident with a GW event, we are able to reject a large majority of GW candidates. This reduces the signal-to-noise ratio of the loudest surviving GW background event by around 15-20 percent.

Modeling the Multiband Afterglows of GRB 060614 and GRB 060908: Further Evidence for a Double Power-law Hard Electron Energy Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Q.; Xiong, S. L.; Song, L. M.

2018-04-01

Electrons accelerated in relativistic collisionless shocks are usually assumed to follow a power-law energy distribution with an index of p. Observationally, although most gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have afterglows that are consistent with p > 2, there are still a few GRBs suggestive of a hard (p law hard electron energy (DPLH) spectrum with 1 2 and an “injection break” assumed as γ b ∝ γ q in the highly relativistic regime, where γ is the bulk Lorentz factor of the jet. In this paper, we show that GRB 060614 and GRB 060908 provide further evidence for such a DPLH spectrum. We interpret the multiband afterglow of GRB 060614 with the DPLH model in a homogeneous interstellar medium by taking into account a continuous energy injection process, while, for GRB 060908, a wind-like circumburst density profile is used. The two bursts, along with GRB 091127, suggest a similar behavior in the evolution of the injection break, with q ∼ 0.5. Whether this represents a universal law of the injection break remains uncertain and more afterglow observations such as these are needed to test this conjecture.

An origin for short gamma-ray bursts unassociated with current star formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Barthelmy, S D; Chincarini, G; Burrows, D N; Gehrels, N; Covino, S; Moretti, A; Romano, P; O'Brien, P T; Sarazin, C L; Kouveliotou, C; Goad, M; Vaughan, S; Tagliaferri, G; Zhang, B; Antonelli, L A; Campana, S; Cummings, J R; D'Avanzo, P; Davies, M B; Giommi, P; Grupe, D; Kaneko, Y; Kennea, J A; King, A; Kobayashi, S; Melandri, A; Meszaros, P; Nousek, J A; Patel, S; Sakamoto, T; Wijers, R A M J

2005-12-15

Two short (gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have recently been localized and fading afterglow counterparts detected. The combination of these two results left unclear the nature of the host galaxies of the bursts, because one was a star-forming dwarf, while the other was probably an elliptical galaxy. Here we report the X-ray localization of a short burst (GRB 050724) with unusual gamma-ray and X-ray properties. The X-ray afterglow lies off the centre of an elliptical galaxy at a redshift of z = 0.258 (ref. 5), coincident with the position determined by ground-based optical and radio observations. The low level of star formation typical for elliptical galaxies makes it unlikely that the burst originated in a supernova explosion. A supernova origin was also ruled out for GRB 050709 (refs 3, 31), even though that burst took place in a galaxy with current star formation. The isotropic energy for the short bursts is 2-3 orders of magnitude lower than that for the long bursts. Our results therefore suggest that an alternative source of bursts--the coalescence of binary systems of neutron stars or a neutron star-black hole pair--are the progenitors of short bursts.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.; Lewis, D.A.

1990-02-01

Our scientific goal is to discover and study by means of gamma-ray astronomy those regions of the universe where particles are accelerated to extreme energies. The atmospheric Cherenkov technique provides a unique and potentially sensitive window in the region of 10 11 to approximately 10 14 eV for this purpose. The Whipple Observatory Collaboration is currently engaged in the development of a Cherenkov camera which has the ultimate capability of distinguishing gamma-ray showers from the numerous cosmic-ray background showers by imaging the Cherenkov light from each shower. We have recently demonstrated the potential of the imaging technique with our 18 sigma detection of TeV photons from the Crab Nebula using a camera of 10 elements, pixel spacing 0.25 degrees. This detection represents a factor of 10 improvement in sensitivity compared to a non-imaging detector. The next step in the development of the detector is to obtain a second large reflector, similar to the present 10 meter instrument, for stereoscopic viewing of showers. This project, named GRANITE, is now approved by DOE. With GRANITE it should be possible to probe more deeply in space by a factor of 7, and to fully investigate the possibility of new physics which has been suggested by reports of anomalous radiation from Hercules X-1. 18 refs

Toward a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope. Proceedings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bloom, E.D.; Evans, L.L. [eds.

1997-03-01

It has been some time between the time of the first Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) workshop, Towards a Next Generation High-Energy Gamma-Ray Telescope, in late August 1994, and the publication of a partial proceedings of that meeting. Since then there has been considerable progress in both the technical and project development of GLAST. From its origins at SLAC/Stanford in early 1992, the collaboration has currently grown to more than 20 institutions from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, and is still growing. About half of these are astrophysics/astronomy institutions; the other half are high-energy physics institutions. About 100 astronomers, astrophysicists, and particle physicists are currently spending some fraction of their time on the GLAST R and D program. The late publication date of this proceedings has resulted in some additions to the original content of the meeting. The first paper is actually a brochure prepared for NASA by Peter Michelson in early 1996. Except for the appendix, the other papers in the proceedings were presented at the conference, and written up over the following two years. Some presentations were never written up.

Towards a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope. Proceedings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloom, E.D.; Evans, L.L.

1997-03-01

It has been some time between the time of the first Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) workshop, Towards a Next Generation High-Energy Gamma-Ray Telescope, in late August 1994, and the publication of a partial proceedings of that meeting. Since then there has been considerable progress in both the technical and project development of GLAST. From its origins at SLAC/Stanford in early 1992, the collaboration has currently grown to more than 20 institutions from France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the US, and is still growing. About half of these are astrophysics/astronomy institutions; the other half are high-energy physics institutions. About 100 astronomers, astrophysicists, and particle physicists are currently spending some fraction of their time on the GLAST R and D program. The late publication date of this proceedings has resulted in some additions to the original content of the meeting. The first paper is actually a brochure prepared for NASA by Peter Michelson in early 1996. Except for the appendix, the other papers in the proceedings were presented at the conference, and written up over the following two years. Some presentations were never written up

Short GRB afterglows observed with GROND

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nicuesa Guelbenzu, A.; Klose, S.; Rossi, A.

2013-01-01

We report on follow-up observations of 20 short-duration gamma-ray bursts (T90 < 2s) performed in g′r′i′z′JHK s with the Gamma-Ray Burst Optical Near-Infrared Detector (GROND) between mid-2007 and the end of 2010. This is the most homogeneous and comprehensive data set on GRB afterglow observatio...

Gamma-ray bursts, a puzzle being resolved

CERN Multimedia

Piran, T

1999-01-01

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs), short and intense bursts of Gamma-Rays, have puzzled astrophysicists since their accidental discovery in the seventies. BATSE, launched in 1991, has established the cosmological origin of GRBs and has shown that they involve energies much higher than previously expected, corresponding to the most powerful explosions known in the Universe. The fireball model, which has been developed during the last ten years, explains most of the observed features of GRBs . According to this model, GRBs are produced in internal collisions of ejected matter flowing at ultra-relativistic energy. This ultra-relativistic motion reaches Lorentz factors of order 100 or more, higher than seen elsewhere in the Universe. The GRB afterglow was discovered in 1997. It was predicted by this model and it takes place when this relativistic flow is slowed down by the surrounding material. This model was confirmed recently with the discovery last January of the predicted prompt optical emission from GRB 990123. Unfort...

PANCHROMATIC OBSERVATIONS OF THE TEXTBOOK GRB 110205A: CONSTRAINING PHYSICAL MECHANISMS OF PROMPT EMISSION AND AFTERGLOW

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, W. [Department of Physics, University of Michigan, 450 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Shen, R. F. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H4 (Canada); Sakamoto, T. [Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science and Technology (CRESST), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Beardmore, A. P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH (United Kingdom); De Pasquale, M. [Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury Road, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Wu, X. F.; Zhang, B. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States); Gorosabel, J. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (IAA-CSIC), 18008 Granada (Spain); Urata, Y. [Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Chung-Li 32054, Taiwan (China); Sugita, S. [EcoTopia Science Institute, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, chikusa, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Pozanenko, A. [Space Research Institute (IKI), 84/32 Profsoyuznaya St., Moscow 117997 (Russian Federation); Nissinen, M. [Taurus Hill Observatory, Haerkaemaeentie 88, 79480 Kangaslampi (Finland); Sahu, D. K. [CREST, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, Bangalore 560034 (India); Im, M. [Center for the Exploration of the Origin of the Universe, Department of Physics and Astronomy, FPRD, Seoul National University, Shillim-dong, San 56-1, Kwanak-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ukwatta, T. N. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Andreev, M. [Terskol Branch of Institute of Astronomy of RAS, Kabardino-Balkaria Republic 361605 (Russian Federation); Klunko, E., E-mail: zwk@umich.edu, E-mail: rfshen@astro.utoronto.ca, E-mail: zhang@physics.unlv.edu [Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics, Lermontov St., 126a, Irkutsk 664033 (Russian Federation); and others

2012-06-01

We present a comprehensive analysis of a bright, long-duration (T{sub 90} {approx} 257 s) GRB 110205A at redshift z = 2.22. The optical prompt emission was detected by Swift/UVOT, ROTSE-IIIb, and BOOTES telescopes when the gamma-ray burst (GRB) was still radiating in the {gamma}-ray band, with optical light curve showing correlation with {gamma}-ray data. Nearly 200 s of observations were obtained simultaneously from optical, X-ray, to {gamma}-ray (1 eV to 5 MeV), which makes it one of the exceptional cases to study the broadband spectral energy distribution during the prompt emission phase. In particular, we clearly identify, for the first time, an interesting two-break energy spectrum, roughly consistent with the standard synchrotron emission model in the fast cooling regime. Shortly after prompt emission ({approx}1100 s), a bright (R = 14.0) optical emission hump with very steep rise ({alpha} {approx} 5.5) was observed, which we interpret as the reverse shock (RS) emission. It is the first time that the rising phase of an RS component has been closely observed. The full optical and X-ray afterglow light curves can be interpreted within the standard reverse shock (RS) + forward shock (FS) model. In general, the high-quality prompt and afterglow data allow us to apply the standard fireball model to extract valuable information, including the radiation mechanism (synchrotron), radius of prompt emission (R{sub GRB} {approx} 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 13} cm), initial Lorentz factor of the outflow ({Gamma}{sub 0} {approx} 250), the composition of the ejecta (mildly magnetized), the collimation angle, and the total energy budget.

Solving the Mystery of the Short-Hard Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Derek

2005-07-01

Eight years after the afterglow detections that revolutionized studies of the long-soft gamma-ray bursts, not even one afterglow of a short-hard GRB has been seen, and the nature of these events has become one of the most important problems in GRB research. The Swift satellite, expected to be in full operation throughout Cycle 14, will report few-arcsecond localizations for short-hard bursts in minutes, enabling prompt, deep optical afterglow searches for the first time. Discovery and observation of the first short-hard optical afterglows will answer most of the critical questions about these events: What are their distances and energies? Do they occur in distant galaxies, and if so, in which regions of those galaxies? Are they the result of collimated or quasi-spherical explosions? In combination with an extensive rapid-response ground-based campaign, we propose to make the critical high-sensitivity HST TOO observations that will allow us to answer these questions. If theorists are correct in attributing the short-hard bursts to binary neutron star coalescence events, then they will serve as signposts to the primary targeted source population for ground-based gravitational-wave detectors, and short-hard burst studies will have a vital role to play in guiding those observations.

Beam On Target (BOT) Produces Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) Fireballs and Afterglows

Science.gov (United States)

Greyber, H. D.

1997-12-01

Unlike the myriads of ad hoc models that have been offered to explain GRB, the BOT process is simply the very common process used worldwide in accelerator laboratories to produce gamma rays. The Strong Magnetic Field (SMF) model postulates an extremely intense, highly relativistic current ring formed during the original gravitational collapse of a distant galaxy when the plasma cloud was permeated by a primordial magnetic field. GRB occur when solid matter (asteroid, white dwarf, neutron star, planet) falls rapidly through the Storage Ring beam producing a very strongly collimated electromagnetic shower, and a huge amount of matter from the target, in the form of a giant, hot, expanding plasma cloud, or ``Fireball,'' is blown off. BOT satisfies all the ``severe constraints imposed on the source of this burst --'' concluded by the CGRO team (Sommer et al, Astrophys. J. 422 L63 (1994)) for the huge intense burst GRB930131, whereas neutron star merger models are ``difficult to reconcile.'' BOT expects the lowest energy gamma photons to arrive very slightly later than higher energy photons due to the time for the shower to penetrate the target. The millisecond spikes in bursts are due to the slender filaments of current that make up the Storage Ring beam. Delayed photons can be explained by a broken target ``rock.'' See H. Greyber in the book ``Compton Gamma Ray Observatory,'' AIP Conf. Proc. 280, 569 (1993).

Topics in High-Energy Astrophysics: X-ray Time Lags and Gamma-ray Flares

Science.gov (United States)

Kroon, John J.

2016-03-01

The Universe is host to a wide variety of high-energy processes that convert gravitational potential energy or rest-mass energy into non-thermal radiation such as bremsstrahlung and synchrotron. Prevailing models of X-ray emission from accreting Black Hole Binaries (BHBs) struggle to simultaneously fit the quiescent X-ray spectrum and the transients which result in the phenomenon known as X-ray time lags. And similarly, classical models of diffusive shock acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae fail to explain the extreme particle acceleration in very short timescales as is inferred from recent gamma-ray flares from the Crab nebula. In this dissertation, I develop new exact analytic models to shed light on these intriguing processes. I take a fresh look at the formation of X-ray time lags in compact sources using a new mathematical approach in which I obtain the exact Green's function solution. The resulting Green's function allows one to explore a variety of injection scenarios, including both monochromatic and broadband (bremsstrahlung) seed photon injection. I obtain the exact solution for the dependence of the time lags on the Fourier frequency, for both homogeneous and inhomogeneous clouds. The model can successfully reproduce both the observed time lags and the quiescent X-ray spectrum using a single set of coronal parameters. I show that the implied coronal radii in the new model are significantly smaller than those obtained in the Monte Carlo simulations, hence greatly reducing the coronal heating problem. Recent bright gamma-ray flares from the Crab nebula observed by AGILE and Fermi reaching GeV energies and lasting several days challenge the contemporary model for particle acceleration in pulsar wind nebulae, specifically the diffusive shock acceleration model. Simulations indicate electron/positron pairs in the Crab nebula pulsar wind must be accelerated up to PeV energies in the presence of ambient magnetic fields with strength B ~100 microG. No

Full energy peak efficiency of composite detectors for high energy gamma-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kshetri, Ritesh

2015-01-01

Experiments involving radioactive beams demand high detection efficiencies. One of the ways to obtain high detection efficiency without deteriorating the energy resolution or timing characteristics is the use of composite detectors which are composed of standard HPGe crystals arranged in a compact way. Two simplest composite detectors are the clover and cluster detectors. The TRIUMF-ISAC Gamma-Ray Escape-Suppressed Spectrometer (TIGRESS) comprises of 16 large volume, 32-fold segmented HPGe clover detectors, where each detector is shielded by a 20-fold segmented escape suppression shield (ESS)

Polarized Emission from Gamma-Ray Burst Jets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shiho Kobayashi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available I review how polarization signals have been discussed in the research field of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs. I mainly discuss two subjects in which polarimetry enables us to study the nature of relativistic jets. (1 Jet breaks: Gamma-ray bursts are produced in ultra-relativistic jets. Due to the relativistic beaming effect, the emission can be modeled in a spherical model at early times. However, as the jet gradually slows down, we begin to see the edge of the jet together with polarized signals at some point. (2 Optical flash: later time afterglow is known to be insensitive to the properties of the original ejecta from the GRB central engine. However, a short-lived, reverse shock emission would enable us to study the nature of of GRB jets. I also briefly discuss the recent detection of optical circular polarization in GRB afterglow.

Unveiling the Progenitors of Short-duration Gamma-ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Fong, Wen-Fai

2016-03-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are relativistic explosions which originate at cosmological distances, and are among the most luminous transients in the universe. Following the prompt gamma-ray emission, a fading synchrotron ``afterglow'' is detectable at lower energies. While long-duration GRBs (duration >2 sec) are linked to the deaths of massive stars, the progenitors of short-duration GRBs (duration black hole. Such merging systems are also important to understand because they are premier candidates for gravitational wave detections with current facilities and are likely sites of heavy element nucleosynthesis. The launch of NASA's Swift satellite in 2004, with its rapid multi-wavelength monitoring and localization capabilities, led to the first discoveries of short GRB afterglows and therefore robust associations to host galaxies. At a detection rate of roughly 10 events per year, the growing number of well-localized short GRBs has enabled comprehensive population studies of their afterglows and environments for the first time. In this talk, I describe my multi-wavelength observational campaign to address testable predictions for the progenitors of short GRBs. My work comprises several lines of independent evidence to demonstrate that short GRBs originate from the mergers of two compact objects, and also provides the first constraints on the explosion properties for a large sample of events. With the direct detection of gravitational waves from compact object mergers on the horizon, these studies provide necessary inputs to inform the next decade of joint electromagnetic-gravitational wave search strategies.

Observational techniques of gamma rays astronomy in low energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Costa, J.M. da.

1982-02-01

Due to the absorption of great part of the gamma-ray spectrum of cosmic origin, by the earth's atmosphere at heights above 20Km, gamma-ray astronomy achieved its full development only after the advent of the space age. Ballons and satellites are the space vehicles which have been used to transport gamma-ray telescopes to observational heights in the atmosphere, or out of it. The results of these experiments can determine the sources, the energy spectra and the intensities of the cosmic gamma-rays, and provide other important information of astrophysical interest. The detection of gamma-rays of cosmic origin is very difficult. The observational techniques used in gamma-ray astronomy are dependent on the energy range of the gamma-rays which one desires to detect. The most common telescopes of low energy gamma-ray astronomy (50KeV - 20MeV) use NaI(Tl) scintillators, or germanium diodes, as principal detectors, surrounded by an active shield (anticoincidence) of organic or inorganic scintillators. (Author) [pt

GRB 030329: 3 years of radio afterglow monitoring

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Horst, A.J.; Kamble, A.; Wijers, R.A.M.J.; Resmi, L.; Bhattacharya, D.; Rol, E.; Strom, R.; Kouveliotou, C.; Oosterloo, T.; Ishwara-Chandra, C.H.

2007-01-01

Radio observations of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows are essential for our understanding of the physics of relativistic blast waves, as they enable us to follow the evolution of GRB explosions much longer than the afterglows in any other wave band. We have performed a three-year monitoring

The sub-energetic gamma-ray burst GRB 031203 as a cosmic analogue to the nearby GRB 980425.

Science.gov (United States)

Soderberg, A M; Kulkarni, S R; Berger, E; Fox, D W; Sako, M; Frail, D A; Gal-Yam, A; Moon, D S; Cenko, S B; Yost, S A; Phillips, M M; Persson, S E; Freedman, W L; Wyatt, P; Jayawardhana, R; Paulson, D

2004-08-05

Over the six years since the discovery of the gamma-ray burst GRB 980425, which was associated with the nearby (distance approximately 40 Mpc) supernova 1998bw, astronomers have debated fiercely the nature of this event. Relative to bursts located at cosmological distance (redshift z approximately 1), GRB 980425 was under-luminous in gamma-rays by three orders of magnitude. Radio calorimetry showed that the explosion was sub-energetic by a factor of 10. Here we report observations of the radio and X-ray afterglow of the recent GRB 031203 (refs 5-7), which has a redshift of z = 0.105. We demonstrate that it too is sub-energetic which, when taken together with the low gamma-ray luminosity, suggests that GRB 031203 is the first cosmic analogue to GRB 980425. We find no evidence that this event was a highly collimated explosion viewed off-axis. Like GRB 980425, GRB 031203 appears to be an intrinsically sub-energetic gamma-ray burst. Such sub-energetic events have faint afterglows. We expect intensive follow-up of faint bursts with smooth gamma-ray light curves (common to both GRB 031203 and 980425) to reveal a large population of such events.

Point source search techniques in ultra high energy gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexandreas, D.E.; Biller, S.; Dion, G.M.; Lu, X.Q.; Yodh, G.B.; Berley, D.; Goodman, J.A.; Haines, T.J.; Hoffman, C.M.; Horch, E.; Sinnis, C.; Zhang, W.

1993-01-01

Searches for point astrophysical sources of ultra high energy (UHE) gamma rays are plagued by large numbers of background events from isotropic cosmic rays. Some of the methods that have been used to estimate the expected number of background events coming from the direction of a possible source are found to contain biases. Search techniques that avoid this problem are described. There is also a discussion of how to optimize the sensitivity of a search to emission from a point source. (orig.)

SHORT-DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURSTS FROM OFF-AXIS COLLAPSARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazzati, Davide; Morsony, Brian J.; Begelman, Mitchell C.

2010-01-01

We present two-dimensional (2D) high-resolution hydrodynamic simulations of the relativistic outflows of long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitors. We analyze the properties of the outflows at wide off-axis angles, produced by the expansion of the hot cocoon that surrounds the jet inside the progenitor star. We find that the cocoon emission at wide angles may have properties similar to those of the subclass of short-duration GRBs with persistent X-ray emission. We compute the predicted duration distribution, redshift distribution, and afterglow brightness, and we find that they are all in agreement with the observed properties of short GRBs with persistent emission. We suggest that a supernova component, the properties of the host galaxies, and late afterglow observations can be used as a crucial test to verify this model.

A high energy gamma ray astronomy experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hofstadter, R.

1988-01-01

The author describes work involving NASA's Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO). GRO exemplifies the near zero principle because it investigates new gamma ray phenomena by relying on the space program to take us into the region of zero interference above the earth's atmosphere. In its present form GRO has four experiments

Magnetars in Ultra-Long Gamma-Ray Bursts and GRB 111209A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gompertz, B.; Fruchter, A., E-mail: bgompertz@stsci.edu [Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2017-04-10

Supernova 2011kl, associated with the ultra-long gamma-ray burst (ULGRB) 111209A, exhibited a higher-than-normal peak luminosity, placing it in the parameter space between regular supernovae and super-luminous supernovae. Its light curve can only be matched by an abnormally high fraction of {sup 56}Ni that appears inconsistent with the observed spectrum, and as a result it has been suggested that the supernova, and by extension the gamma-ray burst, are powered by the spin-down of a highly magnetized millisecond pulsar, known as a magnetar. We investigate the broadband observations of ULGRB 111209A and find two independent measures that suggest a high density circumburst environment. However, the light curve of the GRB afterglow shows no evidence of a jet break (the steep decline that would be expected as the jet slows due to the resistance of the external medium) out to three weeks after trigger, implying a wide jet. Combined with the high isotropic energy of the burst, this implies that only a magnetar with a spin period of ∼1 ms or faster can provide enough energy to power both ULGRB 111209A and Supernova 2011kl.

Discovery of a point-like very-high-energy gamma-ray source in Monoceros

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aharonian, F.A.; Benbow, W.; Berge, D.; Bernlohr, K.; Bolz, O.; Braun, I.; Buhler, R.; Carrigan, S.; Costamante, L.; Domainko, W.; Egberts, K.; Forster, A.; Funk, S.; Hauser, D.; Hermann, G.; Hinton, J.A.; Hofmann, W.; Hoppe, S.; Khelifi, B.; Kosack, K.; Masterson, C.; Panter, M.; Rowell, G.; van Eldik, C.; Volk, H.J.; Akhperjanian, A.G.; Sahakian, V.; Bazer-Bachi, A.R.; Borrel, V.; Marcowith, A.; Olive, J.P.; Beilicke, M.; Cornils, R.; Heinzelmann, G.; Raue, M.; Ripken, J.; Bernlohr, K.; Funk, Seb.; Fussling, M.; Kerschhaggl, M.; Lohse, T.; Schlenker, S.; Schwanke, U.; Boisson, C.; Martin, J.M.; Sol, H.; Brion, E.; Glicenstein, J.F.; Goret, P.; Moulin, E.; Rolland, L.

2007-01-01

Aims. The complex Monoceros Loop SNR/Rosette Nebula region contains several potential sources of very-high-energy (VHE) γ-ray emission and two as yet unidentified high-energy EGRET sources. Sensitive VHE observations are required to probe acceleration processes in this region. Methods. The HESS telescope array has been used to search for very high-energy gamma-ray sources in this region. CO data from the NANTEN telescope were used to map the molecular clouds in the region, which could act as target material for γ-ray production via hadronic interactions. Results. We announce the discovery of a new γ-ray source, HESS J0632+057, located close to the rim of the Monoceros SNR. This source is unresolved by HESS and has no clear counterpart at other wavelengths but is possibly associated with the weak X-ray source 1RXS J063258.3+054857, the Be-star MWC148 and/or the lower energy γ-ray source 3EGJ0634+0521. No evidence for an associated molecular cloud was found in the CO data. (authors)

Limits to the Fraction of High-energy Photon Emitting Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-02-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

LIMITS TO THE FRACTION OF HIGH-ENERGY PHOTON EMITTING GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akerlof, Carl W.; Zheng, WeiKang

2013-01-01

After almost four years of operation, the two instruments on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope have shown that the number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with high-energy photon emission above 100 MeV cannot exceed roughly 9% of the total number of all such events, at least at the present detection limits. In a recent paper, we found that GRBs with photons detected in the Large Area Telescope have a surprisingly broad distribution with respect to the observed event photon number. Extrapolation of our empirical fit to numbers of photons below our previous detection limit suggests that the overall rate of such low flux events could be estimated by standard image co-adding techniques. In this case, we have taken advantage of the excellent angular resolution of the Swift mission to provide accurate reference points for 79 GRB events which have eluded any previous correlations with high-energy photons. We find a small but significant signal in the co-added field. Guided by the extrapolated power-law fit previously obtained for the number distribution of GRBs with higher fluxes, the data suggest that only a small fraction of GRBs are sources of high-energy photons.

High-energy Neutrino Emission from Short Gamma-Ray Bursts: Prospects for Coincident Detection with Gravitational Waves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimura, Shigeo S.; Murase, Kohta; Mészáros, Peter [Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Kiuchi, Kenta [Center for Gravitational Physics, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan)

2017-10-10

We investigate current and future prospects for coincident detection of high-energy neutrinos and gravitational waves (GWs). Short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) are believed to originate from mergers of compact star binaries involving neutron stars. We estimate high-energy neutrino fluences from prompt emission, extended emission (EE), X-ray flares, and plateau emission, and we show that neutrino signals associated with the EE are the most promising. Assuming that the cosmic-ray loading factor is ∼10 and the Lorentz factor distribution is lognormal, we calculate the probability of neutrino detection from EE by current and future neutrino detectors, and we find that the quasi-simultaneous detection of high-energy neutrinos, gamma-rays, and GWs is possible with future instruments or even with current instruments for nearby SGRBs having EE. We also discuss stacking analyses that will also be useful with future experiments such as IceCube-Gen2.

Extragalactic Gamma-Ray Astrophysics

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

During the last decades, various classes of radio-loud active galactic nuclei have been established as sources of high-energy radiation extending over a very broad range from soft gamma-rays (photon energies E~MeV) up to very-high-energy gamma-rays (E>100 GeV). These include blazars of different types, as well as young and evolved radio galaxies. The observed gamma-ray emission from such implies efficient particle acceleration processes taking place in highly magnetized and relativistic jets produced by supermassive black holes, processes that have yet to be identified and properly understood. In addition, nearby starforming and starburst galaxies, some of which host radio-quiet Seyfert-type nuclei, have been detected in the gamma-ray range as well. In their cases, the observed gamma-ray emission is due to non-thermal activity in the interstellar medium, possibly including also a contribution from accretion disks and nuclear outflows. Finally, the high-energy emission from clusters of galaxies remains elusive...

On the X-ray lines in the afterglows of GRBs

CERN Document Server

Dar, Arnon; De Rújula, Alvaro; Dar, Arnon; Dado, Shlomo

2003-01-01

The observation of X-ray lines in the afterglow of GRB 011211 has been reported, and challenged. The lines were interpreted as blue-shifted X-rays characteristic of a set of photoionized ``metals'', located in a section of a supernova shell illuminated by a GRB emitted a couple of days after the supernova explosion. We show that the most prominent reported lines coincide with the ones predicted in the ``cannonball'' model of GRBs. In this model, the putative signatures are Hydrogen lines, boosted by the (highly relativistic) motion of the cannonballs (CBs). The corresponding Doppler boost can be extracted from the fit to the observed I-, R- and V-band light-curves of the optical afterglow of GRB 011211, so that, since the redshift is also known, the line energies are --in the CB model-- absolute predictions. We also discuss other GRBs of known redshift which show spectral features generally interpreted as Fe lines, or Fe recombination edges. The ensemble of results is very encouraging from the CB-model's poin...

Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersema, K.; Covino, S.; Toma, K.; van der Horst, A.J.; Varela, K.; Min, M.; Greiner, J.; Starling, R.L.C.; Tanvir, N.R.; Wijers, R.A.M.J.; Campana, S.; Curran, P.A.; Fan, Y.; Fynbo, J.P.U.; Gorosabel, J.; Gomboc, A.; Götz, D.; Hjorth, J.; Jin, Z.P.; Kobayashi, S.; Kouveliotou, C.; Mundell, C.; O’Brien, P.T.; Pian, E.; Rowlinson, A.; Russell, D.M.; Salvaterra, R.; di Serego Alighieri, S.; Tagliaferri, G.; Vergani, S.D.; Elliott, J.; Fariña, C.; Hartoog, O.E.; Karjalainen, R.; Klose, S.; Knust, F.; Levan, A.J.; Schady, P.; Sudilovsky, V.; Willingale, R.

2014-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the

Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wiersema, K.; Covino, S.; Toma, K.

2014-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of th...

Search for Very High-energy Gamma Rays from the Northern Fermi Bubble Region with HAWC

OpenAIRE

Abeysekara, AU; Albert, A; Alfaro, R; Alvarez, C; Alvarez, JD; Arceo, R; Arteaga-Velázquez, JC; Ayala Solares, HA; Barber, AS; Bautista-Elivar, N; Becerril, A; Belmont-Moreno, E; BenZvi, SY; Berley, D; Braun, J

2017-01-01

© 2017. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. We present a search for very high-energy gamma-ray emission from the Northern Fermi Bubble region using data collected with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov gamma-ray observatory. The size of the data set is 290 days. No significant excess is observed in the Northern Fermi Bubble region, so upper limits above 1 TeV are calculated. The upper limits are between and . The upper limits disfavor a proton injection spectrum that exten...

A dual energy gamma-ray transmission technique for gold alloy identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sumi, Tetsuo; Shingu, Hiroyasu; Iwase, Hirotoshi

1991-01-01

An application of the dual energy gamma-ray transmission techniques to gold alloy identification is presented. The measurement by dual energy gamma-ray transmission is independent of thickness and density of a sample. Due to this advantage, golden accessories such as necklaces, earrings and rings can be assayed in spite of their various thicknesses and irregular sectional shapes. Choice of a gamma-ray energy pair suitable for the object is important. The authors chose 511 keV and 1275 keV gamma-rays from 22 Na. With this energy pair, R value (a ratio of mass attenuation coefficients for low and high energy gamma-rays) is predominantly related to the weight fraction of gold of the sample. Using a 370 kBq 22 Na small source and a 50 mm dia.x 50 mm thick NaI(Tl) scintillator for 1200 seconds, a resolution of 2% for the R value was obtained. This corresponds to approximately 5% of the weight fraction of gold. A better resolution can be obtained by increasing the source activity or measurement time. (author)

Gamma-Ray Imager With High Spatial And Spectral Resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Callas, John L.; Varnell, Larry S.; Wheaton, William A.; Mahoney, William A.

1996-01-01

Gamma-ray instrument developed to enable both two-dimensional imaging at relatively high spatial resolution and spectroscopy at fractional-photon-energy resolution of about 10 to the negative 3rd power in photon-energy range from 10 keV to greater than 10 MeV. In its spectroscopic aspect, instrument enables identification of both narrow and weak gamma-ray spectral peaks.

FAST RADIO BURSTS AND THEIR GAMMA-RAY OR RADIO AFTERGLOWS AS KERR–NEWMAN BLACK HOLE BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Tong; Li, Ang; Romero, Gustavo E.; Liu, Mo-Lin

2016-01-01

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are radio transients lasting only about a few milliseconds. They seem to occur at cosmological distances. We propose that these events can originate in the collapse of the magnetospheres of Kerr–Newman black holes (KNBHs). We show that the closed orbits of charged particles in the magnetospheres of these objects are unstable. After examining the dependencies on the specific charge of the particle and the spin and charge of the KNBH, we conclude that the resulting timescale and radiation mechanism fit well with extant observations of FRBs. Furthermore, we argue that the merger of a KNBH binary is a plausible central engine for the potential gamma-ray or radio afterglow following certain FRBs and can also account for gravitational wave (GW) events like GW 150914. Our model leads to predictions that can be tested by combined multi-wavelength electromagnetic and GW observations.

X-Ray Spectral Diagnostics of Gamma-Ray Burst Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Paerels; Kuulkers; Heise; Liedahl

2000-05-20

Recently, detection of discrete features in the X-ray afterglow spectra of GRB 970508 and GRB 970828 was reported. The most natural interpretation of these features is that they are redshifted Fe K emission complexes. The identification of the line emission mechanism has drastic implications for the inferred mass of radiating material and hence the nature of the burst site. X-ray spectroscopy provides a direct observational constraint on these properties of gamma-ray bursters. We briefly discuss how these constraints arise in the context of an application to the spectrum of GRB 970508.

Status of development of the Gamma Ray Energy Tracking Array (GRETA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, I.Y.; Schmid, G.J.; Vetter, K. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab., CA (United States)] [and others

1996-12-31

The current generation of large gamma-ray detector arrays, Gammasphere, Eurogam and GASP, are based on modules of Compton suppressed Ge detectors. Due to the solid angle occupied by the Compton shields and to gamma rays escaping the detector, the total peak efficiency of such a design is limited to about 20% for a 1.3 MeV gamma ray. A shell consisting of closely packed Ge detectors has been suggested as the solution to the efficiency limitation. In this case, the entire solid angle is covered by Ge detectors, and by adding the signal from neighboring detectors, the escaped energy is recovered and much higher efficiency can be achieved (e.g. 60% for a 1.3 MeV gamma ray). However, for high multiplicity cascades, the summing of two gamma rays hitting neighboring detectors reduces the efficiency and increases the background. In order to reduce this summing, a large number of detectors is required. For example, with a multiplicity of 25, one needs about 1500 detectors to keep the probability of false summing below 10% and the cost of such a detector array will be prohibitive. Rather than such an approach, the authors are developing a new concept for a gamma-ray array; a shell of closely-packed Ge detectors consisting of 100-200 highly-segmented elements. The high granularity of the segmented Ge detector enables the authors to resolve each of the scattering interactions and determine its position and energy. A tracking algorithm, using the position and energy information, will then identify the interactions belonging to a particular gamma ray and its energy is obtained by summing only these interactions. Such an array can reach a total efficiency about 60%, with a resolving power 1000 times higher than that of current arrays.

A possible very high energy gamma-ray burst from Hercules X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vishwanath, P.R.; Bhat, P.N.; Ramanamurthy, P.V.; Sreekantan, B.V.

1989-01-01

A large increase is observed in the trigger rate in the direction of Hercules X-1 in the Atmospheric Cerenkov array at Pachmarhi, India. The burst lasted from 2147 UT to 2201 UT on April 11, 1986. The accidental coincidence rate did not show any increase during the burst. Barring any electronic noise or celestial or terrestrial optical phenomenon with time structure similar to that of atmospheric Cerenkov phenomenon, the increase is ascribed to TeV gamma rays from Her X-1. The number of gamma-ray events during the burst amounted to about 54 percent of the cosmic-ray flux, resulting in a 42-sigma effect. This is the largest TeV gamma-ray signal seen from any source till now. The time-averaged flux for the burst period is 1.8 x 10 photons/sq cm per s above a threshold energy of 0.4 TeV, which results in a luminosity of 1.8 x 10 to the 37 ergs/s. The burst took place at the end of the 'high on' state in the 35-day cycle of the Her X-1 binary system indicating accretion disk as the possible production site. 14 refs

From high energy gamma sources to cosmic rays, one century after their discovery. Summary of the SciNeGHE2012 workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Longo, Francesco

2013-01-01

The interplay between studies and measurements concerning high energy gamma ray sources and cosmic rays was the main focus of the 2012 edition of the Science with the New Generation of High Energy Gamma-ray Experiments (SciNeGHE) workshop. The workshop started with a special session devoted to the history of the cosmic radiation research in the centenary of its discovery, with a special attention also to the history of very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. The main results and the current status from space-borne and ground-based gamma and cosmic ray experiments were presented, together with the state of the art theoretical scenarios. The future of the field was studied through the presentation of many new experiment concepts, as well as through the analysis of new observational techniques and R and D programs

EGRET upper limits to the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the millisecond pulsars in nearby globular clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Michelson, P. F.; Bertsch, D. L.; Brazier, K.; Chiang, J.; Dingus, B. L.; Fichtel, C. E.; Fierro, J.; Hartman, R. C.; Hunter, S. D.; Kanbach, G.

1994-01-01

We report upper limits to the high-energy gamma-ray emission from the millisecond pulsars (MSPs) in a number of globular clusters. The observations were done as part of an all-sky survey by the energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) during Phase I of the CGRO mission (1991 June to 1992 November). Several theoretical models suggest that MSPs may be sources of high-energy gamma radiation emitted either as primary radiation from the pulsar magnetosphere or as secondary radiation generated by conversion into photons of a substantial part of the relativistic e(+/-) pair wind expected to flow from the pulsar. To date, no high-energy emission has been detected from an individual MSP. However, a large number of MSPs are expected in globular cluster cores where the formation rate of accreting binary systems is high. Model predictions of the total number of pulsars range in the hundreds for some clusters. These expectations have been reinforced by recent discoveries of a substantial number of radio MSPs in several clusters; for example, 11 have been found in 47 Tucanae (Manchester et al.). The EGRET observations have been used to obtain upper limits for the efficiency eta of conversion of MSP spin-down power into hard gamma rays. The upper limits are also compared with the gamma-ray fluxes predicted from theoretical models of pulsar wind emission (Tavani). The EGRET limits put significant constraints on either the emission models or the number of pulsars in the globular clusters.

The Early Time Properties of GRBs - Canonical Afterglows and the Importance of Prolonged Central Engine Activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melandri, A.; Mundell, C. G.; Kobayashi, S.; Bersier, D.; Steele, I. A.; Smith, R. J.; Carter, D.; Bode, M. F.; Guidorzi, C.; Gomboc, A.

2009-01-01

Using a new, comprehensive multiwavelength survey of 63 Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) with unprecedented temporal coverage, we classify the observed afterglows into four main classes and discuss the underlying physics that can explain them. The presence or absence of temporal breaks in X-ray and optical bands is used to examine the emission in the context of the standard model; a number of GRBs are shown to deviate from the forward shock model even with the inclusion of energy injection or ambient density gradients. We show that additional emission in the early-time X-ray afterglow due to late-time central engine activity is key and may explain both GRBs whose afterglows do not fit the standard model and those GRBs that appear to be optically dark even at early times.

REM observations of GRB060418 and GRB060607A: the onset of the afterglow and the initial fireball Lorentz factor determination

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molinari, E.; Covino, S.; D' Avanzo, P.; Chincarini, G.; Zerbi, F.M.; Conconi, P.; Malaspina, G.; Campana, S.; Rizzuto, D.; Tagliaferri, G. [Osserv Astron Brera, INAF, I-23807 Merate, LC, (Italy); Vergani, S.D.; Meurs, E.J.A.; Ward, P.A. [DIAS, Dunsink Observ, Dublin 15, (Ireland); Vergani, S.D.; Norci, L. [Dublin City Univ, Sch Phys Sci, NCPST, Dublin 9, (Ireland); Malesani, D. [SISSA, ISAS, I-34014 Trieste, (Italy); Malesani, D. [Univ Copenhagen, Niels Bohr Inst, Dark Cosmol Ctr, DK-2100 Copenhagen, (Denmark); D' Avanzo, P. [Univ Insubria, Dipartimento Matemat and Fis, I-22100 Como, (Italy); Chincarini, G.; Rizzuto, D. [Univ Milan, I-20126 Milan, (Italy); Antonelli, L.A.; Testa, V.; Vitali, F.; D' Alessio, F.; Guetta, D.; Piranomonte, S.; Stella, L. [Osserv Astron Roma, INAF, I-00040 Monte Porzio Catone, (Italy); Tosti, G. [Univ Perugia, Dipartimento Fis, Osservatorio Astron, I-06123 Perugia, (Italy); Nicastro, L.; Palazzi, E.; Masetti, N. [IASF Bologna, INAF, I-40129 Bologna, (Italy); Goldoni, P. [APC, Lab Astroparticule and Cosmol, UMR 7164, F-75231 Paris 05, (France); Goldoni, P. [CEA Saclay, DSM, DAPNIA, Serv Astrophys, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)] (and others)

2007-07-01

Context. Gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission is believed to originate in highly relativistic fireballs. Aims. Currently, only lower limits were securely set to the initial fireball Lorentz factor {gamma}{sub 0}. We aim to provide a direct measure of {gamma}{sub 0}. Methods. The early-time afterglow light curve carries information about {gamma}{sub 0}, which determines the time of the afterglow peak. We have obtained early observations of the near-infrared afterglows of GRB060418 and GRB060607A with the REM robotic telescope. Results. For both events, the afterglow peak could be clearly singled out, allowing a firm determination of the fireball Lorentz of {gamma}{sub 0} similar to 400, fully confirming the highly relativistic nature of GRB fireballs. The deceleration radius was inferred to be R-dec approximate to 10{sup 17} cm. This is much larger than the internal shocks radius (believed to power the prompt emission), thus providing further evidence for a different origin of the prompt and afterglow stages of the GRB. (authors)

High-pressure {sup 3}He-Xe gas scintillators for simultaneous detection of neutrons and gamma rays over a large energy range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tornow, W., E-mail: tornow@tunl.duke.edu [Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Esterline, J.H. [Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Leckey, C.A. [Department of Physics, The College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187 (United States); Weisel, G.J. [Department of Physics, Penn State Altoona, Altoona, PA 16601 (United States)

2011-08-11

We report on features of high-pressure {sup 3}He-Xe gas scintillators which have not been sufficiently addressed in the past. Such gas scintillators can be used not only for the efficient detection of low-energy neutrons but at the same time for the detection and identification of {gamma}-rays as well. Furthermore, {sup 3}He-Xe gas scintillators are also very convenient detectors for fast neutrons in the 1-10 MeV energy range and for high-energy {gamma}-rays in the 7-15 MeV energy range. Due to their linear pulse-height response and self calibration via the {sup 3}He(n,p){sup 3}H reaction, neutron and {gamma}-ray energies can easily be determined in this high-energy regime.

Fast Radio Bursts with Extended Gamma-Ray Emission?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murase, Kohta; Mészáros, Peter; Fox, Derek B.

2017-01-01

We consider some general implications of bright γ -ray counterparts to fast radio bursts (FRBs). We show that even if these manifest in only a fraction of FRBs, γ -ray detections with current satellites (including Swift ) can provide stringent constraints on cosmological FRB models. If the energy is drawn from the magnetic energy of a compact object such as a magnetized neutron star, the sources should be nearby and be very rare. If the intergalactic medium is responsible for the observed dispersion measure, the required γ -ray energy is comparable to that of the early afterglow or extended emission of short γ -ray bursts. While this can be reconciled with the rotation energy of compact objects, as expected in many merger scenarios, the prompt outflow that yields the γ -rays is too dense for radio waves to escape. Highly relativistic winds launched in a precursor phase, and forming a wind bubble, may avoid the scattering and absorption limits and could yield FRB emission. Largely independent of source models, we show that detectable radio afterglow emission from γ -ray bright FRBs can reasonably be anticipated. Gravitational wave searches can also be expected to provide useful tests.

Cosmological Gamma-Ray Bursts and Hypernovae Conclusively Linked

Science.gov (United States)

2003-06-01

Clearest-Ever Evidence from VLT Spectra of Powerful Event Summary A very bright burst of gamma-rays was observed on March 29, 2003 by NASA's High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE-II) , in a sky region within the constellation Leo. Within 90 min, a new, very bright light source (the "optical afterglow") was detected in the same direction by means of a 40-inch telescope at the Siding Spring Observatory (Australia) and also in Japan. The gamma-ray burst was designated GRB 030329 , according to the date. And within 24 hours, a first, very detailed spectrum of this new object was obtained by the UVES high-dispersion spectrograph on the 8.2-m VLT KUEYEN telescope at the ESO Paranal Observatory (Chile). It allowed to determine the distance as about 2,650 million light-years (redshift 0.1685). Continued observations with the FORS1 and FORS2 multi-mode instruments on the VLT during the following month allowed an international team of astronomers [1] to document in unprecedented detail the changes in the spectrum of the optical afterglow of this gamma-ray burst . Their detailed report appears in the June 19 issue of the research journal "Nature". The spectra show the gradual and clear emergence of a supernova spectrum of the most energetic class known, a "hypernova" . This is caused by the explosion of a very heavy star - presumably over 25 times heavier than the Sun. The measured expansion velocity (in excess of 30,000 km/sec) and the total energy released were exceptionally high, even within the elect hypernova class. From a comparison with more nearby hypernovae, the astronomers are able to fix with good accuracy the moment of the stellar explosion. It turns out to be within an interval of plus/minus two days of the gamma-ray burst. This unique conclusion provides compelling evidence that the two events are directly connected. These observations therefore indicate a common physical process behind the hypernova explosion and the associated emission of strong gamma-ray

Gamma-ray bursts - a critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tudose, Valeriu; Biermann, Peter

2003-01-01

We present a short general introduction into the field of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) research, summarizing the past and the present status. We give an general view of the GRBs observations to date, both in the prompt emission phase as well as in the afterglow phase, and a brief primer into the theory, mainly in the frame-work of the fireball model. (authors)

Highlights of GeV Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, David J.

2010-01-01

Because high-energy gamma rays are primarily produced by high-energy particle interactions, the gamma-ray survey of the sky by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope offers a view of sites of cosmic ray production and interactions. Gamma-ray bursts, pulsars, pulsar wind nebulae, binary sources, and Active Galactic Nuclei are all phenomena that reveal particle acceleration through their gamma-ray emission. Diffuse Galactic gamma radiation, Solar System gamma-ray sources, and energetic radiation from supernova remnants are likely tracers of high-energy particle interactions with matter and photon fields. This paper will present a broad overview of the constantly changing sky seen with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi spacecraft.

Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows as Probes of Environment and Blastwave Physics II: The Distribution of p and Structure of the Circumburst Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Starling, R. L. C.; vanderHorst, A. J.; Rol, E.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Wiersema, K.; Curran, P. A.; Weltevrede, P.

2007-01-01

We constrain blastwave parameters and the circumburst media of a subsample of BeppoSAX Gamma-Ray Bursts. For this sample we derive the values of the injected electron energy distribution index, p, and the density structure index of the circumburst medium, k, from simultaneous spectral fits to their X-ray, optical and nIR afterglow data. The spectral fits have been done in count space and include the effects of metallicity, and are compared with the previously reported optical and X-ray temporal behaviour. Assuming the fireball model, we can find a mean value of p for the sample as a whole of 2.035. A statistical analysis Of the distribution demonstrates that the p values in this sample are inconsistent with a single universal value for p at the 3sigma level or greater. This approach provides us with a measured distribution of circumburst density structures rather than considering only the cases of k = 0 (homogeneous) and k = 2 (wind-like). We find five GRBs for which k can be well constrained, and in four of these cases the circumburst medium is clearly wind-like. The fifth source has a value of 0 less than or equal to k less than or equal to 1, consistent with a homogeneous circumburst medium.

Air shower array designed for cosmic ray variation measurements and high energy gamma ray astronomy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morello, C; Navarra, G [Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Turin (Italy). Lab. di Cosmo-Geofisica

1981-08-15

We describe an array for performing measurements of counting rates and arrival directions of extensive air showers at primary energy E/sub 0/ approx. equal to 3 x 10/sup 9/ eV. The aim of the research is to study the time variations and the anisotropies of cosmic rays and the observable gamma ray sources in the high energy region. The installation, composed of four large area scintillation counters and completely controlled by a microcomputer system, operates at mountain altitude (3500 m a.s.l.). The preanalysis of data, stability tests and periodic calibrations are performed by on-line programs. The method for obtaining the required stability and the corrections on temperature and gain variations are also described.

Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows as Probes of Environment and Blast Wave Physics. II. The Distribution of rho and Structure of the Circumburst Medium

Science.gov (United States)

Starling, R. L. C.; vanderHorst, A. J.; Rol, E.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Kouveliotou, C.; Wiersema, K.; Curran, P. A.; Weltervrede, P.

2008-01-01

We constrain blast wave parameters and the circumburst media ofa subsample of 10 BeppoSAX gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). For this sample we derive the values of the injected electron energy distribution index, p, and the density structure index of the circumburst medium, k, from simultaneous spectral fits to their X-ray, optical, and NIR afterglow data. The spectral fits have been done in count space and include the effects ofmetallicity, and are compared with the previously reported optical and X-ray temporal behavior. Using the blast wave model and some assumptions which include on-axis viewing and standard jet structure, constant blast wave energy, and no evolution of the microphysical parameters, we find a mean value ofp for the sample as a whole of 9.... oa -0.003.0" 2 a_ statistical analysis of the distribution demonstrates that the p-values in this sample are inconsistent with a single universal value forp at the 3 _ level or greater, which has significant implications for particle acceleration models. This approach provides us with a measured distribution ofcircumburst density structures rather than considering only the cases of k ----0 (homogeneous) and k - 2 (windlike). We find five GRBs for which k can be well constrained, and in four of these cases the circumburst medium is clearly windlike. The fifth source has a value of 0 medium.

Search for Very High Energy Gamma Rays from the Northern $\\textit{Fermi}$ Bubble Region with HAWC

OpenAIRE

Abeysekara, A. U.; Albert, A.; Alfaro, R.; Alvarez, C.; Álvarez, J. D.; Arceo, R.; Arteaga-Velázquez, J. C.; Solares, H. A. Ayala; Barber, A. S.; Bautista-Elivar, N.; Becerril, A.; Belmont-Moreno, E.; BenZvi, S. Y.; Berley, D.; Braun, J.

2017-01-01

We present a search of very high energy gamma-ray emission from the Northern $\\textit{Fermi}$ Bubble region using data collected with the High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) gamma-ray observatory. The size of the data set is 290 days. No significant excess is observed in the Northern $\\textit{Fermi}$ Bubble region, hence upper limits above $1\\,\\text{TeV}$ are calculated. The upper limits are between $3\\times 10^{-7}\\,\\text{GeV}\\, \\text{cm}^{-2}\\, \\text{s}^{-1}\\,\\text{sr}^{-1}$ and $4\\times 1...

Constraining the High-Energy Emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts with Fermi

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil; Harding, A. K.; Hays, E.; Racusin, J. L.; Sonbas, E.; Stamatikos, M.; Guirec, S.

2012-01-01

We examine 288 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 nuF(sub v) spectra (E(sub 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(sub pk) than would be inferred from fitting the GBM data alone. Approximately 20% of this spectroscopic subsample show statistically significant evidence for a cut-off 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.

Gamma rays made on Earth have unexpectedly high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, Johanna

2011-01-01

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes (TGFs) are the source of the highest-energy nonanthropogenic photons produced on Earth. Associated with thunder-storms - and in fact, with individual lightning discharges - they are presumed to be the bremsstrahlung produced when relativistic electrons, accelerated by the storms' strong electric fields, collide with air molecules some 10-20 km above sea level. The TGFs last up to a few milliseconds and contain photons with energies on the order of MeV.

A search for high energy gamma rays from a quiet sun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, C.Y.

1975-01-01

A search for solar gamma-rays in the energy range 10 MeV and greater was made by measuring the angular distribution of the flux from the direction of the sun using a stack of oriented nuclear emulsions flown by balloon on July 21, 1974, from Fort Churchill, Manitoba, Canada. The emulsion plates were scanned for the electron-positron pairs. An upper limit to the flux of solar gamma-rays, for a 90% statistical confidence level, was estimated to be 3.1 x 10 -4 photons cm -2 s -1 in the energy region above 10 MeV. On the day of the flight the sun spot number (Rsub(z)) was 55, and no major solar flares were reported. (orig.) [de

THE COLLIMATION AND ENERGETICS OF THE BRIGHTEST SWIFT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cenko, S. B.; Butler, N. R.; Bloom, J. S.; Frail, D. A.; Harrison, F. A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Ofek, E. O.; Rau, A.; Nakar, E.; Chandra, P. C.; Fox, D. B.; Gal-Yam, A.; Kelemen, J.; Moon, D.-S.; Price, P. A.; Soderberg, A. M.; Teplitz, H. I.; Werner, M. W.; Bock, D. C.-J.

2010-01-01

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are widely believed to be highly collimated explosions (bipolar conical outflows with half-opening angle θ∼ 1 0 -10 0 ). As a result of this beaming factor, the true energy release from a GRB is usually several orders of magnitude smaller than the observed isotropic value. Measuring this opening angle, typically inferred from an achromatic steepening in the afterglow light curve (a 'jet' break), has proven exceedingly difficult in the Swift era. Here, we undertake a study of five of the brightest (in terms of the isotropic prompt γ-ray energy release, E γ,iso ) GRBs in the Swift era to search for jet breaks and hence constrain the collimation-corrected energy release. We present multi-wavelength (radio through X-ray) observations of GRBs 050820A, 060418, and 080319B, and construct afterglow models to extract the opening angle and beaming-corrected energy release for all three events. Together with results from previous analyses of GRBs 050904 and 070125, we find evidence for an achromatic jet break in all five events, strongly supporting the canonical picture of GRBs as collimated explosions. The most natural explanation for the lack of observed jet breaks from most Swift GRBs is therefore selection effects. However, the opening angles for the events in our sample are larger than would be expected if all GRBs had a canonical energy release of ∼10 51 erg. The total energy release we measure for the 'hyper-energetic' (E tot ∼> 10 52 erg) events in our sample is large enough to start challenging models with a magnetar as the compact central remnant.

Gamma ray energy spectrum of a buried radioactive source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Massey, N B

1957-07-01

Because of current attempts to utilize airborne gamma-ray scintillation spectrometers as a means of detecting and identifying buried radioactive mineral deposits, it has become important to study the effects of multiple scattering on the gamma-ray energy spectrum of a source buried in a semi-infinite medium. A series of ten experiments was made. First a scintillation detector was located in air at a fixed distance above a 250 microcurie cobalt-60 source suspended in a large tank. The level of water was raised from 25 cm below the source to 50 cm above, and the gamma-ray energy spectrum was observed. It was found that the high energy portion of the cobalt-60 spectrum remained identifiable even when the source was submerged more than five half-lengths. Further, the ratio of the counting rate of the total incident gamma radiation to the counting rate of the primary 1.33 MeV radiation was found to be very nearly linearly proportional to the depth of water cover. This leads to an empirical method for determining the depth of burial of a cobalt-60 point source. (author)

The puzzling afterglow of GRB 050721: a rebrightening seen in the optical but not in the X-ray

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonelli, L. A.; Romano, P.; Testa, V.; D'Elia, V.; Guetta, D.; Torii, K.; Malesani, D.

2007-01-01

We present here the analysis of the early and late multiwavelength afterglow emission, as observed by Swift a small robotic telescope, and the VLT. We compare early observations with late afterglow observations obtained with Swift and the VLT and we observe an intense rebrightening in the optical band at about one day after the burst which is not present in the X-ray band. The lack of detection in X-ray of such a strong rebrightening at lower energies may be described with a variable external density profile. In such a scenario, the combined X-ray and optical observations allow us to derive that the matter density located at ∼ 1017 cm from the burst is about a factor of 10 higher than in the inner region. This is the first time in which a rebrightening has been observed in the optical afterglow of a GRB that is clearly absent in the X-ray afterglow

A BaF2-BGO detector for high-energy gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bargholtz, C.; Ritzen, B.; Tegner, P.E.

1989-01-01

A scintillation detector has been developed for gamma rays with energy between a few hundred keV and approximately 100 MeV. The detector comprises a BaF 2 and a BGO crystal giving it good timing properties and a reasonably good energy resolution in combination with compact size. (orig.)

High-energy emissions from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takata, J.; Leung, Gene C. K.; Cheng, K. S. [Department of Physics, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Tam, P. H. T.; Kong, A. K. H. [Institute of Astronomy and Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (China); Hui, C. Y., E-mail: takata@hku.hk, E-mail: gene930@connect.hku.hk, E-mail: hrspksc@hku.hk [Department of Astronomy and Space Science, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-07-20

We study mechanisms of multi-wavelength emissions (X-ray, GeV, and TeV gamma-rays) from the gamma-ray binary LS 5039. This paper is composed of two parts. In the first part, we report on results of observational analysis using 4 yr data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. Due to the improvement of instrumental response function and increase of the statistics, the observational uncertainties of the spectrum in the ∼100-300 MeV bands and >10 GeV bands are significantly improved. The present data analysis suggests that the 0.1-100 GeV emissions from LS 5039 contain three different components: (1) the first component contributes to <1 GeV emissions around superior conjunction, (2) the second component dominates in the 1-10 GeV energy bands, and (3) the third component is compatible with the lower-energy tail of the TeV emissions. In the second part, we develop an emission model to explain the properties of the phase-resolved emissions in multi-wavelength observations. Assuming that LS 5039 includes a pulsar, we argue that emissions from both the magnetospheric outer gap and the inverse-Compton scattering process of cold-relativistic pulsar wind contribute to the observed GeV emissions. We assume that the pulsar is wrapped by two kinds of termination shock: Shock-I due to the interaction between the pulsar wind and the stellar wind and Shock-II due to the effect of the orbital motion. We propose that the X-rays are produced by the synchrotron radiation at the Shock-I region and the TeV gamma-rays are produced by the inverse-Compton scattering process at the Shock-II region.

A SEARCH FOR VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA RAYS FROM THE MISSING LINK BINARY PULSAR J1023+0038 WITH VERITAS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aliu, E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Barnard College, Columbia University, NY 10027 (United States); Archambault, S. [Physics Department, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Archer, A.; Buckley, J. H.; Bugaev, V. [Department of Physics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 (United States); Benbow, W.; Cerruti, M. [Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Amado, AZ 85645 (United States); Bird, R. [School of Physics, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4 (Ireland); Biteau, J. [Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics and Department of Physics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Buchovecky, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Byrum, K. [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States); Cardenzana, J. V; Dickinson, H. J.; Eisch, J. D. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Chen, X. [Institute of Physics and Astronomy, University of Potsdam, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm (Germany); Ciupik, L. [Astronomy Department, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, Chicago, IL 60605 (United States); Connolly, M. P. [School of Physics, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway (Ireland); Cui, W.; Feng, Q. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States); Falcone, A., E-mail: ester.aliu.fuste@gmail.com, E-mail: gtrichards@gatech.edu, E-mail: masha.chernyakova@dcu.ie, E-mail: malloryr@gmail.com [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525 Davey Lab, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); and others

2016-11-10

The binary millisecond radio pulsar PSR J1023+0038 exhibits many characteristics similar to the gamma-ray binary system PSR B1259–63/LS 2883, making it an ideal candidate for the study of high-energy nonthermal emission. It has been the subject of multiwavelength campaigns following the disappearance of the pulsed radio emission in 2013 June, which revealed the appearance of an accretion disk around the neutron star. We present the results of very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray observations carried out by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System before and after this change of state. Searches for steady and pulsed emission of both data sets yield no significant gamma-ray signal above 100 GeV, and upper limits are given for both a steady and pulsed gamma-ray flux. These upper limits are used to constrain the magnetic field strength in the shock region of the PSR J1023+0038 system. Assuming that VHE gamma rays are produced via an inverse Compton mechanism in the shock region, we constrain the shock magnetic field to be greater than ∼2 G before the disappearance of the radio pulsar and greater than ∼10 G afterward.

THE 2010 VERY HIGH ENERGY gamma-RAY FLARE AND 10 YEARS OF MULTI-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF M 87

OpenAIRE

Abramowski, A.; Acero, F.; Aharonian, F.; Akhperjanian, A. G.; Anton, G.; Balzer, A.; Barnacka, A.; de Almeida, U. Barres; Becherini, Y.; Becker, J.; Behera, B.; Bernloehr, K.; Birsin, E.; Biteau, J.; Bochow, A.

2012-01-01

The giant radio galaxy M 87 with its proximity (16 Mpc), famous jet, and very massive black hole ((3-6) x 10(9) M-circle dot) provides a unique opportunity to investigate the origin of very high energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission generated in relativistic outflows and the surroundings of supermassive black holes. M 87 has been established as a VHE gamma-ray emitter since 2006. The VHE gamma-ray emission displays strong variability on timescales as short as a day. In this paper, resu...

MODELING THE AFTERGLOW OF THE POSSIBLE FERMI -GBM EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH GW150914

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morsony, Brian J.; Workman, Jared C.; Ryan, Dominic M.

2016-01-01

We model the possible afterglow of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) event associated with LIGO detection GW150914, under the assumption that the gamma-rays are produced by a short GRB-like relativistic outflow. We model GW150914-GBM as both a weak, on-axis short GRB and normal short GRB seen far off-axis. Given the large uncertainty in the position of GW150914, we determine that the best chance of finding the afterglow is with ASKAP or possibly the Murchinson Widefield Array (MWA), with the flux from an off-axis short GRB reaching 0.2–4 mJy (0.12–16 mJy) at 150 MHz (863.5 MHz) by 1–12 months after the initial event. At low frequencies, the source would evolve from a hard to soft spectrum over several months. The radio afterglow would be detectable for several months to years after it peaks, meaning the afterglow may still be detectable and increasing in brightness NOW (2016 mid-July). With a localization from the MWA or ASKAP, the afterglow would be detectable at higher radio frequencies with the ATCA and in X-rays with Chandra or XMM .

MODELING THE AFTERGLOW OF THE POSSIBLE FERMI -GBM EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH GW150914

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morsony, Brian J. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, 1113 Physical Sciences Complex, College Park, MD 20742-2421 (United States); Workman, Jared C. [Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, Colorado Mesa University, Grand Junction, CO 81501 (United States); Ryan, Dominic M., E-mail: morsony@astro.umd.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, 501 Campbell Hall #3411, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2016-07-10

We model the possible afterglow of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) event associated with LIGO detection GW150914, under the assumption that the gamma-rays are produced by a short GRB-like relativistic outflow. We model GW150914-GBM as both a weak, on-axis short GRB and normal short GRB seen far off-axis. Given the large uncertainty in the position of GW150914, we determine that the best chance of finding the afterglow is with ASKAP or possibly the Murchinson Widefield Array (MWA), with the flux from an off-axis short GRB reaching 0.2–4 mJy (0.12–16 mJy) at 150 MHz (863.5 MHz) by 1–12 months after the initial event. At low frequencies, the source would evolve from a hard to soft spectrum over several months. The radio afterglow would be detectable for several months to years after it peaks, meaning the afterglow may still be detectable and increasing in brightness NOW (2016 mid-July). With a localization from the MWA or ASKAP, the afterglow would be detectable at higher radio frequencies with the ATCA and in X-rays with Chandra or XMM .

Swift: A gamma ray burst MIDEX

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barthelmy, Scott

2001-01-01

Swift is a first of its kind multiwavelength transient observatory for gamma-ray burst astronomy. It has the optimum capabilities for the next breakthroughs in determining the origin of gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows as well as using bursts to probe the early Universe. Swift will also perform the first sensitive hard X-ray survey of the sky. The mission is being developed by an international collaboration and consists of three instruments, the Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), the X-ray Telescope (XRT), and the Ultraviolet and Optical Telescope (UVOT). The BAT, a wide-field gamma-ray detector, will detect ∼1 gamma-ray burst per day with a sensitivity 5 times that of BATSE. The sensitive narrow-field XRT and UVOT will be autonomously slewed to the burst location in 20 to 70 seconds to determine 0.3-5.0 arcsec positions and perform optical, UV, and X-ray spectrophotometry. On-board measurements of redshift will also be done for hundreds of bursts. Swift will incorporate superb, low-cost instruments using existing flight-spare hardware and designs. Strong education/public outreach and follow-up programs will help to engage the public and astronomical community. Swift has been selected by NASA for development and launch in late 2003

GRAP, Gamma-Ray Level-Scheme Assignment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franklyn, C.B.

2002-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: An interactive program for allocating gamma-rays to an energy level scheme. Procedure allows for searching for new candidate levels of the form: 1) L1 + G(A) + G(B) = L2; 2) G(A) + G(B) = G(C); 3) G(A) + G(B) = C (C is a user defined number); 4) L1 + G(A) + G(B) + G(C) = L2. Procedure indicates intensity balance of feed and decay of each energy level. Provides for optimization of a level energy (and associated error). Overall procedure allows for pre-defining of certain gamma-rays as belonging to particular regions of the level scheme, for example, high energy transition levels, or due to beta- decay. 2 - Method of solution: Search for cases in which the energy difference between two energy levels is equal to a gamma-ray energy within user-defined limits. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Maximum number of gamma-rays: 999; Maximum gamma ray energy: 32000 units; Minimum gamma ray energy: 10 units; Maximum gamma-ray intensity: 32000 units; Minimum gamma-ray intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of levels: 255; Maximum level energy: 32000 units; Minimum level energy: 10 units; Maximum error on energy, intensity: 32 units; Minimum error on energy, intensity: 0.001 units; Maximum number of combinations: 6400 (ca); Maximum number of gamma-ray types : 127

Discovery and characterization of the first low-peaked and intermediate-peaked BL Lacertae objects in the very high energy {gamma}-ray regime

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, Karsten

2009-12-19

20 years after the discovery of the Crab Nebula as a source of very high energy {gamma}-rays, the number of sources newly discovered above 100 GeV using ground-based Cherenkov telescopes has considerably grown, at the time of writing of this thesis to a total of 81. The sources are of different types, including galactic sources such as supernova remnants, pulsars, binary systems, or so-far unidentified accelerators and extragalactic sources such as blazars and radio galaxies. The goal of this thesis work was to search for {gamma}-ray emission from a particular type of blazars previously undetected at very high {gamma}-ray energies, by using the MAGIC telescope. Those blazars previously detected were all of the same type, the so-called high-peaked BL Lacertae objects. The sources emit purely non-thermal emission, and exhibit a peak in their radio-to-X-ray spectral energy distribution at X-ray energies. The entire blazar population extends from these rare, low-luminosity BL Lacertae objects with peaks at X-ray energies to the much more numerous, high-luminosity infrared-peaked radio quasars. Indeed, the low-peaked sources dominate the source counts obtained from space-borne observations at {gamma}-ray energies up to 10 GeV. Their spectra observed at lower {gamma}-ray energies show power-law extensions to higher energies, although theoretical models suggest them to turn over at energies below 100 GeV. This opened the quest for MAGIC as the Cherenkov telescope with the currently lowest energy threshold. In the framework of this thesis, the search was focused on the prominent sources BL Lac, W Comae and S5 0716+714, respectively. Two of the sources were unambiguously discovered at very high energy {gamma}-rays with the MAGIC telescope, based on the analysis of a total of about 150 hours worth of data collected between 2005 and 2008. The analysis of this very large data set required novel techniques for treating the effects of twilight conditions on the data quality

Development of a Telescope for Medium-Energy Gamma-ray Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Sunter, Stan

2012-01-01

Since the launch of AGILE and FERMI, the scientific progress in high-energy (Eg greater than approximately 200 MeV) gamma-ray science has been, and will continue to be dramatic. Both of these telescopes cover a broad energy range from approximately 20 MeV to greater than 10 GeV. However, neither instrument is optimized for observations below approximately 200 MeV where many astrophysical objects exhibit unique, transitory behavior, such as spectral breaks, bursts, and flares. Hence, while significant progress from current observations is expected, there will nonetheless remain a significant sensitivity gap in the medium-energy (approximately 0.1-200 MeV) regime; the lower end of this range remains largely unexplored whereas the upper end will allow comparison with FERMI data. Tapping into this unexplored regime requires significant improvements in sensitivity. A major emphasis of modern detector development, with the goal of providing significant improvements in sensitivity in the medium-energy regime, focuses on high-resolution electron tracking. The Three-Dimensional Track Imager (3-DTI) technology being developed at GSFC provides high resolution tracking of the electron-positron pair from gamma-ray interactions from 5 to 200 MeV. The 3-DTI consists of a time projection chamber (TPC) and 2-D cross-strip microwell detector (MWD). The low-density and homogeneous design of the 3-DTI, offers unprecedented sensitivity by providing angular resolution near the kinematic limit. Electron tracking also enables measurement of gamma-ray polarization, a new tool to study astrophysical phenomenon. We describe the design, fabrication, and performance of a 30x30x30 cm3 3-DTI detector prototype of a medium-energy gamma-ray telescope.

Overview of high intensity x-ray and gamma-ray sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prestwich, K.R.; Lee, J.R.; Ramirez, J.J.; Sanford, T.W.L.; Agee, F.J.; Frazier, G.B.; Miller, A.R.

1987-01-01

The requirements for intense x-ray and gamma-ray sources to simulate the radiation effects from nuclear weapons has led to the development of several types of terawatt-pulsed power systems. One example of a major gamma-ray source is Aurora, a 10-MV, 1.6-MA, 120-ns four-module, electron-beam generator. Recent requirements to improve the dose rate has led to the Aurora upgrade program and to the development of the 20-MV, 800-kA, 40-ns Hermes-III electron-beam accelerator. The Aurora program includes improvements to the pulsed power system and research on techniques to improve the pulse shape of the electron beam. Hermes III will feature twenty 1-MV, 800-kA induction accelerator cavities supplying energy to a magnetically insulated transmission line adder. Hermes III will become operational in 1988. Intense x-ray sources consist of pulsed power systems that operate with 1-MV to 2-MV output voltages and up to 25-TW output powers. These high powers are achieved with either low impedance electron-beam generators or multimodular pulsed power systems. The low-impedance generators have high voltage Marx generators that store the energy and then sequentially transfer this energy to pulse-forming transmission lines with lower and lower impedance until the high currents are reached. In the multimode machines, each module produces 0.7-TW to 4-TW output pulses, and all of the modules are connected together to supply energy to a single diode

A method for unfolding high-energy scintillation gamma-ray spectra up to 8 MeV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dymke, N.; Hofmann, B.

1982-01-01

In unfolding a high-energy scintillation gamma-ray spectrum up to 8 MeV with the help of a response matrix, the means of linear algebra fail if the matrix is ill conditioned. In such cases, unfolding could be accomplished by means of a mathematical method based on a priori knowledge of the photon spectrum to be expected. The method which belongs to the class of regularization techniques was tested on in-situ gamma-ray spectra of 16 N recorded in a nuclear power plant near the primary circuit, using an 1.5 x 1.5 in. NaI(Tl) scintillation detector. For one regularized unfolding the results were presented in the form of an energy and a dose-rate spectrum. (author)

ROLE OF LINE-OF-SIGHT COSMIC-RAY INTERACTIONS IN FORMING THE SPECTRA OF DISTANT BLAZARS IN TeV GAMMA RAYS AND HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Essey, Warren; Kusenko, Alexander; Kalashev, Oleg; Beacom, John F.

2011-01-01

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) can produce both gamma rays and cosmic rays. The observed high-energy gamma-ray signals from distant blazars may be dominated by secondary gamma rays produced along the line of sight by the interactions of cosmic-ray protons with background photons. This explains the surprisingly low attenuation observed for distant blazars, because the production of secondary gamma rays occurs, on average, much closer to Earth than the distance to the source. Thus, the observed spectrum in the TeV range does not depend on the intrinsic gamma-ray spectrum, while it depends on the output of the source in cosmic rays. We apply this hypothesis to a number of sources and, in every case, we obtain an excellent fit, strengthening the interpretation of the observed spectra as being due to secondary gamma rays. We explore the ramifications of this interpretation for limits on the extragalactic background light and for the production of cosmic rays in AGNs. We also make predictions for the neutrino signals, which can help probe the acceleration of cosmic rays in AGNs.

NO CORRELATION BETWEEN HOST GALAXY METALLICITY AND GAMMA-RAY ENERGY RELEASE FOR LONG-DURATION GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levesque, Emily M.; Kewley, Lisa J.; Soderberg, Alicia M.; Berger, Edo

2010-01-01

We compare the redshifts, host galaxy metallicities, and isotropic (E γ,iso ) and beaming-corrected (E γ ) gamma-ray energy release of 16 long-duration gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) at z γ,iso , or E γ . These results are at odds with previous theoretical and observational predictions of an inverse correlation between gamma-ray energy release and host metallicity, as well as the standard predictions of metallicity-driven wind effects in stellar evolutionary models. We consider the implications that these results have for LGRB progenitor scenarios, and discuss our current understanding of the role that metallicity plays in the production of LGRBs.

Exploring short-GRB afterglow parameter space for observations in coincidence with gravitational waves

Science.gov (United States)

Saleem, M.; Resmi, L.; Misra, Kuntal; Pai, Archana; Arun, K. G.

2018-03-01

Short duration Gamma Ray Bursts (SGRB) and their afterglows are among the most promising electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of Neutron Star (NS) mergers. The afterglow emission is broad-band, visible across the entire electromagnetic window from γ-ray to radio frequencies. The flux evolution in these frequencies is sensitive to the multidimensional afterglow physical parameter space. Observations of gravitational wave (GW) from BNS mergers in spatial and temporal coincidence with SGRB and associated afterglows can provide valuable constraints on afterglow physics. We run simulations of GW-detected BNS events and assuming that all of them are associated with a GRB jet which also produces an afterglow, investigate how detections or non-detections in X-ray, optical and radio frequencies can be influenced by the parameter space. We narrow down the regions of afterglow parameter space for a uniform top-hat jet model, which would result in different detection scenarios. We list inferences which can be drawn on the physics of GRB afterglows from multimessenger astronomy with coincident GW-EM observations.

The dynamic range of ultra-high-resolution cryogenic gamma-ray spectrometers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali, Shafinaz [Advanced Detector Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Terracol, Stephane F. [Advanced Detector Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Drury, Owen B. [Advanced Detector Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Friedrich, Stephan [Advanced Detector Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, L-270, Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)]. E-mail: friedrich1@llnl.gov

2006-04-15

We are developing high-resolution cryogenic gamma-ray spectrometers for nuclear science and non-proliferation applications. The gamma-ray detectors are composed of a bulk superconducting Sn foil absorber attached to a multilayer Mo/Cu transition-edge sensor (TES). The energy resolution of a detector with a 1x1x0.25 mm{sup 3} Sn absorber is 50-90 eV FWHM for {gamma}-rays up to 100 keV, and it decreases for larger absorbers. Here, we present the detector performance for different absorber volumes, and discuss the trade-offs between energy resolution and dynamic range.

Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries with the Swift Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil; Tueller, Jack

2007-01-01

There is a great synergy between the Swift and INTEGRAL missions. Swift provides wide-field hard x-ray monitoring and sensitive x-ray and UV/optical observations. INTEGRAL provides optical through gamma-ray coverage with emphasis on hard xray imaging and gamma-ray spectroscopy. For hard x-ray survey studies, the BAT and IBIS instruments are complementary with BAT covering the full sky every day and IBIS scanning the galactic plane. For GRBs, Swift follows up bursts detected by INTEGRAL. X-ray and optical observations give arcsecond positions and afterglow lightcurves. For IGR sources, X-ray observations identify counterparts. The joint BAT and IBIS survey data are giving the most complete picture of the hard x-ray sky ever obtained. This talk will review Swift capabilities and discuss joint observations that are taking place and planned

High energy cosmic ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, V.

1996-01-01

A brief introduction to High Energy Cosmic Ray Astronomy is presented. This field covers a 17 decade energy range (2.10 4 -10 20 ) eV. Recent discoveries done with gamma-ray detectors on-board satellites and ground-based Cherenkov devices are pushing for a fast development of new and innovative techniques, specially in the low energy region which includes the overlapping of satellite and ground-based measurements in the yet unexplored energy range 20 keV-250 GeV. Detection of unexpected extremely high energy events have triggered the interest of the international scientific community. (orig.)

Extended performance gas Cherenkov detector for gamma-ray detection in high-energy density experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herrmann, H. W., E-mail: herrmann@lanl.gov; Kim, Y. H.; Young, C. S.; Fatherley, V. E.; Lopez, F. E.; Oertel, J. A.; Batha, S. H. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Malone, R. M. [National Security Technologies, LLC, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544 (United States); Rubery, M. S.; Horsfield, C. J. [Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston, Berkshire RG7 4PR (United Kingdom); Stoeffl, W. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States); Zylstra, A. B. [Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 (United States); Shmayda, W. T. [Laboratory for Laser Energetics, Rochester, New York 14623 (United States)

2014-11-15

A new Gas Cherenkov Detector (GCD) with low-energy threshold and high sensitivity, currently known as Super GCD (or GCD-3 at OMEGA), is being developed for use at the OMEGA Laser Facility and the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Super GCD is designed to be pressurized to ≤400 psi (absolute) and uses all metal seals to allow the use of fluorinated gases inside the target chamber. This will allow the gamma energy threshold to be run as low at 1.8 MeV with 400 psi (absolute) of C{sub 2}F{sub 6}, opening up a new portion of the gamma ray spectrum. Super GCD operating at 20 cm from TCC will be ∼400 × more efficient at detecting DT fusion gammas at 16.7 MeV than the Gamma Reaction History diagnostic at NIF (GRH-6m) when operated at their minimum thresholds.

Observation of gamma-ray bursts with GINGA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Toshio; Fujii, Masami; Nishimura, Jun

1989-01-01

Gamma-ray Burst Detector System (GBD) on board the scientific satellite 'GINGA' which was launched on Feb. 5, 1987, was realized as an international cooperation between ISAS and LANL. It has recorded more than 40 Gamma-Ray Burst candidates during 20 months observation. Although many observational evidences were accumulated in past 20 years after the discovery of gamma-ray burst by LANL scientists, there are not enough evidence to determine the origin and the production mechanism of the gamma-ray burst. GBD consists of a proportional counter and a NaI scintillation counter so that it became possible to observe energy spectrum of the gamma-ray burst with high energy resolution over wide range of energy (1.5-380 keV) together with high time resolution. As the result of observation, the following facts are obtained: (1) A large fraction of observed gamma-ray bursts has a long X-ray tail after the harder part of gamma-ray emission has terminated. (2) Clear spectral absorption features with harmonic in energy was observed in some of the energy spectrum of gamma-ray bursts. These evidences support the hypothesis that the strongly magnetized neutron star is the origin of gamma-ray burst. (author)

SEARCH FOR VERY HIGH ENERGY GAMMA-RAY EMISSION FROM PULSAR-PULSAR WIND NEBULA SYSTEMS WITH THE MAGIC TELESCOPE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderhub, H.; Biland, A.; Antonelli, L. A.; Antoranz, P.; Balestra, S.; Barrio, J. A.; Bose, D.; Backes, M.; Becker, J. K.; Baixeras, C.; Bastieri, D.; Bock, R. K.; Gonzalez, J. Becerra; Bednarek, W.; Berger, K.; Bernardini, E.; Bonnoli, G.; Bordas, P.; Bosch-Ramon, V.; Tridon, D. Borla

2010-01-01

The MAGIC collaboration has searched for high-energy gamma-ray emission of some of the most promising pulsar candidates above an energy threshold of 50 GeV, an energy not reachable up to now by other ground-based instruments. Neither pulsed nor steady gamma-ray emission has been observed at energies of 100 GeV from the classical radio pulsars PSR J0205+6449 and PSR J2229+6114 (and their nebulae 3C58 and Boomerang, respectively) and the millisecond pulsar PSR J0218+4232. Here, we present the flux upper limits for these sources and discuss their implications in the context of current model predictions.

Probing Pre-Galactic Metal Enrichment with High-Redshift Gamma-Ray Bursts

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, F. Y.; Bromm, Volker; Greif, Thomas H.; Stacy, Athena; Dai, Z. G.; Loeb, Abraham; Cheng, K. S.

2012-01-01

We explore high-redshift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as promising tools to probe pre-galactic metal enrichment. We utilize the bright afterglow of a Population III (Pop III) GRB exploding in a primordial dwarf galaxy as a luminous background source, and calculate the strength of metal absorption lines that are imprinted by the first heavy elements in the intergalactic medium (IGM). To derive the GRB absorption line diagnostics, we use an existing highly resolved simulation of the formation of a first galaxy which is characterized by the onset of atomic hydrogen cooling in a halo with virial temperature approximately greater than10(exp 4) K.We explore the unusual circumburst environment inside the systems that hosted Pop III stars, modeling the density evolution with the self-similar solution for a champagne flow. For minihalos close to the cooling threshold, the circumburst density is roughly proportional to (1 + z) with values of about a few cm(exp -3). In more massive halos, corresponding to the first galaxies, the density may be larger, n approximately greater than100 cm(exp -3). The resulting afterglow fluxes are weakly dependent on redshift at a fixed observed time, and may be detectable with the James Webb Space Telescope and Very Large Array in the near-IR and radio wavebands, respectively, out to redshift z approximately greater than 20. We predict that the maximum of the afterglow emission shifts from near-IR to millimeter bands with peak fluxes from mJy to Jy at different observed times. The metal absorption line signature is expected to be detectable in the near future. GRBs are ideal tools for probing the metal enrichment in the early IGM, due to their high luminosities and featureless power-law spectra. The metals in the first galaxies produced by the first supernova (SN) explosions are likely to reside in low-ionization stages (C II, O I, Si II and Fe II). We show that, if the afterglow can be observed sufficiently early, analysis of the metal lines may

Stacked search for time shifted high energy neutrinos from gamma ray bursts with the Antares neutrino telescope

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adrian-Martinez, S.; Ardid, M.; Felis, I.; Martinez-Mora, J.A.; Saldana, M. [Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Institut d' Investigacio per a la Gestio Integrada de les Zones Costaneres (IGIC), Gandia (Spain); Albert, A.; Drouhin, D.; Racca, C. [GRPHE-Institut Universitaire de Technologie de Colmar, 34 rue du Grillenbreit, BP 50568, Colmar (France); Andre, M. [Technical University of Catalonia, Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics, Vilanova i la Geltru, Barcelona (Spain); Anghinolfi, M. [INFN-Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Anton, G.; Eberl, T.; Enzenhoefer, A.; Fehn, K.; Folger, F.; Geisselsoeder, S.; Geyer, K.; Gleixner, A.; Graf, K.; Hallmann, S.; Hoessl, J.; Hofestaedt, J.; James, C.W.; Kalekin, O.; Katz, U.; Kiessling, D.; Lahmann, R.; Richter, R.; Roensch, K.; Schmid, J.; Schnabel, J.; Seitz, T.; Sieger, C.; Tselengidou, M.; Wagner, S. [Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Erlangen (Germany); Aubert, J.J.; Bertin, V.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Carr, J.; Costantini, H.; Coyle, P.; Dornic, D.; Mathieu, A.; Vallee, C. [CPPM, Aix-Marseille Universite, CNRS/IN2P3, Marseille (France); Baret, B.; Barrios-Marti, J.; Hernandez-Rey, J.J.; Sanchez-Losa, A.; Toennis, C.; Zornoza, J.D.; Zuniga, J. [CSIC-Universitat de Valencia, IFIC-Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular, Edificios Investigacion de Paterna, Paterna, Valencia (Spain); Basa, S.; Marcelin, M.; Nezri, E. [Pole de l' Etoile Site de Chateau-Gombert, LAM-Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Marseille, Marseille Cedex 13 (France); Biagi, S.; Coniglione, R.; Distefano, C.; Piattelli, P.; Riccobene, G.; Sapienza, P.; Trovato, A. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), Catania (Italy); Bormuth, R.; Jong, M. de; Samtleben, D.F.E. [Nikhef, Science Park, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Universiteit Leiden, Leids Instituut voor Onderzoek in Natuurkunde, Leiden (Netherlands); Bouwhuis, M.C.; Heijboer, A.J.; Michael, T.; Steijger, J.J.M.; Visser, E. [Nikhef, Science Park, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Bruijn, R. [Nikhef, Science Park, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Universiteit van Amsterdam, Instituut voor Hoge-Energie Fysica, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Capone, A.; De Bonis, G.; Fermani, P.; Perrina, C. [INFN-Sezione di Roma, Rome (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita La Sapienza, Rome (Italy); Caramete, L.; Pavalas, G.E.; Popa, V. [Institute for Space Sciences, Bucharest, Magurele (Romania); Chiarusi, T. [INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Circella, M. [INFN-Sezione di Bari, Bari (Italy); Creusot, A.; Galata, S.; Gracia-Ruiz, R.; Van Elewyck, V. [APC, Universite Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris (France); Dekeyser, I.; Lefevre, D.; Tamburini, C. [Aix-Marseille University, Mediterranean Institute of Oceanography (MIO), Marseille Cedex 9 (France); Universite du Sud Toulon-Var, CNRS-INSU/IRD UM 110, La Garde Cedex (France); Deschamps, A.; Hello, Y. [Geoazur, Universite Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS/INSU, IRD, Observatoire de la Cote d' Azur, Sophia Antipolis (France); Donzaud, C. [APC, Universite Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris (France); Universite Paris-Sud, Orsay Cedex (France); Dumas, A.; Gay, P. [Clermont Universite, Universite Blaise Pascal, CNRS/IN2P3, Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, BP 10448, Clermont-Ferrand (France); Elsaesser, D.; Kadler, M.; Kreter, M.; Mueller, C. [Universitaet Wuerzburg, Institut fuer Theoretische Physik und Astrophysik, Wuerzburg (Germany); Fusco, L.A.; Margiotta, A.; Pellegrino, C.; Spurio, M. [INFN-Sezione di Bologna, Bologna (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita, Bologna (Italy); Giordano, V. [INFN-Sezione di Catania, Catania (Italy); Haren, H. van [Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), ' t Horntje, Texel (Netherlands); Hugon, C.; Taiuti, M. [INFN-Sezione di Genova, Genoa (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita, Genoa (Italy); Kooijman, P. [Nikhef, Science Park, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Universiteit Utrecht, Faculteit Betawetenschappen, Utrecht (Netherlands); Universiteit van Amsterdam, Instituut voor Hoge-Energie Fysica, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Kouchner, A. [APC, Universite Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris (France); Institut Universitaire de France, Paris (France); Kreykenbohm, I.; Wilms, J. [Universitaet Erlangen-Nuernberg, Dr. Remeis-Sternwarte and ECAP, Bamberg (Germany); Kulikovskiy, V. [INFN-Laboratori Nazionali del Sud (LNS), Catania (Italy); Moscow State University, Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics, Moscow (Russian Federation); Leonora, E. [INFN-Sezione di Catania, Catania (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica ed Astronomia dell' Universita, Catania (Italy); Loucatos, S. [APC, Universite Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cite, Paris (France); CEA Saclay, Direction des Sciences de la Matiere, Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l' Univers, Service de Physique des Particules, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Marinelli, A. [INFN-Sezione di Pisa, Pisa (Italy); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita, Pisa (Italy); Migliozzi, P. [INFN-Sezione di Napoli, Naples (IT); Moussa, A. [University Mohammed I, Laboratory of Physics of Matter and Radiations, Oujda (MA); Pradier, T. [Universite de Strasbourg et CNRS/IN2P3, IPHC-Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, 23 rue du Loess, BP 28, Strasbourg Cedex 2 (FR); Sanguineti, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita, Genoa (IT); Schuessler, F.; Stolarczyk, T.; Vallage, B. [CEA Saclay, Direction des Sciences de la Matiere, Institut de recherche sur les lois fondamentales de l' Univers, Service de Physique des Particules, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (FR); Vivolo, D. [INFN-Sezione di Napoli, Naples (IT); Dipartimento di Fisica dell' Universita Federico II di Napoli, Naples (IT)

2017-01-15

A search for high-energy neutrino emission correlated with gamma-ray bursts outside the electromagnetic prompt-emission time window is presented. Using a stacking approach of the time delays between reported gamma-ray burst alerts and spatially coincident muon-neutrino signatures, data from the Antares neutrino telescope recorded between 2007 and 2012 are analysed. One year of public data from the IceCube detector between 2008 and 2009 have been also investigated. The respective timing profiles are scanned for statistically significant accumulations within 40 days of the Gamma Ray Burst, as expected from Lorentz Invariance Violation effects and some astrophysical models. No significant excess over the expected accidental coincidence rate could be found in either of the two data sets. The average strength of the neutrino signal is found to be fainter than one detectable neutrino signal per hundred gamma-ray bursts in the Antares data at 90% confidence level. (orig.)

Stacked search for time shifted high energy neutrinos from gamma ray bursts with the Antares neutrino telescope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adrian-Martinez, S.; Ardid, M.; Felis, I.; Martinez-Mora, J.A.; Saldana, M.; Albert, A.; Drouhin, D.; Racca, C.; Andre, M.; Anghinolfi, M.; Anton, G.; Eberl, T.; Enzenhoefer, A.; Fehn, K.; Folger, F.; Geisselsoeder, S.; Geyer, K.; Gleixner, A.; Graf, K.; Hallmann, S.; Hoessl, J.; Hofestaedt, J.; James, C.W.; Kalekin, O.; Katz, U.; Kiessling, D.; Lahmann, R.; Richter, R.; Roensch, K.; Schmid, J.; Schnabel, J.; Seitz, T.; Sieger, C.; Tselengidou, M.; Wagner, S.; Aubert, J.J.; Bertin, V.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Carr, J.; Costantini, H.; Coyle, P.; Dornic, D.; Mathieu, A.; Vallee, C.; Baret, B.; Barrios-Marti, J.; Hernandez-Rey, J.J.; Sanchez-Losa, A.; Toennis, C.; Zornoza, J.D.; Zuniga, J.; Basa, S.; Marcelin, M.; Nezri, E.; Biagi, S.; Coniglione, R.; Distefano, C.; Piattelli, P.; Riccobene, G.; Sapienza, P.; Trovato, A.; Bormuth, R.; Jong, M. de; Samtleben, D.F.E.; Bouwhuis, M.C.; Heijboer, A.J.; Michael, T.; Steijger, J.J.M.; Visser, E.; Bruijn, R.; Capone, A.; De Bonis, G.; Fermani, P.; Perrina, C.; Caramete, L.; Pavalas, G.E.; Popa, V.; Chiarusi, T.; Circella, M.; Creusot, A.; Galata, S.; Gracia-Ruiz, R.; Van Elewyck, V.; Dekeyser, I.; Lefevre, D.; Tamburini, C.; Deschamps, A.; Hello, Y.; Donzaud, C.; Dumas, A.; Gay, P.; Elsaesser, D.; Kadler, M.; Kreter, M.; Mueller, C.; Fusco, L.A.; Margiotta, A.; Pellegrino, C.; Spurio, M.; Giordano, V.; Haren, H. van; Hugon, C.; Taiuti, M.; Kooijman, P.; Kouchner, A.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Wilms, J.; Kulikovskiy, V.; Leonora, E.; Loucatos, S.; Marinelli, A.; Migliozzi, P.; Moussa, A.; Pradier, T.; Sanguineti, M.; Schuessler, F.; Stolarczyk, T.; Vallage, B.; Vivolo, D.

2017-01-01

A search for high-energy neutrino emission correlated with gamma-ray bursts outside the electromagnetic prompt-emission time window is presented. Using a stacking approach of the time delays between reported gamma-ray burst alerts and spatially coincident muon-neutrino signatures, data from the Antares neutrino telescope recorded between 2007 and 2012 are analysed. One year of public data from the IceCube detector between 2008 and 2009 have been also investigated. The respective timing profiles are scanned for statistically significant accumulations within 40 days of the Gamma Ray Burst, as expected from Lorentz Invariance Violation effects and some astrophysical models. No significant excess over the expected accidental coincidence rate could be found in either of the two data sets. The average strength of the neutrino signal is found to be fainter than one detectable neutrino signal per hundred gamma-ray bursts in the Antares data at 90% confidence level. (orig.)

Gamma-ray bursts and their use as cosmic probes

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Since the launch of the highly successful and ongoing Swift mission, the field of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has undergone a revolution. The arcsecond GRB localizations available within just a few minutes of the GRB alert has signified the continual sampling of the GRB evolution through the prompt to afterglow phases revealing unexpected flaring and plateau phases, the first detection of a kilonova coincident with a short GRB, and the identification of samples of low-luminosity, ultra-long and highly dust-extinguished GRBs. The increased numbers of GRB afterglows, GRB-supernova detections, redshifts and host galaxy associations has greatly improved our understanding of what produces and powers these immense, cosmological explosions. Nevertheless, more high-quality data often also reveal greater complexity. In this review, I summarize some of the milestones made in GRB research during the Swift era, and how previous widely accepted theoretical models have had to adapt to accommodate the new wealth of observational data. PMID:28791158

The Ultra-long GRB 111209A. II. Prompt to Afterglow and Afterglow Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Stratta, G.; Gendre, B.; Atteia, J. L.; Boër, M.; Coward, D. M.; De Pasquale, M.; Howell, E.; Klotz, A.; Oates, S.; Piro, L.

2013-12-01

The "ultra-long" gamma-ray burst GRB 111209A at redshift z = 0.677 is the longest GRB ever observed thus far, with a rest frame prompt emission duration of ~4 hr. In order to explain the burst exceptional longevity, a low-metallicity blue supergiant progenitor was invoked. In this article we further constrain the phenomenology and progenitor properties of this peculiar GRB by performing a multiband temporal and spectral analysis of both the prompt and the afterglow emission. We use proprietary and publicly available data from Swift, Konus WIND, XMM-Newton, and TAROT, as well as from other ground-based optical and radio telescopes. We find some peculiar properties that are possibly connected to the exceptional nature of this burst, namely: (1) an unprecedented large optical delay of 410 ± 50 s between the peak time in gamma-rays and the peak time in the optical of a marked multiwavelength flare; (2) multiwavelength prompt emission spectral modeling requires a certain amount of dust in the circumburst environment. The dust produces a rest frame visual extinction of AV = 0.3-1.5 mag, and may undergo destruction at late times; and (3) we detect the presence of a hard spectral extra power-law component at the end of the X-ray steep steep decay phase and before the start of the X-ray afterglow, which has never been revealed thus far in past GRBs. The optical afterglow shows more usual properties; it has a flux power-law decay with an index of 1.6 ± 0.1 and a late rebrightening feature observed at ~1.1 the day after the first Burst Alert Telescope trigger. We discuss our findings in the context of several possible interpretations that have been given thus far of the complex multiband GRB phenomenology and propose a binary channel formation for the blue supergiant progenitor.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.; Lewis, D.A.

1986-01-01

The Whipple Observatory's atmospheric Cerenkov camera has detected TeV radiation from four galactic sources: the Crab Nebula, Cygnus X-3, Hercules X-1, and 4U0115+63. Recent simulations encourage the view that unwanted cosmic-ray background showers may be suppressed by a large factor. Emphasis in the coming year will be on determining optimum selection criteria for enhancing gamma-ray signals and in developing a prototype camera with finer angular resolution as a first step towards implementation of the HERCULES concept

Gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fichtel, C.E.

1975-01-01

The first certain detection of celestial high energy gamma rays came from a satellite experiment flown on the third Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO-111). A Gamma ray spark chamber telescope with substantively greater sensitivity and angular resolution (a few degrees) flown on the second Small Astronomy Satellite (SAS-II) has now provided a better picture of the gamma ray sky, and particularly the galactic plane and pulsars. This paper will summarize the present picture of gamma ray astronomy as it has developed at this conference from measurements made with experiments carried out on balloons, those remaining on the ground, and ones flown on satellites. (orig.) [de

Using gamma-ray bursts to probe the cosmic intergalactic medium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudilovsky, Vladimir

2014-05-28

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rapidly liberate enormous amounts of energy through the cataclysmic destruction of an individual massive object. GRBs are the most energetic events in the Universe, boasting isotropic equivalent energy releases of E∝10{sup 51-54} erg in time scales of seconds - more energy than even active galaxies in the same time-frame. These transient events represent the ultimate high energy laboratories, and their afterglows are readily detectable from ground-based observatories out to cosmological distances out to z∝8. For this reason, GRBs are a natural tool to probe the early universe. To this end, programs to quickly measure the photometric and spectroscopic properties of GRB afterglows are providing a wealth of data that enable us to characterize the physical properties of both the burst itself and its host environment. In addition to providing extremely poignant information on the burst and its medium, GRB afterglow spectra show the presence of matter intervening along the line of sight. MgII, an important tracer of α-element processes and thus of star formation and galaxies, has been measured in ∝ 60% of GRB afterglow spectra. Surprisingly, MgII is only found in ∝30% of quasar spectra. This discrepancy in the number density dn/dz of intervening MgII absorbers implies that there are significant observational biases in either the spectroscopic samples of either GRB afterglows or quasars. In this work, we review the MgII issue and the biases proposed to explain it. We find that observations of other tracer systems (namely CIV) do not show the same overdensity, and thus conclude that solution to the MgII problem is related to the geometry of the sight-line relative to the absorbers. We conclude that an observational bias stemming from dust extinction arising from MgII cannot explain such a large discrepancy. Finally, we search for a signal of the MgII discrepancy in the transverse direction by computing the GRB-galaxy two point correlation

Using gamma-ray bursts to probe the cosmic intergalactic medium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudilovsky, Vladimir

2014-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) rapidly liberate enormous amounts of energy through the cataclysmic destruction of an individual massive object. GRBs are the most energetic events in the Universe, boasting isotropic equivalent energy releases of E∝10 51-54 erg in time scales of seconds - more energy than even active galaxies in the same time-frame. These transient events represent the ultimate high energy laboratories, and their afterglows are readily detectable from ground-based observatories out to cosmological distances out to z∝8. For this reason, GRBs are a natural tool to probe the early universe. To this end, programs to quickly measure the photometric and spectroscopic properties of GRB afterglows are providing a wealth of data that enable us to characterize the physical properties of both the burst itself and its host environment. In addition to providing extremely poignant information on the burst and its medium, GRB afterglow spectra show the presence of matter intervening along the line of sight. MgII, an important tracer of α-element processes and thus of star formation and galaxies, has been measured in ∝ 60% of GRB afterglow spectra. Surprisingly, MgII is only found in ∝30% of quasar spectra. This discrepancy in the number density dn/dz of intervening MgII absorbers implies that there are significant observational biases in either the spectroscopic samples of either GRB afterglows or quasars. In this work, we review the MgII issue and the biases proposed to explain it. We find that observations of other tracer systems (namely CIV) do not show the same overdensity, and thus conclude that solution to the MgII problem is related to the geometry of the sight-line relative to the absorbers. We conclude that an observational bias stemming from dust extinction arising from MgII cannot explain such a large discrepancy. Finally, we search for a signal of the MgII discrepancy in the transverse direction by computing the GRB-galaxy two point correlation

Approach of the estimation for the highest energy of the gamma rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, Gheorghe

2004-01-01

In the last decade there was under debate the issue concerning the composition of the ultra high energy cosmic rays and some authors suggested that the light composition seems to be a relating issue. There was another debate concerning the limit of the energy of gamma rays. The bottom-up approaches suggest a limit at 10 15 eV. Some top-down approaches rise this limit at about 10 20 eV or above. The present paper provides an approach to estimate the limit of the energy of gamma rays using the recent paper of Claus W. Turtur. (author)

Utilization of freshly induced high-energy gamma-ray activity as a measure of fission rates in re-irradiated burnt UO{sub 2} fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, M. F.; Perret, G. [Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Krohnert, H.; Chawla, R. [Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI), CH-5232 Villigen (Switzerland); Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland)

2009-07-01

In the frame of the LIFE-PROTEUS (Large-scale Irradiation Fuel Experiments at PROTEUS) program, a measurement technique is being developed to measure fission rates in burnt fuel, following re-irradiation in a zero-power research reactor. In the presented approach, the fission rates are estimated by measuring high energy gamma-rays (above 2000 keV) emitted by short-lived fission products freshly produced in the fuel. Due to their high energies, these gamma-rays can be discriminated against the high intrinsic gamma-ray activity of the burnt fuel, which reaches energies up to 2000 keV. To demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, fresh and burnt fuel samples (with burn-ups varying from 36 to 64 MWd/kg) were irradiated in the PROTEUS reactor at the Paul Scherrer Institut, and their emitted gamma-ray spectra were recorded shortly after irradiation. It was possible, for the first time, to detect the short-lived gamma-ray activity in the high-energy region, even in the presence of the intrinsic gamma-ray background of the burnt fuel samples. Using the short-lived gamma-ray lines {sup 142}La (2542 keV), {sup 89}Rb (2570 keV), 95Y (2632 keV), {sup 138}Cs (2640 keV) and {sup 95}Y (3576 keV), relative fission rates between different core positions were derived for a fresh sample as well as for a burnt sample with a burn-up of 36 MWd/kg. It was shown that, for both the fresh and burnt fuel samples, the measured fission rate ratios agreed well, i.e. within the statistical uncertainties, with calculation results obtained by Monte Carlo simulations. (authors)

Some aspects of ultra high energy gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Jager, O.C.

1983-11-01

A short review of ultra high energy (UHE) gamma ray astronomy (10 11 14 eV) as well as a description of a planned experiment to be erected at Potchefstroom is given in the introduction. This experiment will be the first and only one in the Southern Hemisphere and as such may play an important role in this new field of astronomy and astrophysics. In the first part the necessary infrastructure for astronomical observations of known celestial objects is developed. This embodies the special physical, mechanical and astronomical constraints in this type of astronomy, such as the definition of the various astronomical coordinate systems and transformations between them, the effect of precession and nutation on the source position etc. This leads to automatic observation schedules for the various applicable techniques of observation. In the second part the various effects which may influence the arrival time of a gamma ray at the telescope is investigated. It is found that dispersion and relativistic effects are negligible, given the special type of analysis used in this low counting rate system. The classic Doppler effect due to the motion of Earth as well as the configuration of the telescope does have a major effect and must be taken into consideration when analysing the data. A simple method, depending only on the movement of Earth around the sun, is developed to simplify the identification of pulsars at the planned observatory where computing facilities are limited

Gamma-ray spectrometer utilizing xenon at high pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, G.C.; Mahler, G.J.; Yu, B.; Kane, W.R.; Markey, J.K.

1994-01-01

A prototype gamma-ray spectrometer utilizing xenon gas near the critical point (166 degrees C, 58 atm) is under development. The spectrometer will function as a room-temperature ionization chamber detecting gamma rays in the energy range 100 keV2 MeV, with an energy resolution intermediate between semiconductor (Ge) and scintillation (NaI) spectrometers. The energy resolution is superior to that of a NaI scintillation spectrometer by a substantial margin (approximately a factor 5), and accordingly, much more information can be extracted from a given gamma-ray spectrum. Unlike germanium detectors, the spectrometer possesses the capability for sustained operation under ambient temperature conditions without a requirement for liquid nitrogen

X-ray and. gamma. -ray sources: a comparison of their characteristics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freund, A K [Institut Max von Laue - Paul Langevin, 38 - Grenoble (France)

1979-11-01

A comparison of the various source characteristics, in particular the available fluxes of radiation in the X-ray/..gamma..-ray region from (1) high power rotary anode X-ray generators, (2) radioactive ..gamma..-ray sources and (3) high energy electron storage rings is presented. Some of the specific characteristics and possible applications of synchrotron radiation as a source are discussed in detail, together with problems associated with the monochromatization of the continuous radiation in the X-ray/..gamma..-ray region. The new high energy machines PEP at Stanford, the 8 GeV storage ring CESR at Cornell and the PETRA storage ring in Hamburg, which will soon come into operation provide a spectrum of high intensity radiation reaching well above h..gamma..sub(photon)=100 keV. The possibilities of using ondulators (wigglers), and laser-electron scattering for constructing high repetition rate tunable ..gamma..-ray sources are also discussed. Finally the potentials of using the powerful spontaneous emission of ..gamma..-quanta by relativistic channeled particles are mentioned.

Future prospects for. gamma. -ray astronomy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fichtel, C [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Greenbelt, MD (USA). Goddard Space Flight Center

1981-06-30

As ..gamma..-ray astronomy moves from the discovery to the exploratory phase, the promise of ..gamma..-ray astrophysics noted by theorists in the late 1940s and 1950s is beginning to be realized. In the future, satellites should carry instruments that will have over an order of magnitude greater sensitivity than those flown thus far, and, for at least some portions of the ..gamma..-ray energy range, these detectors will also have substantially improved energy and angular resolution. The information to be obtained from these experiments should greatly enhance our knowledge of several astrophysical phenomena including the very energetic and nuclear processes associated with compact objects, astrophysical nucleosynthesis, solar particle acceleration, the chemical composition of the planets and other bodies of the Solar System, the structure of our Galaxy, the origin and dynamic pressure effects of the cosmic rays, high energy particles and energetic processes in other galaxies especially active ones, and the degree of matter-antimatter symmetry of the Universe. The ..gamma..-ray results of the forthcoming programs such as Gamma-I, the Gamma Ray Observatory, the ..gamma..-ray burst network, Solar Polar, and very high energy ..gamma..-ray telescopes on the ground will almost certainly provide justification for more sophisticated telescopes. These advanced instruments might be placed on the Space Platform currently under study by N.A.S.A.

Relativistic motion in gamma-ray bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krolik, J.H.; Pier, E.A.

1991-01-01

Three fundamental problems affect models of gamma-ray bursts, i.e., the energy source, the ability of high-energy photons to escape the radiation region, and the comparative weakness of X-ray emission. It is indicated that relativistic bulk motion of the gamma-ray-emitting plasma generically provides a solution to all three of these problems. Results show that, if the plasma that produces gamma-ray bursts has a bulk relativistic velocity with Lorentz factor gamma of about 10, several of the most troubling problems having to do with gamma-ray bursts are solved. 42 refs

GRB 080916C AND GRB 090510: THE HIGH-ENERGY EMISSION AND THE AFTERGLOW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Weihong; Mao Jirong; Xu Dong; Fan Yizhong

2009-01-01

We constrain the physical composition of the outflows of GRBs 080916C and 090510 with the prompt emission data and find that the former is likely magnetic, while the latter may be baryonic. The X-ray and optical afterglow emission of both GRBs can be reasonably fitted using the standard external shock model but the density profiles of the circum-burst medium are different. We also propose a simple method to estimate the number of seed photons supposing the GeV afterglow photons are due to the inverse Compton radiation of external forward shock electrons. The seed photons needed in the modeling are too many to be realistic for both events. The synchrotron radiation of the forward shock seems able to account for the GeV afterglow data.

Silicon detectors for x and gamma-ray with high radiation resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cimpoca, Valerica; Popescu, Ion V.; Ruscu, Radu

2001-01-01

Silicon detectors are widely used in X and gamma-ray spectroscopy for direct detection or coupled with scintillators in high energy nuclear physics (modern collider experiments are representative), medicine and industrial applications. In X and gamma dosimetry, a low detection limit (under 6 KeV) with silicon detectors becomes available. Work at the room temperature is now possible due to the silicon processing evolution, which assures low reverse current and high life time of carriers. For several years, modern semiconductor detectors have been the primary choice for the measurement of nuclear radiation in various scientific fields. Nowadays the recently developed high resolution silicon detectors found their way in medical applications. As a consequence many efforts have been devoted to the development of high sensitivity and radiation hardened X and gamma-ray detectors for the energy range of 5 - 150 keV. The paper presents some results concerning the technology and behaviour of X and Gamma ray silicon detectors used in physics research, industrial and medical radiography. The electrical characteristics of these detectors, their modification after exposure to radiation and the results of spectroscopic X and Gamma-ray measurements are discussed. The results indicated that the proposed detectors enables the development of reliable silicon detectors to be used in controlling the low and high radiation levels encountered in a lot of application

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

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiersema, K.; Curran, P.; Krühler, T.; Melandri, A.; Rol, E.; Starling, R.L.C.; Tanvir, N.R.; van der Horst, A.J.; Covino, S.; Fynbo, J.P.U.; Goldoni, P.; Gorosabel, J.; Hjorth, J.; Klose, S.; Mundell, C.G.; O'Brien, P.T.; Palazzi, E.; Wijers, R.A.M.J.; D'Elia, V.; Evans, P.A.; Filgas, R.; Gomboc, A.; Greiner, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Kaper, L.; Kobayashi, S.; Kouveliotou, C.; Levan, A.J.; Rossi, A..; Rowlinson, A.; Steele, I.A.; de Ugarte Postigo, A.; Vergani, S.D.

2012-01-01

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

High energy gamma ray response of liquid scintillator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shigyo, N.; Ishibashi, K.; Matsufuji, N.; Nakamoto, T.; Numajiri, M.

1994-01-01

We made the experiment on the spallation reaction. NE213 organic liquid scintillators were used for measuring neutrons and γ rays. To produce the γ ray emission cross section, we used the response functions by EGS4 code. The response functions look like uniform above γ ray energies of 60 MeV. The experimental data of the γ ray emission cross section are different from the data of High Energy Transport Code. (author)

Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil

2006-01-01

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit since November 20, 2004 and all hardware is performing well. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera is detecting a hundred bursts per year. sensitive narrow-field X-ray and uv/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 50-100 sec by an autonomously controlled "swift" spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. There has been a break-through in the longstanding mystery of short GRBs; they appear to be caused by merging neutron stars. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow.

Gamma Ray Burst Discoveries by the Swift Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Gehrels, Neil

2006-04-01

Gamma-ray bursts are among the most fascinating occurrences in the cosmos. They are thought to be the birth cries of black holes throughout the universe. The NASA Swift mission is an innovative new multiwavelength observatory designed to determine the origin of bursts and use them to probe the early Universe. Swift is now in orbit since November 20, 2004 and all hardware is performing well. A new-technology wide-field gamma-ray camera is detecting a hundred bursts per year. Sensitive narrow-field X-ray and UV/optical telescopes, built in collaboration with UK and Italian partners, are pointed at the burst location in 50-100 sec by an autonomously controlled ``swift'' spacecraft. For each burst, arcsec positions are determined and optical/UV/X-ray/gamma-ray spectrophotometry performed. Information is also rapidly sent to the ground to a team of more than 50 observers at telescopes around the world. The first year of findings from the mission will be presented. There has been a break-through in the long-standing mystery of short GRBs; they appear to be caused by merging neutron stars. High redshift bursts have been detected leading to a better understanding of star formation rates and distant galaxy environments. GRBs have been found with giant X-ray flares occurring in their afterglow.

Search for very high-energy gamma-ray emission from the microquasar Cygnus X-1 with the MAGIC telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Ahnen, M. L.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Arcaro, C.; Babić, A.; Banerjee, B.; Bangale, P.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Barrio, J. A.; Becerra González, J.; Bednarek, W.; Bernardini, E.; Berti, A.; Bhattacharyya, W.; Biasuzzi, B.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnefoy, S.; Bonnoli, G.; Carosi, R.; Carosi, A.; Chatterjee, A.; Colin, P.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; Cumani, P.; da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; de Angelis, A.; de Lotto, B.; de Oña Wilhelmi, E.; di Pierro, F.; Doert, M.; Domínguez, A.; Dominis Prester, D.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Einecke, S.; Eisenacher Glawion, D.; Elsaesser, D.; Engelkemeier, M.; Fallah Ramazani, V.; Fernández-Barral, A.; Fidalgo, D.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Fruck, C.; Galindo, D.; García López, R. J.; Garczarczyk, M.; Gaug, M.; Giammaria, P.; Godinović, N.; Gora, D.; Guberman, D.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Hassan, T.; Hayashida, M.; Herrera, J.; Hose, J.; Hrupec, D.; Ishio, K.; Konno, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; Kuveždić, D.; Lelas, D.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, M.; Maggio, C.; Majumdar, P.; Makariev, M.; Maneva, G.; Manganaro, M.; Mannheim, K.; Maraschi, L.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Mazin, D.; Menzel, U.; Minev, M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Moralejo, A.; Moreno, V.; Moretti, E.; Neustroev, V.; Niedzwiecki, A.; Nievas Rosillo, M.; Nilsson, K.; Ninci, D.; Nishijima, K.; Noda, K.; Nogués, L.; Paiano, S.; Palacio, J.; Paneque, D.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Paredes-Fortuny, X.; Pedaletti, G.; Peresano, M.; Perri, L.; Persic, M.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Prandini, E.; Puljak, I.; Garcia, J. R.; Reichardt, I.; Rhode, W.; Ribó, M.; Rico, J.; Righi, C.; Saito, T.; Satalecka, K.; Schroeder, S.; Schweizer, T.; Sitarek, J.; Šnidarić, I.; Sobczynska, D.; Stamerra, A.; Strzys, M.; Surić, T.; Takalo, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Temnikov, P.; Terzić, T.; Tescaro, D.; Teshima, M.; Torres, D. F.; Torres-Albà, N.; Treves, A.; Vanzo, G.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Vovk, I.; Ward, J. E.; Will, M.; Zarić, D.; MAGIC Collaboration; Bosch-Ramon, V.; Pooley, G. G.; Trushkin, S. A.; Zanin, R.

2017-12-01

The microquasar Cygnus X-1 displays the two typical soft and hard X-ray states of a black hole transient. During the latter, Cygnus X-1 shows a one-sided relativistic radio-jet. Recent detection of the system in the high energy (HE; E ≳ 60 MeV) gamma-ray range with Fermi-LAT associates this emission with the outflow. Former MAGIC observations revealed a hint of flaring activity in the very high-energy (VHE; E ≳ 100 GeV) regime during this X-ray state. We analyse ∼97 h of Cygnus X-1 data taken with the MAGIC telescopes between July 2007 and October 2014. To shed light on the correlation between hard X-ray and VHE gamma rays as previously suggested, we study each main X-ray state separately. We perform an orbital phase-folded analysis to look for variability in the VHE band. Additionally, to place this variability behaviour in a multiwavelength context, we compare our results with Fermi-LAT, AGILE, Swift-BAT, MAXI, RXTE-ASM, AMI and RATAN-600 data. We do not detect Cygnus X-1 in the VHE regime. We establish upper limits for each X-ray state, assuming a power-law distribution with photon index Γ = 3.2. For steady emission in the hard and soft X-ray states, we set integral upper limits at 95 per cent confidence level for energies above 200 GeV at 2.6 × 10-12 photons cm-2 s-1 and 1.0 × 10-11 photons cm-2 s-1, respectively. We rule out steady VHE gamma-ray emission above this energy range, at the level of the MAGIC sensitivity, originating in the interaction between the relativistic jet and the surrounding medium, while the emission above this flux level produced inside the binary still remains a valid possibility.

The Giant Flare From SGR 1806-20 And Its Radio Afterglow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, G.B.; /New Mexico U. /NRAO, Socorro; Granot, J.; /KIPAC, Menlo Park

2006-09-26

The multi-wavelength observations of the 2004 December 27 Giant Flare (GF) from SGR 1806-20 and its long-lived radio afterglow are briefly reviewed. The GF appears to have been produced by a dramatic reconfiguration of the magnetic field near the surface of the neutron star, possibly accompanied by fractures in the crust. The explosive release of over 10{sup 46} erg (isotropic equivalent) powered a one-sided mildly relativistic outflow. The outflow produced a new expanding radio nebula, that is still visible over a year after the GF. Also considered are the constraints on the total energy in the GF, the energy and mass in the outflow, and on the external density, as well as possible implications for short {gamma}-ray bursts and potential signatures in high energy neutrinos, photons, or cosmic rays. Some possible future observations of this and other GFs are briefly discussed.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics. Progress report, August 1, 1980-July 31, 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.C.

1981-04-01

Very high energy (VHE) gamma ray astronomy gives insight into fundamental questions regarding the origins of cosmic rays and the types of particle acceleration mechanisms which operate in nature. VHE photons are detected by means of the Cerenkov light their secondaries produce in the atmosphere. During June - September 1981 the solar collectors at Edwards Air Force Base will be used to detect the Cerenkov light from the photons from Cygnus X-3 thus extending its observation into a previously unexplored region. The time of each detector event will be recorded to the nearest 0.5 ms. If Cygnus X-3 is the neutron star remnant of a recent (unseen) supernova, then the VHE gamma rays may be pulsed at its rotation rate, and the data obtained will allow a sensitive test of this possibility. The equipment for the summer observations is nearly ready and will be tested in May prior to any early run in June

SIMULATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURST JETS IN A STRATIFIED EXTERNAL MEDIUM: DYNAMICS, AFTERGLOW LIGHT CURVES, JET BREAKS, AND RADIO CALORIMETRY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Colle, Fabio; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico [TASC, Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); Granot, Jonathan [Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91904 (Israel); Lopez-Camara, Diego [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Ap. 70-543, 04510 D.F. (Mexico)

2012-05-20

The dynamics of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets during the afterglow phase is most reliably and accurately modeled using hydrodynamic simulations. All published simulations so far, however, have considered only a uniform external medium, while a stratified external medium is expected around long duration GRB progenitors. Here, we present simulations of the dynamics of GRB jets and the resulting afterglow emission for both uniform and stratified external media with {rho}{sub ext}{proportional_to}r{sup -k} for k = 0, 1, 2. The simulations are performed in two dimensions using the special relativistic version of the Mezcal code. Common to all calculations is the initiation of the GRB jet as a conical wedge of half-opening angle {theta}{sub 0} = 0.2 whose radial profile is taken from the self-similar Blandford-McKee solution. The dynamics for stratified external media (k = 1, 2) are broadly similar to those derived for expansion into a uniform external medium (k = 0). The jet half-opening angle is observed to start increasing logarithmically with time (or radius) once the Lorentz factor {Gamma} drops below {theta}{sup -1}{sub 0}. For larger k values, however, the lateral expansion is faster at early times (when {Gamma} > {theta}{sup -1}{sub 0}) and slower at late times with the jet expansion becoming Newtonian and slowly approaching spherical symmetry over progressively longer timescales. We find that, contrary to analytic expectations, there is a reasonably sharp jet break in the light curve for k = 2 (a wind-like external medium), although the shape of the break is affected more by the viewing angle (for {theta}{sub obs} {<=} {theta}{sub 0}) than by the slope of the external density profile (for 0 {<=} k {<=} 2). Steeper density profiles (i.e., increasing k values) are found to produce more gradual jet breaks while larger viewing angles cause smoother and later appearing jet breaks. The counterjet becomes visible as it becomes sub-relativistic, and for k = 0 this results

Energy spectrum of extragalactic gamma-ray sources

Science.gov (United States)

Protheroe, R. J.

1985-01-01

The result of Monte Carlo electron photon cascade calculations for propagation of gamma rays through regions of extragalactic space containing no magnetic field are given. These calculations then provide upper limits to the expected flux from extragalactic sources. Since gamma rays in the 10 to the 14th power eV to 10 to the 17th power eV energy range are of interest, interactions of electrons and photons with the 3 K microwave background radiation are considered. To obtain an upper limit to the expected gamma ray flux from sources, the intergalactic field is assumed to be so low that it can be ignored. Interactions with photons of the near-infrared background radiation are not considered here although these will have important implications for gamma rays below 10 to the 14th power eV if the near infrared background radiation is universal. Interaction lengths of electrons and photons in the microwave background radiation at a temperature of 2.96 K were calculated and are given.

Forming a constant density medium close to long gamma-ray burst

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marle, A.J.; Langer, N.; Achterberg, A; Garia-Segura, G.

2006-01-01

Aims. The progenitor stars of long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are thought to be Wolf-Rayet stars, which generate a massive and energetic wind. Nevertheless, about 25 percent of all GRB afterglows light curves indicate a constant density medium close to the exploding star. We explore various ways to

The Dynamic Range of Ultra-High Resolution Cryogenic Gamma-ray Spectrometers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, S; Terracol, S F; Drury, O B; Friedrich, S

2005-01-01

We are developing high-resolution cryogenic gamma-ray spectrometers for nuclear science and non-proliferation applications. The gamma-ray detectors are composed of a bulk superconducting Sn foil absorber attached to multilayer Mo/Cu transition-edge sensors (TES). The energy resolution achieved with a 1 x 1 x 0.25 mm 3 Sn absorber is 50 -90eV for γ-rays up to 100 keV and it decreases for large absorber sizes. We discuss the trade-offs between energy resolution and dynamic range, as well as development of TES arrays for higher count rates and better sensitivity

Design and expected performance of a novel hybrid detector for very-high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Assis, P.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Blanco, A.; Conceição, R.; D'Ettorre Piazzoli, B.; De Angelis, A.; Doro, M.; Fonte, P.; Lopes, L.; Matthiae, G.; Pimenta, M.; Shellard, R.; Tomé, B.

2018-05-01

Current detectors for Very-High-Energy γ-ray astrophysics are either pointing instruments with a small field of view (Cherenkov telescopes), or large field-of-view instruments with relatively large energy thresholds (extensive air shower detectors). In this article, we propose a new hybrid extensive air shower detector sensitive in an energy region starting from about 100 GeV. The detector combines a small water-Cherenkov detector, able to provide a calorimetric measurement of shower particles at ground, with resistive plate chambers which contribute significantly to the accurate shower geometry reconstruction. A full simulation of this detector concept shows that it is able to reach better sensitivity than any previous gamma-ray wide field-of-view experiment in the sub-TeV energy region. It is expected to detect with a 5σ significance a source fainter than the Crab Nebula in one year at 100 GeV and, above 1 TeV a source as faint as 10% of it. As such, this instrument is suited to detect transient phenomena making it a very powerful tool to trigger observations of variable sources and to detect transients coupled to gravitational waves and gamma-ray bursts.

A high-energy, high-flux source of gamma-rays from all-optical non-linear Thomson scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Corvan, D.J., E-mail: dcorvan01@qub.ac.uk; Zepf, M.; Sarri, G.

2016-09-01

γ-Ray sources are among the most fundamental experimental tools currently available to modern physics. As well as the obvious benefits to fundamental research, an ultra-bright source of γ-rays could form the foundation of scanning of shipping containers for special nuclear materials and provide the bases for new types of cancer therapy. However, for these applications to prove viable, γ-ray sources must become compact and relatively cheap to manufacture. In recent years, advances in laser technology have formed the cornerstone of optical sources of high energy electrons which already have been used to generate synchrotron radiation on a compact scale. Exploiting the scattering induced by a second laser, one can further enhance the energy and number of photons produced provided the problems of synchronisation and compact γ-ray detection are solved. Here, we report on the work that has been done in developing an all-optical and hence, compact non-linear Thomson scattering source, including the new methods of synchronisation and compact γ-ray detection. We present evidence of the generation of multi-MeV (maximum 16–18 MeV) and ultra-high brilliance (exceeding 10{sup 20} photons s{sup −1}mm{sup −2}mrad{sup −2} 0.1% BW at 15 MeV) γ-ray beams. These characteristics are appealing for the paramount practical applications mentioned above. - Highlights: • How synchrotron radiation can be produced in an all optical setting using laser-plasmas. • Generating high-energy, high-flux gamma ray beams. • Presenting results from a recent NLTS experimental campaign. • Reveal insight into the experimental techniques employed.

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

Science.gov (United States)

Marisaldi, Martino; Fuschino, Fabio; Labanti, Claudio; Tavani, Marco; Argan, Andrea; Del Monte, Ettore; Longo, Francesco; Barbiellini, Guido; Giuliani, Andrea; Trois, Alessio; Bulgarelli, Andrea; Gianotti, Fulvio; Trifoglio, Massimo

2013-08-01

Lightning and thunderstorm systems in general have been recently recognized as powerful particle accelerators, capable of producing electrons, positrons, gamma-rays and neutrons with energies as high as several tens of MeV. In fact, these natural systems turn out to be the highest energy and most efficient natural particle accelerators on Earth. Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are millisecond long, very intense bursts of gamma-rays and are one of the most intriguing manifestation of these natural accelerators. Only three currently operative missions are capable of detecting TGFs from space: the RHESSI, Fermi and AGILE satellites. In this paper we review the characteristics of TGFs, including energy spectrum, timing structure, beam geometry and correlation with lightning, and the basic principles of the associated production models. Then we focus on the recent AGILE discoveries concerning the high energy extension of the TGF spectrum up to 100 MeV, which is difficult to reconcile with current theoretical models.

Terrestrial gamma-ray flashes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marisaldi, Martino; Fuschino, Fabio; Labanti, Claudio; Tavani, Marco; Argan, Andrea; Del Monte, Ettore; Longo, Francesco; Barbiellini, Guido; Giuliani, Andrea; Trois, Alessio; Bulgarelli, Andrea; Gianotti, Fulvio; Trifoglio, Massimo

2013-01-01

Lightning and thunderstorm systems in general have been recently recognized as powerful particle accelerators, capable of producing electrons, positrons, gamma-rays and neutrons with energies as high as several tens of MeV. In fact, these natural systems turn out to be the highest energy and most efficient natural particle accelerators on Earth. Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) are millisecond long, very intense bursts of gamma-rays and are one of the most intriguing manifestation of these natural accelerators. Only three currently operative missions are capable of detecting TGFs from space: the RHESSI, Fermi and AGILE satellites. In this paper we review the characteristics of TGFs, including energy spectrum, timing structure, beam geometry and correlation with lightning, and the basic principles of the associated production models. Then we focus on the recent AGILE discoveries concerning the high energy extension of the TGF spectrum up to 100 MeV, which is difficult to reconcile with current theoretical models

Energy- and time-resolved detection of prompt gamma-rays for proton range verification.

Science.gov (United States)

Verburg, Joost M; Riley, Kent; Bortfeld, Thomas; Seco, Joao

2013-10-21

In this work, we present experimental results of a novel prompt gamma-ray detector for proton beam range verification. The detection system features an actively shielded cerium-doped lanthanum(III) bromide scintillator, coupled to a digital data acquisition system. The acquisition was synchronized to the cyclotron radio frequency to separate the prompt gamma-ray signals from the later-arriving neutron-induced background. We designed the detector to provide a high energy resolution and an effective reduction of background events, enabling discrete proton-induced prompt gamma lines to be resolved. Measuring discrete prompt gamma lines has several benefits for range verification. As the discrete energies correspond to specific nuclear transitions, the magnitudes of the different gamma lines have unique correlations with the proton energy and can be directly related to nuclear reaction cross sections. The quantification of discrete gamma lines also enables elemental analysis of tissue in the beam path, providing a better prediction of prompt gamma-ray yields. We present the results of experiments in which a water phantom was irradiated with proton pencil-beams in a clinical proton therapy gantry. A slit collimator was used to collimate the prompt gamma-rays, and measurements were performed at 27 positions along the path of proton beams with ranges of 9, 16 and 23 g cm(-2) in water. The magnitudes of discrete gamma lines at 4.44, 5.2 and 6.13 MeV were quantified. The prompt gamma lines were found to be clearly resolved in dimensions of energy and time, and had a reproducible correlation with the proton depth-dose curve. We conclude that the measurement of discrete prompt gamma-rays for in vivo range verification of clinical proton beams is feasible, and plan to further study methods and detector designs for clinical use.

Status of the GILDA project for the 30 MeV-100 GeV high energy gamma ray astrophysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casolino, M.; Sparvoli, R.; Morselli, A.; Picozza, P. [Rome Univ. `Tor Vergata` (Italy)]|[INFN, Rome (Italy); Barbiellini, G. [Trieste Univ. (Italy)]|[INFN, Trieste (Italy); Fuglesang, C. [ESA-EAC, Cologne (Germany); Ozerov, Yu.V.; Zemskov, V.M.; Zverev, V.G.; Galper, A.M. [Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

1995-09-01

High energy gamma-ray astrophysics has greatly developed in the last few years because of the results of EGRET, on the Compton gamma ray observatory. The satellite observations have shown the importance of continuing the investigation of high energy gamma radiation but the emerging of new astrophysical and cosmological problems require for future experiments the realization of telescopes with parameters significatively improved with respect to the previous missions. In a traditional point of view, this is achieved with the increase of the length L of the device and, consequently, the mass of the telescope and satellite (growing as L{sup 3}). Such kinds of experiments are becoming rather expensive and are approaching the maximum value in cost, satellite mass and consuming resources. The telescope project GILDA presented in this paper is based on the use of silicon strip detectors. The silicon technique consents to obtain a much wider solid angle aperture; in this way there is more sensitivity without a growing in the size of the

Status of the GILDA project for the 30 MeV-100 GeV high energy gamma ray astrophysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casolino, M.; Sparvoli, R.; Morselli, A.; Picozza, P.; Barbiellini, G.; Fuglesang, C.; Ozerov, Yu.V.; Zemskov, V.M.; Zverev, V.G.; Galper, A.M.

1995-01-01

High energy gamma-ray astrophysics has greatly developed in the last few years because of the results of EGRET, on the Compton gamma ray observatory. The satellite observations have shown the importance of continuing the investigation of high energy gamma radiation but the emerging of new astrophysical and cosmological problems require for future experiments the realization of telescopes with parameters significatively improved with respect to the previous missions. In a traditional point of view, this is achieved with the increase of the length L of the device and, consequently, the mass of the telescope and satellite (growing as L 3 ). Such kinds of experiments are becoming rather expensive and are approaching the maximum value in cost, satellite mass and consuming resources. The telescope project GILDA presented in this paper is based on the use of silicon strip detectors. The silicon technique consents to obtain a much wider solid angle aperture; in this way there is more sensitivity without a growing in the size of the

Study of the high energy gamma-ray emission from the crab pulsar with the MAGIC telescope and Fermi-LAT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saito, Takayuki

2010-01-01

My thesis deals with a fundamental question of high energy gamma-ray astronomy. Namely, I studied the cut-off shape of the Crab pulsar spectrum to distinguish between the leading scenarios for the pulsar models. Pulsars are celestial objects, which emit periodic pulsed electromagnetic radiation (pulsation) from radio to high energy gamma-rays. Two major scenarios evolved in past 40 years to explain the pulsation mechanism: the inner magnetosphere scenario and the outer magnetosphere scenario. Both scenarios predict a high energy cut-off in the gamma-ray energy spectrum, but with different cut-off sharpness. An exponential cut-off is expected for the outer magnetosphere scenario while a super-exponential cut-off is predicted for the inner magnetosphere scenario. Therefore, one of the best ways to confirm or refute these scenarios is to measure the energy spectrum of a pulsar at around the cut-off energy, i.e., at energies between a few GeV and a few tens of GeV. All past attempts to measure pulsar spectra with ground-based instruments have failed while satellite-borne detectors had a too small area to study detailed spectra in the GeV domain. In this thesis, the gamma-ray emission at around the cut-off energy from the Crab pulsar is studied with the MAGIC telescope. The public data of the satellite-borne gamma-ray detector, Fermi-LAT, are also analyzed in order to discuss the MAGIC observation results in comparison with the adjacent energy band. In late 2007, a new trigger system (SUM trigger system) allowed to reduce the threshold energy of the MAGIC telescope from 50 GeV to 25 GeV and the Crab pulsar was successfully detected during observations from October 2007 and January 2009. My analysis reveals that the energy spectrum is consistent with a simple power law between 25 GeV to 100 GeV. The extension of the energy spectrum up to 100 GeV rules out the inner magnetosphere scenario. Fermi-LAT started operation in August 2008. The Fermi-LAT data reveal that a power

Study of the high energy gamma-ray emission from the crab pulsar with the MAGIC telescope and Fermi-LAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saito, Takayuki

2010-12-06

My thesis deals with a fundamental question of high energy gamma-ray astronomy. Namely, I studied the cut-off shape of the Crab pulsar spectrum to distinguish between the leading scenarios for the pulsar models. Pulsars are celestial objects, which emit periodic pulsed electromagnetic radiation (pulsation) from radio to high energy gamma-rays. Two major scenarios evolved in past 40 years to explain the pulsation mechanism: the inner magnetosphere scenario and the outer magnetosphere scenario. Both scenarios predict a high energy cut-off in the gamma-ray energy spectrum, but with different cut-off sharpness. An exponential cut-off is expected for the outer magnetosphere scenario while a super-exponential cut-off is predicted for the inner magnetosphere scenario. Therefore, one of the best ways to confirm or refute these scenarios is to measure the energy spectrum of a pulsar at around the cut-off energy, i.e., at energies between a few GeV and a few tens of GeV. All past attempts to measure pulsar spectra with ground-based instruments have failed while satellite-borne detectors had a too small area to study detailed spectra in the GeV domain. In this thesis, the gamma-ray emission at around the cut-off energy from the Crab pulsar is studied with the MAGIC telescope. The public data of the satellite-borne gamma-ray detector, Fermi-LAT, are also analyzed in order to discuss the MAGIC observation results in comparison with the adjacent energy band. In late 2007, a new trigger system (SUM trigger system) allowed to reduce the threshold energy of the MAGIC telescope from 50 GeV to 25 GeV and the Crab pulsar was successfully detected during observations from October 2007 and January 2009. My analysis reveals that the energy spectrum is consistent with a simple power law between 25 GeV to 100 GeV. The extension of the energy spectrum up to 100 GeV rules out the inner magnetosphere scenario. Fermi-LAT started operation in August 2008. The Fermi-LAT data reveal that a power

Gamma-ray pulsars: Emission zones and viewing geometries

Science.gov (United States)

Romani, Roger W.; Yadigaroglu, I.-A.

1995-01-01

There are now a half-dozen young pulsars detected in high-energy photons by the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory (CGRO), showing a variety of emission efficiencies and pulse profiles. We present here a calculation of the pattern of high-energy emission on the sky in a model which posits gamma-ray production by charge-depleted gaps in the outer magnetosphere. This model accounts for the radio to gamma-ray pulse offsets of the known pulsars, as well as the shape of the high-energy pulse profiles. We also show that about one-third of emitting young radio pulsars will not be detected due to beaming effects, while approximately 2.5 times the number of radio-selected gamma-ray pulsars will be viewed only high energies. Finally we compute the polarization angle variation and find that the previously misunderstood optical polarization sweep of the Crab pulsar arises naturally in this picture. These results strongly support an outer magnetosphere location for the gamma-ray emission.

Broadband observations of the naked-eye gamma-ray burst GRB 080319B.

Science.gov (United States)

Racusin, J L; Karpov, S V; Sokolowski, M; Granot, J; Wu, X F; Pal'shin, V; Covino, S; van der Horst, A J; Oates, S R; Schady, P; Smith, R J; Cummings, J; Starling, R L C; Piotrowski, L W; Zhang, B; Evans, P A; Holland, S T; Malek, K; Page, M T; Vetere, L; Margutti, R; Guidorzi, C; Kamble, A P; Curran, P A; Beardmore, A; Kouveliotou, C; Mankiewicz, L; Melandri, A; O'Brien, P T; Page, K L; Piran, T; Tanvir, N R; Wrochna, G; Aptekar, R L; Barthelmy, S; Bartolini, C; Beskin, G M; Bondar, S; Bremer, M; Campana, S; Castro-Tirado, A; Cucchiara, A; Cwiok, M; D'Avanzo, P; D'Elia, V; Valle, M Della; de Ugarte Postigo, A; Dominik, W; Falcone, A; Fiore, F; Fox, D B; Frederiks, D D; Fruchter, A S; Fugazza, D; Garrett, M A; Gehrels, N; Golenetskii, S; Gomboc, A; Gorosabel, J; Greco, G; Guarnieri, A; Immler, S; Jelinek, M; Kasprowicz, G; La Parola, V; Levan, A J; Mangano, V; Mazets, E P; Molinari, E; Moretti, A; Nawrocki, K; Oleynik, P P; Osborne, J P; Pagani, C; Pandey, S B; Paragi, Z; Perri, M; Piccioni, A; Ramirez-Ruiz, E; Roming, P W A; Steele, I A; Strom, R G; Testa, V; Tosti, G; Ulanov, M V; Wiersema, K; Wijers, R A M J; Winters, J M; Zarnecki, A F; Zerbi, F; Mészáros, P; Chincarini, G; Burrows, D N

2008-09-11

Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) release copious amounts of energy across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, and so provide a window into the process of black hole formation from the collapse of massive stars. Previous early optical observations of even the most exceptional GRBs (990123 and 030329) lacked both the temporal resolution to probe the optical flash in detail and the accuracy needed to trace the transition from the prompt emission within the outflow to external shocks caused by interaction with the progenitor environment. Here we report observations of the extraordinarily bright prompt optical and gamma-ray emission of GRB 080319B that provide diagnostics within seconds of its formation, followed by broadband observations of the afterglow decay that continued for weeks. We show that the prompt emission stems from a single physical region, implying an extremely relativistic outflow that propagates within the narrow inner core of a two-component jet.

Very high energy gamma ray astrophysics: Progress report, May 1, 1987-February 1, 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lamb, R.G.; Lewis, D.A.

1988-02-01

The Whipple observatory Gamma Ray Collaboration has continued to make steady progress in its development of a highly sensitive stereoscopic imaging gamma-ray telescope (known as the HERCULES project). The milestones in this year's development include: the demonstration of the success of the imaging concept with a single camera by the detection of a very weak flux of gamma rays from the Crab Nebula at a high level of statistical significance (7 sigma), the confirmation of our detection of an anomalous pulsed flux from Hercules X-1 in the summer of 1986 by two other groups; this result has serious implications for the mechanism for gamma-ray emission in this binary source. The construction and installation of the new high resolution camera on the 10 m reflector; the realistic simulation of the sensitivity of this camera as well as that of the full HERCULES system was also undertaken. These, and other highlights of this year's program at the Iowa State University and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, are discussed in this paper. 6 figs

Galactic sources of high energy neutrinos: Expectation from gamma-ray data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahakyan N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The recent results from ground based γ-ray detectors (HESS, MAGIC, VERITAS provide a population of TeV galactic γ-ray sources which are potential sources of High Energy (HE neutrinos. Since the γ-rays and ν-s are produced from decays of neutral and charged pions, the flux of TeV γ-rays can be used to estimate the upper limit of ν flux and vice versa; the detectability of ν flux implies a minimum flux of the accompanying γ-rays (assuming the internal and the external absorption of γ-rays is negligible. Using this minimum flux, it is possible to find the sources which can be detected with cubic-kilometer telescopes. I will discuss the possibility to detect HE neutrinos from powerful galactic accelerators, such as Supernova Remnants (SNRs and Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe and show that likely only RX J1713.7-3946, RX J0852.0-4622 and Vela X can be detected by current generation of instruments (IceCube and Km3Net. It will be shown also, that galactic binary systems could be promising sources of HE ν-s. In particular, ν-s and γ-rays from Cygnus X-3 will be discussed during recent gamma-ray activity, showing that in the future such kind of activities could produce detectable flux of HE ν-s.

The ultra-long GRB 111209A. II. Prompt to afterglow and afterglow properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stratta, G. [Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma (OAR/INAF), via Frascati 33, I-00040 Monte Porzio Catone (Italy); Gendre, B.; Boër, M. [ARTEMIS, UMR 7250 (CNRS/OCA/UNS), boulevard de l' Observatoire, BP 4229, F-06304 Nice Cedex (France); Atteia, J. L. [Université de Toulouse, UPS-OMP, IRAP, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Coward, D. M.; Howell, E. [School of Physics, University of Western Australia (UWA), Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia); De Pasquale, M.; Oates, S. [Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL), University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT (United Kingdom); Klotz, A. [IRAP, 14, avenue Edouard Belin, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Piro, L. [Istituto di Astrofisica e Planetologia Spaziali di Roma (IAPS/INAF), via fosso del cavaliere 100, I-00133 Roma (Italy)

2013-12-10

The 'ultra-long' gamma-ray burst GRB 111209A at redshift z = 0.677 is the longest GRB ever observed thus far, with a rest frame prompt emission duration of ∼4 hr. In order to explain the burst exceptional longevity, a low-metallicity blue supergiant progenitor was invoked. In this article we further constrain the phenomenology and progenitor properties of this peculiar GRB by performing a multiband temporal and spectral analysis of both the prompt and the afterglow emission. We use proprietary and publicly available data from Swift, Konus WIND, XMM-Newton, and TAROT, as well as from other ground-based optical and radio telescopes. We find some peculiar properties that are possibly connected to the exceptional nature of this burst, namely: (1) an unprecedented large optical delay of 410 ± 50 s between the peak time in gamma-rays and the peak time in the optical of a marked multiwavelength flare; (2) multiwavelength prompt emission spectral modeling requires a certain amount of dust in the circumburst environment. The dust produces a rest frame visual extinction of A{sub V} = 0.3-1.5 mag, and may undergo destruction at late times; and (3) we detect the presence of a hard spectral extra power-law component at the end of the X-ray steep steep decay phase and before the start of the X-ray afterglow, which has never been revealed thus far in past GRBs. The optical afterglow shows more usual properties; it has a flux power-law decay with an index of 1.6 ± 0.1 and a late rebrightening feature observed at ∼1.1 the day after the first Burst Alert Telescope trigger. We discuss our findings in the context of several possible interpretations that have been given thus far of the complex multiband GRB phenomenology and propose a binary channel formation for the blue supergiant progenitor.

The ultra-long GRB 111209A. II. Prompt to afterglow and afterglow properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratta, G.; Gendre, B.; Boër, M.; Atteia, J. L.; Coward, D. M.; Howell, E.; De Pasquale, M.; Oates, S.; Klotz, A.; Piro, L.

2013-01-01

The 'ultra-long' gamma-ray burst GRB 111209A at redshift z = 0.677 is the longest GRB ever observed thus far, with a rest frame prompt emission duration of ∼4 hr. In order to explain the burst exceptional longevity, a low-metallicity blue supergiant progenitor was invoked. In this article we further constrain the phenomenology and progenitor properties of this peculiar GRB by performing a multiband temporal and spectral analysis of both the prompt and the afterglow emission. We use proprietary and publicly available data from Swift, Konus WIND, XMM-Newton, and TAROT, as well as from other ground-based optical and radio telescopes. We find some peculiar properties that are possibly connected to the exceptional nature of this burst, namely: (1) an unprecedented large optical delay of 410 ± 50 s between the peak time in gamma-rays and the peak time in the optical of a marked multiwavelength flare; (2) multiwavelength prompt emission spectral modeling requires a certain amount of dust in the circumburst environment. The dust produces a rest frame visual extinction of A V = 0.3-1.5 mag, and may undergo destruction at late times; and (3) we detect the presence of a hard spectral extra power-law component at the end of the X-ray steep steep decay phase and before the start of the X-ray afterglow, which has never been revealed thus far in past GRBs. The optical afterglow shows more usual properties; it has a flux power-law decay with an index of 1.6 ± 0.1 and a late rebrightening feature observed at ∼1.1 the day after the first Burst Alert Telescope trigger. We discuss our findings in the context of several possible interpretations that have been given thus far of the complex multiband GRB phenomenology and propose a binary channel formation for the blue supergiant progenitor.

Examining the nature of very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from the AGN PKS 1222+216 and 3C 279

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Sharleen; Brill, Ari; Mukherjee, Reshmi; VERITAS

2018-01-01

Blazars are a type of active galactic nuclei (AGN) that emit jets of ionized matter which move towards the Earth at relativistic speeds. In this research we carried out a study of two objects, 3C 279 and PKS 1222+216, which belong to the subset of blazars known as FSRQs (flat spectrum radio quasars), the most powerful TeV-detected sources at gamma-ray energies with bolometric luminosities exceeding 1048 erg/s. The high-energy emission of quasars peaks in the MeV-GeV band, making these sources very rarely detectable in the TeV energy range. In fact, only six FSRQs have ever been detected in this range by very-high-energy gamma-ray telescopes. We will present results from observing campaigns on 3C 279 in 2014 and 2016, when the object was detected in high flux states by Fermi-LAT. Observations include simultaneous coverage with the Fermi-LAT satellite and the VERITAS ground-based array spanning four decades in energy from 100 MeV to 1 TeV. We will also report VERITAS observations of PKS 1222+216 between 2008 and 2017. The detection/non-detection of TeV emission during flaring episodes at MeV energies will further contribute to our understanding of particle acceleration and gamma-ray emission mechanisms in blazar jets.

Lunar occultations for gamma-ray source measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Koch, David G.; Hughes, E. B.; Nolan, Patrick L.

1990-01-01

The unambiguous association of discrete gamma-ray sources with objects radiating at other wavelengths, the separation of discrete sources from the extended emission within the Galaxy, the mapping of gamma-ray emission from nearby galaxies and the measurement of structure within a discrete source cannot presently be accomplished at gamma-ray energies. In the past, the detection processes used in high-energy gamma-ray astronomy have not allowed for good angular resolution. This problem can be overcome by placing gamma-ray detectors on the moon and using the horizon as an occulting edge to achieve arcsec resolution. For purposes of discussion, this concept is examined for gamma rays above 100 MeV for which pair production dominates the detection process and locally-generated nuclear gamma rays do not contribute to the background.

DISCOVERY AND REDSHIFT OF AN OPTICAL AFTERGLOW IN 71 deg2: iPTF13bxl AND GRB 130702A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, Leo P.; Brown, Duncan A.; Bradley Cenko, S.; Gehrels, Neil; McEnery, Julie; Kasliwal, Mansi M.; Mulchaey, John; Perley, Daniel A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Bellm, Eric; Barlow, Tom; Cao, Yi; Horesh, Assaf; Ofek, Eran O.; Arcavi, Iair; Nugent, Peter E.; Bloom, Joshua S.; Corsi, Alessandra; Frail, Dale A.; Masci, Frank J.

2013-01-01

We report the discovery of the optical afterglow of the γ-ray burst (GRB) 130702A, identified upon searching 71 deg 2 surrounding the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) localization. Discovered and characterized by the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory, iPTF13bxl is the first afterglow discovered solely based on a GBM localization. Real-time image subtraction, machine learning, human vetting, and rapid response multi-wavelength follow-up enabled us to quickly narrow a list of 27,004 optical transient candidates to a single afterglow-like source. Detection of a new, fading X-ray source by Swift and a radio counterpart by CARMA and the Very Large Array confirmed the association between iPTF13bxl and GRB 130702A. Spectroscopy with the Magellan and Palomar 200 inch telescopes showed the afterglow to be at a redshift of z = 0.145, placing GRB 130702A among the lowest redshift GRBs detected to date. The prompt γ-ray energy release and afterglow luminosity are intermediate between typical cosmological GRBs and nearby sub-luminous events such as GRB 980425 and GRB 060218. The bright afterglow and emerging supernova offer an opportunity for extensive panchromatic follow-up. Our discovery of iPTF13bxl demonstrates the first observational proof-of-principle for ∼10 Fermi-iPTF localizations annually. Furthermore, it represents an important step toward overcoming the challenges inherent in uncovering faint optical counterparts to comparably localized gravitational wave events in the Advanced LIGO and Virgo era

The Animated Gamma-ray Sky Revealed by the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, Isabelle

2009-01-01

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has been observing the sky in gamma-rays since August 2008. In addition to breakthrough capabilities in energy coverage (20 MeV-300 GeV) and angular resolution, the wide field of view of the Large Area Telescope enables observations of 20% of the sky at any instant, and of the whole sky every three hours. It has revealed a very animated sky with bright gamma-ray bursts flashing and vanishing in minutes, powerful active galactic nuclei flaring over hours and days, many pulsars twinkling in the Milky Way, and X-ray binaries shimmering along their orbit. Most of these variable sources had not been seen by the Fermi predecessor, EGRET, and the wealth of new data already brings important clues to the origin of the high-energy emission and particles powered by the compact objects. The telescope also brings crisp images of the bright gamma-ray emission produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the interstellar medium, thus allowing to measure the cosmic nuclei and electron spectra across the Galaxy, to weigh interstellar clouds, in particular in the dark-gas phase. The telescope sensitivity at high energy will soon provide useful constraints on dark-matter annihilations in a variety of environments. I will review the current results and future prospects of the Fermi mission.

Colour variations in the GRB 120327A afterglow

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Melandri, A.; Covino, S.; Zaninoni, E.; Campana, S.; Bolmer, J.; Cobb, B. E.; Gorosabel, J.; Kim, J.W.; Kuindersma, S.; Kuroda, D.; Malesani, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Nappo, F.; Sbarufatti, B.; Smith, R. J.; Steele, I.A.; Topinka, M.; Trotter, G.; Virgili, F. J.; Bernardini, M. G.; D'Avanzo, P.; D'Elia, V.; Fugazza, D.; Ghirlanda, G.; Gomboc, A.; Greiner, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Haislip, J.B.; Hanayama, H.; Hanlon, L.; Im, M.; Ivarsen, K.M.; Japelj, J.; Jelínek, Martin; Kawai, N.; Kobayashi, S.; Kopac, D.; LaCluyze, A.; Martin-Carrillo, A.; Murphy, D.; Reichart, D. E.; Salvaterra, R.; Salafia, O. S.; Tagliaferri, G.; Vergani, S. D.

2017-01-01

Roč. 607, October (2017), A29/1-A29/5 E-ISSN 1432-0746 Institutional support: RVO:67985815 Keywords : gamma-ray burst * time-dependent photoionization * early optical afterglow Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics OBOR OECD: Astronomy (including astrophysics,space science) Impact factor: 5.014, year: 2016

The Prompt-afterglow Connection in Gamma-ray Bursts: a Comprehensive Statistical Analysis of Swift X-ray Light-curves

Science.gov (United States)

Margutti, R.; Zaninoni, E.; Bernardini, M. G.; Chincarini, G.; Pasotti, F.; Guidorzi, C.; Angelini, Lorella; Burrows, D. N.; Capalbi, M.; Evans, P. A.;

Very-high-energy gamma-ray observations of the Type Ia Supernova SN 2014J with the MAGIC telescopes

Science.gov (United States)

Ahnen, M. L.; Ansoldi, S.; Antonelli, L. A.; Antoranz, P.; Arcaro, C.; Babic, A.; Banerjee, B.; Bangale, P.; Barres de Almeida, U.; Barrio, J. A.; Becerra González, J.; Bednarek, W.; Bernardini, E.; Berti, A.; Biasuzzi, B.; Biland, A.; Blanch, O.; Bonnefoy, S.; Bonnoli, G.; Borracci, F.; Bretz, T.; Carosi, R.; Carosi, A.; Chatterjee, A.; Colin, P.; Colombo, E.; Contreras, J. L.; Cortina, J.; Covino, S.; Cumani, P.; Da Vela, P.; Dazzi, F.; De Angelis, A.; De Lotto, B.; de Oña Wilhelmi, E.; Di Pierro, F.; Doert, M.; Domínguez, A.; Dominis Prester, D.; Dorner, D.; Doro, M.; Einecke, S.; Eisenacher Glawion, D.; Elsaesser, D.; Engelkemeier, M.; Fallah Ramazani, V.; Fernández-Barral, A.; Fidalgo, D.; Fonseca, M. V.; Font, L.; Frantzen, K.; Fruck, C.; Galindo, D.; García López, R. J.; Garczarczyk, M.; Garrido Terrats, D.; Gaug, M.; Giammaria, P.; Godinović, N.; Gora, D.; Guberman, D.; Hadasch, D.; Hahn, A.; Hayashida, M.; Herrera, J.; Hose, J.; Hrupec, D.; Hughes, G.; Idec, W.; Kodani, K.; Konno, Y.; Kubo, H.; Kushida, J.; La Barbera, A.; Lelas, D.; Lindfors, E.; Lombardi, S.; Longo, F.; López, M.; López-Coto, R.; Majumdar, P.; Makariev, M.; Mallot, K.; Maneva, G.; Manganaro, M.; Mannheim, K.; Maraschi, L.; Marcote, B.; Mariotti, M.; Martínez, M.; Mazin, D.; Menzel, U.; Miranda, J. M.; Mirzoyan, R.; Moralejo, A.; Moretti, E.; Nakajima, D.; Neustroev, V.; Niedzwiecki, A.; Nievas Rosillo, M.; Nilsson, K.; Nishijima, K.; Noda, K.; Nogués, L.; Paiano, S.; Palacio, J.; Palatiello, M.; Paneque, D.; Paoletti, R.; Paredes, J. M.; Paredes-Fortuny, X.; Pedaletti, G.; Peresano, M.; Perri, L.; Persic, M.; Poutanen, J.; Prada Moroni, P. G.; Prandini, E.; Puljak, I.; Garcia, J. R.; Reichardt, I.; Rhode, W.; Ribó, M.; Rico, J.; Saito, T.; Satalecka, K.; Schroeder, S.; Schweizer, T.; Sillanpää, A.; Sitarek, J.; Snidaric, I.; Sobczynska, D.; Stamerra, A.; Strzys, M.; Surić, T.; Takalo, L.; Tavecchio, F.; Temnikov, P.; Terzić, T.; Tescaro, D.; Teshima, M.; Torres, D. F.; Toyama, T.; Treves, A.; Vanzo, G.; Vazquez Acosta, M.; Vovk, I.; Ward, J. E.; Will, M.; Wu, M. H.; Zanin, R.

2017-06-01

Context. In this work we present data from observations with the MAGIC telescopes of SN 2014J detected on January 21 2014, the closest Type Ia supernova since Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes started to operate. Aims: We aim to probe the possibility of very-high-energy (VHE; E ≥ 100 GeV) gamma rays produced in the early stages of Type Ia supernova explosions. Methods: We performed follow-up observations after this supernova (SN) explosion for five days, between January 27 and February 2 2014. We searched for gamma-ray signals in the energy range between 100 GeV and several TeV from the location of SN 2014J using data from a total of 5.5 h of observations. Prospects for observing gamma rays of hadronic origin from SN 2014J in the near future are also being addressed. Results: No significant excess was detected from the direction of SN 2014J. Upper limits at 95% confidence level on the integral flux, assuming a power-law spectrum, dF/dE ∝ E- Γ, with a spectral index of Γ = 2.6, for energies higher than 300 GeV and 700 GeV, are established at 1.3 × 10-12 and 4.1 × 10-13 photons cm-2 s-1, respectively. Conclusions: For the first time, upper limits on the VHE emission of a Type Ia supernova are established. The energy fraction isotropically emitted into TeV gamma rays during the first 10 days after the supernova explosion for energies greater than 300 GeV is limited to 10-6 of the total available energy budget ( 1051 erg). Within the assumed theoretical scenario, the MAGIC upper limits on the VHE emission suggest that SN 2014J will not be detectable in the future by any current or planned generation of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes.

STATISTICAL PROPERTIES OF GRB AFTERGLOW PARAMETERS AS EVIDENCE OF COSMOLOGICAL EVOLUTION OF THEIR HOST GALAXIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gregory Beskin

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The results of a study of 43 peaked R-band light curves of optical counterparts of gamma-ray bursts with known redshifts are presented. The parameters of optical transients were calculated in the comoving frame, and then a search for pair correlations between them was conducted. A statistical analysis showed a strong correlation between the peak luminosity and the redshift both for pure afterglows and for events with residual gamma activity, which cannot be explained as an effect of observational selection.This suggests a cosmological evolution of the parameters of the local interstellar medium around the sources of the gamma-ray burst. In the models of forward and reverse shock waves, a relation between the density of the interstellar medium and the redshift was built for gamma-ray burst afterglows, leading to a power-law dependence of the star-formation rate at regions around GRBs on redshift with a slope of about 6.

Observation of solar gamma-ray by Hinotori

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshimori, Masato; Okudaira, Kiyoaki; Hirashima, Yo; Kondo, Ichiro.

1982-01-01

The solar gamma-ray emitted by solar flare was observed. The gamma-ray is the electromagnetic radiation with the energy more than 300 keV. The line gamma-ray intensity and the time profile were observed. The gamma-ray detector CsI (Tl) was loaded on Hinotori, and the observed gamma-ray was analyzed by a multi-channel analyzer. The observed line gamma-ray was the radiation from Fe-56 and Ne-20. The line gamma-ray from C-12 and O-16 was also seen. These gamma-ray is the direct evidence of the nuclear reaction on the sun. The observed spectrum suggested the existence of the lines from Mg-24 and Si-28. The intensity of the 2.22 MeV gamma-line was small. This fact showed that the origin of this line was different from other nuclear gamma-ray. Two kinds of hard X-ray bursts were detected. The one was impulsive burst, and the other was gradual burst. There was no time difference between the hard X-ray and the gamma-ray of the impulsive burst. The impulsive burst may be explained by the beam model. The delay of time profile in the high energy gamma-ray of the gradual burst was observed. This means that the time when accelerated electrons cause bremsstrahlung depends on the electron energy. The long trapping of electrons at the top of magnetic loop is suggested. (Kato, T.)

1012 - 1015 eV interaction deduced from energy spectra of gamma-ray and hadrons at airplane altitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yoshiyuki

1978-01-01

The present paper deals with the latest results of the spectral measurements of high energy cosmic ray performed on an airplane with an emulsion chamber. The hadronic component together with the gamma-ray component were observed in the region of gamma energy not smaller than 30 GeV and gamma energy sum not larger than 40 TeV. It was observed that the integral spectra of hadronic showers showed less steep power than those obtained at mountain stations. On the other hand, the integral spectra of gamma-ray in the energy region from 40 GeV to 40 TeV showed steeper power than those of hadronic component. The zenith angle distributions of hadrons and gamma-ray were inspected, and it was confirmed that the observed distributions were well reproduced by the theoretical curves with the appropriate attenuation length. (Yoshimori, M.)

The application of two-dimensional imaging to very high energy gamma ray astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weekes, T.C.

1992-05-01

A technique has been developed to distinguish air showers generated by gamma rays from those generated by hadronic cosmic rays. The method involves the registration of the Cherenkov light images by a large aperture multi-phototube telescope at the Whipple Observatory in southern Arizona. The energy threshold is 0.4 TeV. The efficacy of the technique has been demonstrated by the detection of a signal from the Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant. The physics of shower development at TeV energies is demonstrated to be what is expected, and no support is found for the detection of anomalous signals from binary sources. The sensitivity of the technique is such that a five sigma gamma-ray signal from the Crab can be detected in just an hour of observation. Further improvements in the technique are under way; in particular, a second large aperture camera is now operated in conjunction with the original camera to give stereoscopic images of showers. When completed, this system will give a flux sensitivity a factor of ten below that now available

Dual-Energy Semiconductor Detector of X-rays and Gamma Radiation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brodyn, M.S.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Analysis of the major types of ionizing radiation detectors, their advantages and disadvantages are presented. Application of ZnSe-based semiconductor detector in high temperature environment is substantiated. Different forms of ZnSe-based detector samples and double-crystal scheme for registration of X- and gamma rays in a broad energy range were used . Based on the manufactured simulator device, the study sustains the feasibility of the gamma quanta recording by a high-resistance ZnSe-based detector operating in a perpulse mode.

Colour variations in the GRB 120327A afterglow

Science.gov (United States)

Melandri, A.; Covino, S.; Zaninoni, E.; Campana, S.; Bolmer, J.; Cobb, B. E.; Gorosabel, J.; Kim, J.-W.; Kuin, P.; Kuroda, D.; Malesani, D.; Mundell, C. G.; Nappo, F.; Sbarufatti, B.; Smith, R. J.; Steele, I. A.; Topinka, M.; Trotter, A. S.; Virgili, F. J.; Bernardini, M. G.; D'Avanzo, P.; D'Elia, V.; Fugazza, D.; Ghirlanda, G.; Gomboc, A.; Greiner, J.; Guidorzi, C.; Haislip, J. B.; Hanayama, H.; Hanlon, L.; Im, M.; Ivarsen, K. M.; Japelj, J.; Jelínek, M.; Kawai, N.; Kobayashi, S.; Kopac, D.; LaCluyzé, A. P.; Martin-Carrillo, A.; Murphy, D.; Reichart, D. E.; Salvaterra, R.; Salafia, O. S.; Tagliaferri, G.; Vergani, S. D.

2017-10-01

Aims: We present a comprehensive temporal and spectral analysis of the long Swift GRB 120327A afterglow data to investigate possible causes of the observed early-time colour variations. Methods: We collected data from various instruments and telescopes in X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared bands, and determined the shapes of the afterglow early-time light curves. We studied the overall temporal behaviour and the spectral energy distributions from early to late times. Results: The ultraviolet, optical, and near-infrared light curves can be modelled with a single power-law component between 200 and 2 × 104 s after the burst event. The X-ray light curve shows a canonical steep-shallow-steep behaviour that is typical of long gamma-ray bursts. At early times a colour variation is observed in the ultraviolet/optical bands, while at very late times a hint of a re-brightening is visible. The observed early-time colour change can be explained as a variation in the intrinsic optical spectral index, rather than an evolution of the optical extinction. Table 2 is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/607/A29

THE NEEDLE IN THE 100 deg{sup 2} HAYSTACK: UNCOVERING AFTERGLOWS OF FERMI GRBs WITH THE PALOMAR TRANSIENT FACTORY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singer, Leo P. [LIGO Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Kasliwal, Mansi M. [Observatories of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena CA 91101 (United States); Cenko, S. Bradley; Cucchiara, Antonino; Gehrels, Neil [Astrophysics Science Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 661, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Perley, Daniel A.; Cao, Yi [Cahill Center for Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Anderson, Gemma E.; Fender, Rob P. [Astrophysics, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Anupama, G. C. [Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, Bangalore 560 034 (India); Arcavi, Iair [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States); Bhalerao, Varun [Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Post Bag 4, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007 (India); Bue, Brian D. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Connaughton, Valerie [CSPAR and Physics Department, University of Alabama in Huntsville, 320 Sparkman Drive, Huntsville, AL 35899 (United States); Corsi, Alessandra [Texas Tech University, Physics Department, Lubbock, TX 79409-1051 (United States); Fox, Derek B. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Goldstein, Adam [Astrophysics Office, ZP12, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (United States); Gorosabel, J. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008, Granada (Spain); Horesh, Assaf, E-mail: leo.p.singer@nasa.gov [Benoziyo Center for Astrophysics, Weizmann Institute of Science, 76100 Rehovot (Israel); and others

2015-06-10

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has greatly expanded the number and energy window of observations of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). However, the coarse localizations of tens to a hundred square degrees provided by the Fermi GRB Monitor instrument have posed a formidable obstacle to locating the bursts’ host galaxies, measuring their redshifts, and tracking their panchromatic afterglows. We have built a target-of-opportunity mode for the intermediate Palomar Transient Factory in order to perform targeted searches for Fermi afterglows. Here, we present the results of one year of this program: 8 afterglow discoveries out of 35 searches. Two of the bursts with detected afterglows (GRBs 130702A and 140606B) were at low redshift (z = 0.145 and 0.384, respectively) and had spectroscopically confirmed broad-line Type Ic supernovae. We present our broadband follow-up including spectroscopy as well as X-ray, UV, optical, millimeter, and radio observations. We study possible selection effects in the context of the total Fermi and Swift GRB samples. We identify one new outlier on the Amati relation. We find that two bursts are consistent with a mildly relativistic shock breaking out from the progenitor star rather than the ultra-relativistic internal shock mechanism that powers standard cosmological bursts. Finally, in the context of the Zwicky Transient Facility, we discuss how we will continue to expand this effort to find optical counterparts of binary neutron star mergers that may soon be detected by Advanced LIGO and Virgo.

Fission-product yields for thermal-neutron fission of 243Cm determined from measurements with a high-resolution low-energy germanium gamma-ray detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merriman, L.D.

1984-04-01

Cumulative fission-product yields have been determined for 13 gamma rays emitted during the decay of 12 fission products created by thermal-neutron fission of 243 Cm. A high-resolution low-energy germanium detector was used to measure the pulse-height spectra of gamma rays emitted from a 77-nanogram sample of 243 Cm after the sample had been irradiated by thermal neutrons. Analysis of the data resulted in the identification and matching of gamma-ray energies and half-lives to individual radioisotopes. From these results, 12 cumulative fission product yields were deduced for radionuclides with half-lives between 4.2 min and 84.2 min. 7 references

The Gamma-Ray Imager GRI

Science.gov (United States)

Wunderer, Cornelia B.; GRI Collaboration

2008-03-01

Observations of the gamma-ray sky reveal the most powerful sources and the most violent events in the Universe. While at lower wavebands the observed emission is generally dominated by thermal processes, the gamma-ray sky provides us with a view on the non-thermal Universe. Here particles are accelerated to extreme relativistic energies by mechanisms which are still poorly understood, and nuclear reactions are synthesizing the basic constituents of our world. Cosmic accelerators and cosmic explosions are major science themes that are addressed in the gamma-ray regime. ESA's INTEGRAL observatory currently provides the astronomical community with a unique tool to investigate the sky up to MeV energies and hundreds of sources, new classes of objects, extraordinary views of antimatter annihilation in our Galaxy, and fingerprints of recent nucleosynthesis processes have been discovered. NASA's GLAST mission will similarly take the next step in surveying the high-energy ( GeV) sky, and NuSTAR will pioneer focusing observations at hard X-ray energies (to 80 keV). There will be clearly a growing need to perform deeper, more focused investigations of gamma-ray sources in the 100-keV to MeV regime. Recent technological advances in the domain of gamma-ray focusing using Laue diffraction and multilayer-coated mirror techniques have paved the way towards a gamma-ray mission, providing major improvements compared to past missions regarding sensitivity and angular resolution. Such a future Gamma-Ray Imager will allow the study of particle acceleration processes and explosion physics in unprecedented detail, providing essential clues on the innermost nature of the most violent and most energetic processes in the Universe.

Processing of gamma-ray spectrometric logs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Umiastowski, K.; Dumesnil, P.

1984-10-01

CEA (Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique) has developped a gamma-ray spectrometric tool, containing an analog-to-digital converter. This new tool permits to perform very precise uranium logs (natural gamma-ray spectrometry), neutron activation logs and litho-density logs (gamma-gamma spectrometric logs). Specific processing methods were developped to treate the particular problems of down-hole gamma-ray spectrometry. Extraction of the characteristic gamma-ray peak, even if they are superposed on the background radiation of very high intensity, is possible. This processing methode enables also to obtain geological informations contained in the continuous background of the spectrum. Computer programs are written in high level language for SIRIUS (VICTOR) and APOLLO computers. Exemples of uranium and neutron activation logs treatment are presented [fr

High-Z Nanoparticle/Polymer Nanocomposites for Gamma-Ray Scintillation Detectors

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chao

An affordable and reliable solution for spectroscopic gamma-ray detection has long been sought after due to the needs from research, defense, and medical applications. Scintillators resolve gamma energy by proportionally converting a single high-energy photon into a number of photomultiplier-tube-detectable low-energy photons, which is considered a more affordable solution for general purposes compared to the delicate semiconductor detectors. An ideal scintillator should simultaneously exhibit the following characteristics: 1) high atomic number (Z) for high gamma stopping power and photoelectron production; 2) high light yield since the energy resolution is inversely proportional to the square root of light yield; 3) short emission decay lifetime; and 4) low cost and scalable production. However, commercial scintillators made from either inorganic single crystals or plastics fail to satisfy all requirements due to their intrinsic material properties and fabrication limitations. The concept of adding high-Z constituents into plastic scintillators to harness high Z, low cost, and fast emission in the resulting nanocomposite scintillators is not new in and of itself. Attempts have been made by adding organometallics, quantum dots, and scintillation nanocrystals into the plastic matrix. High-Z organometallics have long been used to improve the Z of plastic scintillators; however, their strong spin-orbit coupling effect entails careful triplet energy matching using expensive triplet emitters to avoid severe quenching of the light yield. On the other hand, reported quantum dot- and nanocrystal-polymer nanocomposites suffer from moderate Z and high optical loss due to aggregation and self-absorption at loadings higher than 10 wt%, limiting their potential for practical application. This dissertation strives to improve the performance of nanoparticle-based nanocomposite scintillators. One focus is to synthesize transparent nanocomposites with higher loadings of high

Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray combination performance in NUEX flow loop; Desempenho no flowloop do NUEX da medicao multifasica Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barreiros, Claudio; Taranto, Cleber; Costa, Alcemir [PETROBRAS S.A., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Pinguet, Bruno; Heluey, Vitor; Bessa, Fabiano; Loicq, Olivier [Schlumberger Servicos de Petroleo Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination, Vx* technology, arrived in Brazil in 2000. PETROBRAS, Brazilian Oil Company, has been putting big efforts in its production business and also has demonstrated a large interest in having a multiphase meter approved by ANP for back allocation purposes. The oil industry was looking for ways to improve the back allocation process using an approved on line multiphase flow measurement device, thus replacing punctual test done today by a permanent monitoring device. Considering this scenario, a partnership project between PETROBRAS and Schlumberger was created in Brazil. The main objective of this project, which was held in NUEX flow loop, was to demonstrate to INMETRO (Brazilian Metrology Institute) that the Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination meter is able to be used for back allocation purpose. PETROBRAS and Schlumberger elaborated a complete methodology in the NUEX flow loop to demonstrate the results and benefits of the Multiphase Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray Combination meter. The test was witnessed by INMETRO and had a very good performance at the end. The results were within what was expected by Schlumberger, PETROBRAS and INMETRO. These results has been very useful to PETROBRAS in order to start using the Venturi Dual Energy Gamma Ray technology for well allocation purposes. (author)

Found: A Galaxy's Missing Gamma Rays

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-04-01

Recent reanalysis of data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has resulted in the first detection of high-energy gamma rays emitted from a nearby galaxy. This discovery reveals more about how supernovae interact with their environments.Colliding Supernova RemnantAfter a stellar explosion, the supernovas ejecta expand, eventually encountering the ambient interstellar medium. According to models, this generates a strong shock, and a fraction of the kinetic energy of the ejecta is transferred into cosmic rays high-energy radiation composed primarily of protons and atomic nuclei. Much is still unknown about this process, however. One open question is: what fraction of the supernovas explosion power goes into accelerating these cosmic rays?In theory, one way to answer this is by looking for gamma rays. In a starburst galaxy, the collision of the supernova-accelerated cosmic rays with the dense interstellar medium is predicted to produce high-energy gamma rays. That radiation should then escape the galaxy and be visible to us.Pass 8 to the RescueObservational tests of this model, however, have beenstumped by Arp 220. This nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxy is the product of a galaxy merger ~700 million years ago that fueled a frenzy of starbirth. Due to its dusty interior and extreme levels of star formation, Arp 220 has long been predicted to emit the gamma rays produced by supernova-accelerated cosmic rays. But though weve looked, gamma-ray emission has never been detected from this galaxy until now.In a recent study, a team of scientists led by Fang-Kun Peng (Nanjing University) reprocessed 7.5 years of Fermi observations using the new Pass 8 analysis software. The resulting increase in resolution revealed the first detection of GeV emission from Arp 220!Acceleration EfficiencyGamma-ray luminosity vs. total infrared luminosity for LAT-detected star-forming galaxies and Seyferts. Arp 220s luminosities are consistent with the scaling relation. [Peng et al. 2016

Developments in gamma-ray spectrometry: systems, software, and methods-II. 3. Low-Energy Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Using a Compton-Suppressed Telescope Detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sigg, R.A.; DiPrete, D.P.

2001-01-01

The Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) utilizes gamma-ray spectrometry in studying numerous areas of applied interest to the Savannah River Site (SRS). For example, analyses of long-lived gamma-ray-emitting fission products and actinides are required to meet waste characterization, process holdup, environmental restoration, and decontamination and decommissioning efforts. A significant portion of the overall effort centers on measurements of gamma rays having energies below several hundred kilo-electron-volts. To assist these efforts, the SRTC recently acquired a spectrometer system that provides lower natural and Compton scattered background levels while achieving relatively high counting efficiencies for low-energy gamma rays. The combination of high efficiency and low background provides factor-of- 2-to-4 improvements in minimum detectable activities and allows meeting programmatic objectives with shorter measurement times. Numerous Compton-suppression spectrometers have been reported since the concept was first advanced. The spectrometer consists of two high-purity germanium detectors in a telescope configuration surrounded by a background /Compton-suppression sodium iodide detector. The front germanium detector is a 20-mm-thick x 60-mm-diam broad energy spectrometer, and the rear detector is a 40% efficient 61- mm-diam x 60-cm-thick closed-end coaxial spectrometer. The cryostat housing the germanium detectors (a) includes a carbon composite window for transmitting low-energy gamma rays, (b) is in a J-type configuration to mask the germanium detectors from natural activities in the cryo-pumping media, and (c) is fabricated from materials selected for low background. The telescope detector is in the 8.6-cm-inside-diameter annulus of a 22.9- x 22.9-cm sodium iodide detector encased in a 10-cm-thick lead shield. The counting system is located in a basement counting room having ∼60-cm-thick concrete walls. Initial tests show that the low-energy segment of

Status of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2015-01-01

I will review the recent results on Ultra-High energy cosmic rays obtained by the Auger and Telescope Array Observatories, and discuss some of the Astrophysical scenarios that could account for them, a connection with LHC results  as well as the possible connections to neutrino and gamma ray observations.

Gamma-to-electron magnetic spectrometer (GEMS): An energy-resolved {gamma}-ray diagnostic for the National Ignition Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y.; Herrmann, H. W.; Mack, J. M.; Young, C. S.; Barlow, D. B.; Schillig, J. B.; Sims, J. R. Jr.; Lopez, F. E.; Mares, D.; Oertel, J. A.; Hayes-Sterbenz, A. C. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Hilsabeck, T. J.; Wu, W. [General Atomics, PO Box 85608, San Diego, California 92186 (United States); Moy, K. [National Security Technologies, Special Technologies Laboratory, Santa Barbara, California 93111 (United States); Stoeffl, W. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94550 (United States)

2012-10-15

The gamma-to-electron magnetic spectrometer, having better than 5% energy resolution, is proposed to resolve {gamma}-rays in the range of E{sub o}{+-} 20% in single shot, where E{sub o} is the central energy and is tunable from 2 to 25 MeV. Gamma-rays from inertial confinement fusion implosions interact with a thin Compton converter (e.g., beryllium) located at approximately 300 cm from the target chamber center (TCC). Scattered electrons out of the Compton converter enter an electromagnet placed outside the NIF chamber (approximately 600 cm from TCC) where energy selection takes place. The electromagnet provides tunable E{sub o} over a broad range in a compact manner. Energy resolved electrons are measured by an array of quartz Cherenkov converters coupled to photomultipliers. Given 100 detectable electrons in the energy bins of interest, 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 14} minimum deuterium/tritium (DT) neutrons will be required to measure the 4.44 MeV {sup 12}C {gamma}-rays assuming 200 mg/cm{sup 2} plastic ablator areal density and 3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} minimum DT neutrons to measure the 16.75 MeV DT {gamma}-ray line.

Gamma-Ray Pulsars Models and Predictions

CERN Document Server

Harding, A K

2001-01-01

Pulsed emission from gamma-ray pulsars originates inside the magnetosphere, from radiation by charged particles accelerated near the magnetic poles or in the outer gaps. In polar cap models, the high energy spectrum is cut off by magnetic pair production above an energy that is dependent on the local magnetic field strength. While most young pulsars with surface fields in the range B = 10^{12} - 10^{13} G are expected to have high energy cutoffs around several GeV, the gamma-ray spectra of old pulsars having lower surface fields may extend to 50 GeV. Although the gamma-ray emission of older pulsars is weaker, detecting pulsed emission at high energies from nearby sources would be an important confirmation of polar cap models. Outer gap models predict more gradual high-energy turnovers at around 10 GeV, but also predict an inverse Compton component extending to TeV energies. Detection of pulsed TeV emission, which would not survive attenuation at the polar caps, is thus an important test of outer gap models. N...

Characterisation of a Compton suppressed Clover detector for high energy gamma rays (=<11MeV)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saha Sarkar, M. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)]. E-mail: maitrayee.sahasarkar@saha.ac.in; Kshetri, Ritesh [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Raut, Rajarshi [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Mukherjee, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Sinha, Mandira [Gurudas College, Narkeldanga, Kolkata-700054 (India); Ray, Maitreyi [Behala College, Parnashree, Kolkata-700060 (India); Goswami, A. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Roy, Subinit [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Basu, P. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Majumder, H. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Bhattacharya, S. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India); Dasmahapatra, B. [Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700064 (India)

2006-01-01

Gamma ray spectra of two (p,{gamma}) resonances have been utilised for the characterisation of the Clover detector at energies beyond 5MeV. Apart from the efficiency and the resolution of the detector, the shapes of the full energy peaks as well as the nature of the escape peaks which are also very crucial at higher energies have been analysed with special attention. Proper gain matching in software have checked deterioration in the energy resolution and distortion in the peak shape due to addback. The addback factors show sharp increasing trend even at energies around 11MeV.

Gamma ray astronomy with COS-B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swanenburg, B.N.

1981-01-01

Observational results in the field of gamma-ray astronomy that have been obtained to date with the COS-B satellite are discussed and questions raised by these observations are summarized. Following a brief review of the instrumental characteristics of COS-B and the extent of COS-B gamma-ray coverage of the sky, particular attention is given to the questions raised by the discovery of many unidentified gamma-ray sources with no apparent optical, X-ray or radio counterparts and the detection of high-energy gamma radiation from the quasar 3C 273, which suggests the role of gamma-ray emission in the creation of other radiation

Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS): a new balloon-borne experiment for gamma-ray line astronomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teegarden, B.J.; Cline, T.L.; Gehrels, N.; Porreca, G.; Tueller, J.; Leventhal, M.; Huters, A.F.; Maccallum, C.J.; Stang, P.D.; Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM)

1985-01-01

High resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy is a relatively new field that holds great promise for further understanding of high energy astrophysical processes. When the high resolution gamma-ray spectrometer (GRSE) was removed from the GRO payload, a balloon program was initiated to permit continued development and improvement of instrumentation in this field, as well as continued scientific observations. The Gamma-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (GRIS) is one of the experiments selected as part of this program. The instrument contains a number of new and innovative features that are expected to produce a significant improvement in source location accuracy and sensitivity over previous balloon and satellite experiments

The TeV {gamma}-ray binary PSR B1259-63. Observations with the high energy stereoscopic system in the years 2005-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerschhaggl, Matthias

2010-04-06

PSR B1259-63/SS2883 is a binary system where a 48 ms pulsar orbits a massive Be star with a period of 3.4 years. The system exhibits variable, non-thermal radiation around periastron on the highly eccentric orbit (e=0.87) visible from radio to very high energies (VHE; E>100 GeV). When being detected in TeV {gamma}-rays with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 2004 it became known as the first variable galactic VHE source. This thesis presents VHE data from PSR B1259-63 as taken during the years 2005, 2006 and before as well as shortly after the 2007 periastron passage. These data extend the knowledge of the lightcurve of this object to all phases of the binary orbit. The lightcurve constrains physical mechanisms present in this TeV source. Observations of VHE {gamma}-rays with the H.E.S.S. telescope array using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique were performed. The H.E.S.S. instrument features an angular resolution of < 0.1 and an energy resolution of < 20%. Gamma-ray events in an energy range of 0.5-70 TeV were recorded. From these data, energy spectra and lightcurve with a monthly time sampling were extracted. VHE {gamma}-ray emission from PSRB1259-63 was detected with an overall significance of 9.5 standard deviations using 55 h of exposure, obtained from April to August 2007. The monthly flux of -rays during the observation period was measured, yielding VHE lightcurve data for the early pre-periastron phase of the system for the first time. No spectral variability was found on timescales of months. The spectrum is described by a power law with a photon index of {gamma}=2.8{+-}0.2{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys} and flux normalisation {phi}{sub 0}=(1.1{+-}0.1{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys}) x 10{sup -12} TeV{sup -1}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. PSR B1259-63 was also monitored in 2005 and 2006, far from periastron passage, comprising 8.9 h and 7.5 h of exposure, respectively. No significant excess of {gamma}-rays is seen in those observations. PSR B1259-63 has

The TeV {gamma}-ray binary PSR B1259-63. Observations with the high energy stereoscopic system in the years 2005-2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kerschhaggl, Matthias

2010-04-06

PSR B1259-63/SS2883 is a binary system where a 48 ms pulsar orbits a massive Be star with a period of 3.4 years. The system exhibits variable, non-thermal radiation around periastron on the highly eccentric orbit (e=0.87) visible from radio to very high energies (VHE; E>100 GeV). When being detected in TeV {gamma}-rays with the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) in 2004 it became known as the first variable galactic VHE source. This thesis presents VHE data from PSR B1259-63 as taken during the years 2005, 2006 and before as well as shortly after the 2007 periastron passage. These data extend the knowledge of the lightcurve of this object to all phases of the binary orbit. The lightcurve constrains physical mechanisms present in this TeV source. Observations of VHE {gamma}-rays with the H.E.S.S. telescope array using the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique were performed. The H.E.S.S. instrument features an angular resolution of < 0.1 and an energy resolution of < 20%. Gamma-ray events in an energy range of 0.5-70 TeV were recorded. From these data, energy spectra and lightcurve with a monthly time sampling were extracted. VHE {gamma}-ray emission from PSRB1259-63 was detected with an overall significance of 9.5 standard deviations using 55 h of exposure, obtained from April to August 2007. The monthly flux of -rays during the observation period was measured, yielding VHE lightcurve data for the early pre-periastron phase of the system for the first time. No spectral variability was found on timescales of months. The spectrum is described by a power law with a photon index of {gamma}=2.8{+-}0.2{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys} and flux normalisation {phi}{sub 0}=(1.1{+-}0.1{sub stat}{+-}0.2{sub sys}) x 10{sup -12} TeV{sup -1}cm{sup -2}s{sup -1}. PSR B1259-63 was also monitored in 2005 and 2006, far from periastron passage, comprising 8.9 h and 7.5 h of exposure, respectively. No significant excess of {gamma}-rays is seen in those observations. PSR B1259-63 has

The possibilities of CCD photometry of optical afterglows of GRBs

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šimon, Vojtěch; Polášek, Cyril; Jelínek, M.; Hudec, René; Štrobl, Jan

-, č. 125 (2010), s. 24-28 ISSN 1801-5964. [Conference on Variable Stars Research /41./. Prague, 27.11.2009-29.11.2009] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : gamma-ray bursts * optical afterglows * CCD photometry Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics