The main stages in the creation of the Russian segment of the MASTER network of robotic telescopes is described. This network is designed for studies of the prompt optical emission of gammaray bursts ...(GRBs; optical emission synchronous with the gamma-ray radiation) and surveys of the sky aimed at discovering uncataloged objects and photometric studies for various programs. The first results obtained by the network, during its construction and immediately after its completion in December 2010, are presented. Eighty-nine alert pointings at GRBs (in most cases, being the first ground telescopes to point at the GRBs) were made from September 2006 through July 2011. The MASTER network holds first place in the world in terms of the total number of first pointings, and currently more than half of first pointings at GRBs by ground telescopes are made by the MASTER network. Photometric light curves of GRB 091020, GRB 091127, GRB 100901A, GRB 100906A, GRB 10925A, GRB 110106A, GRB 110422A, and GRB 110530A are presented. It is especially important that prompt emission was observed for GRB 100901A and GRB 100906A, and thar GRB 091127, GRB 110422A, and GRB 110106A were observed from the first seconds in two polarizations. Very-wide-field cameras carried out synchronous observations of the prompt emission of GRB 081102, GRB 081130B, GRB 090305B, GRB 090320B, GRB 090328, and GRB 090424. Discoveries of Type Ia supernovae are ongoing (among them the brightest supernova in 2009): 2008gy, 2009nr, 2010V, and others. In all, photometry of 387 supernovae has been carried out, 43 of which were either discovered or first observed with MASTER telescopes; more than half of these are Type Ia supernovae. Photometric studies of the open clusters NGC 7129 and NGC 7142 have been conducted, leading to the discovery of 38 variable stars. Sixty-nine optical transients have been discovered.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
We report the early discovery of the optical afterglow of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 140801A in the 137 deg2 3-σ error-box of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM). MASTER is the only observatory that ...automatically reacts to all
Fermi alerts. GRB 140801A is one of the few GRBs whose optical counterpart was discovered solely from its GBM localization. The optical afterglow of GRB 140801A was found by MASTER Global Robotic Net 53 s after receiving the alert, making it the fastest optical detection of a GRB from a GBM error-box. Spectroscopy obtained with the 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the 6-m Big Telescope Alt-azimuth of the Special Astrophysical Observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences reveals a redshift of z = 1.32. We performed optical and near-infrared photometry of GRB 140801A using different telescopes with apertures ranging from 0.4 to 10.4 m. GRB 140801A is a typical burst in many ways. The rest-frame bolometric isotropic energy release and peak energy of the burst are
$E_\mathrm{iso} = 5.54_{-0.24}^{+0.26} {\times} 10^{52}$
erg and E
p, rest ≃ 280 keV, respectively, which is consistent with the Amati relation. The absence of a jet break in the optical light curve provides a lower limit on the half-opening angle of the jet θ = 6
$_{.}^{\circ}$
1. The observed E
peak is consistent with the limit derived from the Ghirlanda relation. The joint Fermi GBM and Konus-Wind analysis show that GRB 140801A could belong to the class of intermediate duration. The rapid detection of the optical counterpart of GRB 140801A is especially important regarding the upcoming experiments with large coordinate error-box areas.
We study statistical properties of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) produced by the collapsing cores of WR stars in binary systems. Fast rotation of the cores enables a two-stage collapse scenario, ...implying the formation of a spinar-like object. A burst produced by such a collapse consists of two pulses, whose energy budget is enough to explain observed GRBs. We calculate models of spinar evolution using results from a population synthesis of binary systems (done by the ‘Scenario Machine’) as initial parameters for the rotating massive cores. Among the resulting bursts, events with a weaker first peak, namely precursor, are identified, and the precursor-to-main-pulse time separations fully agree with the range of the observed values. The calculated fraction of long GRBs with precursor (about 10 per cent of the total number of long GRBs) and the durations of the main pulses are also consistent with observations. Precursors with lead times greater by up to one order of magnitude than those observed so far are expected to be about a factor of 2 less numerous. Independently of the GRB model assumed, we predict the existence of precursors that arrive up to ≳103 s in advance of the main events of GRBs.
Onboard the spacecraft Lomonosov is established two fast, fixed, very wide-field cameras SHOK. The main goal of this experiment is the observation of GRB optical emission before, synchronously, and ...after the gamma-ray emission. The field of view of each of the cameras is placed in the gamma-ray burst detection area of other devices located onboard the “Lomonosov” spacecraft. SHOK provides measurements of optical emissions with a magnitude limit of
∼
9
–
10
m
on a single frame with an exposure of 0.2 seconds. The device is designed for continuous sky monitoring at optical wavelengths in the very wide field of view (1000 square degrees each camera), detection and localization of fast time-varying (transient) optical sources on the celestial sphere, including provisional and synchronous time recording of optical emissions from the gamma-ray burst error boxes, detected by the BDRG device and implemented by a control signal (alert trigger) from the BDRG. The Lomonosov spacecraft has two identical devices, SHOK1 and SHOK2. The core of each SHOK device is a fast-speed 11-Megapixel CCD. Each of the SHOK devices represents a monoblock, consisting of a node observations of optical emission, the electronics node, elements of the mechanical construction, and the body.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
We present the results of the prompt, early and afterglow optical observations of five γ-ray bursts (GRBs): GRB 100901A, GRB 100902A, GRB 100905A, GRB 100906A and GRB 101020A. These observations were ...made with the Mobile Astronomical System of TElescope-Robots in Russia (MASTER-II Net), the 1.5-m telescope of the Sierra Nevada Observatory and the 2.56-m Nordic Optical Telescope. For two sources, GRB 100901A and GRB 100906A, we detected optical counterparts and obtained light curves starting before the cessation of γ-ray emission, at 113 and 48 s after the trigger, respectively. Observations of GRB 100906A were conducted in two polarizing filters. Observations of the other three bursts gave the upper limits on the optical flux; their properties are briefly discussed. A more detailed analysis of GRB 100901A and GRB 100906A, supplemented by Swift data, provides the following results and indicates different origins for the prompt optical radiation in the two bursts. The light-curve patterns and spectral distributions suggest that there is a common production site for the prompt optical and high-energy emission in GRB 100901A. The results of the spectral fits for GRB 100901A in the range from optical to X-ray favour power-law energy distributions and a consistent value of the optical extinction in the host galaxy. GRB 100906A produced a smoothly peaking optical light curve, suggesting that the prompt optical radiation in this GRB originated in a front shock. This is supported by a spectral analysis. We have found that the Amati and Ghirlanda relations are satisfied for GRB 100906A. We obtain an upper limit on the value of the optical extinction on the host of GRB 100906A.
A spinar is a collapsing object with quasi-equilibrium. Its equilibrium is maintained by the balance of centrifugal and gravitational forces and its evolution is determined by its magnetic field. A ...model of spinar quasi-equilibrium has recently been discussed in the context of an extralong X-ray plateau in a gamma-ray burst. In this paper, we propose a simple non-stationary three-parameter collapse model with the determining role of rotation and magnetic field. The input parameters of the theory are the mass, angular momentum and magnetic field of the collapsar. The model includes an approximate description of the following effects: the centrifugal force, the relativistic effects of the Kerr metrics, the pressure of nuclear matter, the dissipation of angular momentum as a result of the magnetic field, the decrease of the dipole magnetic moment as a result of compression and general-relativity effects (the black hole has no hair), neutrino cooling, time dilatation and gravitational redshift. The model describes the temporal behaviour of the central engine and demonstrates the qualitative variety of the types of such behaviour in nature. We apply our approach to an explanation of the observed features of all types of gamma-ray bursts. In particular, the model allows the unification of the phenomena of precursors, X-ray and optical flares, and the appearance of a plateau on the time-scale of several thousand seconds.
The “Lomonosov” space project is lead by Lomonosov Moscow State University in collaboration with the following key partners: Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Russia, University of California, ...Los Angeles (USA), University of Pueblo (Mexico), Sungkyunkwan University (Republic of Korea) and with Russian space industry organizations to study some of extreme phenomena in space related to astrophysics, astroparticle physics, space physics, and space biology. The primary goals of this experiment are to study:
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) in the energy range of the Greizen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff;
Ultraviolet (UV) transient luminous events in the upper atmosphere;
Multi-wavelength study of gamma-ray bursts in visible, UV, gamma, and X-rays;
Energetic trapped and precipitated radiation (electrons and protons) at low-Earth orbit (LEO) in connection with global geomagnetic disturbances;
Multicomponent radiation doses along the orbit of spacecraft under different geomagnetic conditions and testing of space segments of optical observations of space-debris and other space objects;
Instrumental vestibular-sensor conflict of zero-gravity phenomena during space flight.
This paper is directed towards the general description of both scientific goals of the project and scientific equipment on board the satellite. The following papers of this issue are devoted to detailed descriptions of scientific instruments.
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This paper presents a catalogue of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that were detected by the instruments onboard the Lomonosov space observatory. The Lomonosov mission gave the first experience of not only ...multi-wavelength (from optical to gamma) observations of GRBs but also multi-messenger observations of extreme phenomena and GRBs. The detailed light curves and energy spectra of the detected GRBs are presented. The results of the prompt, early an afterglow optical observations of several GRBs are discussed.
We report on the earliest detection of the optical transient MASTER OT J123248.62-012924.5 coincident within the error box with the optical and X-ray transient AT2021lfa/ZTF21aayokph. In our images ...the brightness of the object rises monotonically with
confidence. We interpret this transient as a gamma-ray burst (GRB) characterized by smooth optical self-similar (SOSS) emission, while the nondetection of gamma-ray emission at space observatories is interpreted in terms of the hypothesis of a ‘‘failed’’ GRB. Thus, this is the first detection of a nonmonotonic orphan burst.
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