ABSTRACT
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory followed up 18 gravitational wave (GW) triggers from the LIGO/Virgo collaboration during the O3 observing run in 2019/2020, performing approximately 6500 ...pointings in total. Of these events, four were finally classified (if real) as binary black hole (BH) triggers, six as binary neutron star (NS) events, two each of NSBH and Mass Gap triggers, one an unmodelled (Burst) trigger, and the remaining three were subsequently retracted. Thus far, four of these O3 triggers have been formally confirmed as real gravitational wave events. While no likely electromagnetic counterparts to any of these GW events have been identified in the X-ray data (to an average upper limit of 3.60 × 10−12 erg cm−2 s−1 over 0.3–10 keV), or at other wavelengths, we present a summary of all the Swift-XRT observations performed during O3, together with typical upper limits for each trigger observed. The majority of X-ray sources detected during O3 were previously uncatalogued; while some of these will be new (transient) sources, others are simply too faint to have been detected by earlier survey missions such as ROSAT. The all-sky survey currently being performed by eROSITA will be a very useful comparison for future observing runs, reducing the number of apparent candidate X-ray counterparts by up to 95 per cent.
We present the first optical polarimetric study of the two transitional pulsars PSR J1023+0038 and XSS J12270-4859. This work is focused on the search for intrinsically linearly polarised optical ...emission from the two systems. To this aim, we carried out multiband optical (BVRi) and near-infrared (NIR; JHK) photo-polarimetric observations of the two systems using the ESO New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla (Chile), equipped with the EFOSC2 and the SOFI instruments. The system XSS J12270-4859 was observed during its radio-pulsar state; we did not detect a significant degree of polarisation in any of the bands, with 3σ upper limits, for example, of 1.4% in the R-band. We built the NIR−optical averaged spectral energy distribution (SED) of the system, which could be described well by an irradiated black body with radius R∗ = 0.33 ± 0.03 R⊙ and albedo η = 0.32 ± 0.05, without the need for further components. Thus, we excluded the visible presence of an extended accretion disc and/or of relativistic jets. The case was different for PSR J1023+0038, which was in its accretion phase during our campaign. We measured a linear polarisation of 1.09 ± 0.27% and 0.90 ± 0.17% in the V and R bands, respectively. The phase-resolved polarimetric curve of the source in the R band reveals a hint of a sinusoidal modulation at the source 4.75 h orbital period, peaked at the same orbital phase as the light curve. The measured optical polarisation of PSR J1023+0038 could, in principle, be interpreted as electron scattering with free electrons, which can be found in the accretion disc of the system or even in the hot corona that sorrounds the disc itself, or as synchrotron emission from a jet of relativistic particles or an outflow. However, the NIR-optical SED of the system built from our dataset did not suggest the presence of a jet. We conclude that the optical linear polarisation observed for PSR J1023+0038 is possibly due to Thomson scattering with electrons in the disc, as is also suggested from the possible modulation of the R-band linear polarisation at the system orbital period.
Many X-ray binaries remain undetected in the mid-infrared, a regime where emission from their compact jets is likely to dominate. Here, we report the detection of the black hole binary GX 339-4 with ...the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) during a very bright, hard accretion state in 2010. Combined with a rich contemporaneous multiwavelength data set, clear spectral curvature is found in the infrared, associated with the peak flux density expected from the compact jet. An optically thin slope of ~ --0.7 and a jet radiative power of >6 X 1035 erg s--1 (d/8 kpc)2 are measured. A ~24 hr WISE light curve shows dramatic variations in mid-infrared spectral slope on timescales at least as short as the satellite orbital period ~95 minutes. There is also significant change during one pair of observations spaced by only 11 s. These variations imply that the spectral break associated with the transition from self-absorbed to optically thin jet synchrotron radiation must be varying across the full wavelength range of ~3-22 Delta *mm that WISE is sensitive to, and more. Based on four-band simultaneous mid-infrared detections, the break is constrained to frequencies of 4.6+3.5 -- 2.0 X 1013 Hz in at least two epochs of observation, consistent with a magnetic field B 1.5(? 0.8) X 104 G assuming a single-zone synchrotron emission region. The observed variability implies that either B or the size of the acceleration zone above the jet base is being modulated by factors of ~10 on relatively short timescales.
We present a carefully selected sample of short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) observed by the Swift satellite up to 2013 June. Inspired by the criteria we used to build a similar sample of bright long ...GRBs (the BAT6 sample), we selected SGRBs with favourable observing conditions for the redshift determination on ground, ending up with a sample of 36 events, almost half of which with a redshift measure. The redshift completeness increases up to about 70 per cent (with an average redshift value of z = 0.85) by restricting to those events that are bright in the 15–150 keV Swift Burst Alert Telescope energy band. Such flux-limited sample minimizes any redshift-related selection effects, and can provide a robust base for the study of the energetics, redshift distribution and environment of the Swift bright population of SGRBs. For all the events of the sample, we derived the prompt and afterglow emission in both the observer and (when possible) rest frame and tested the consistency with the correlations valid for long GRBs. The redshift and intrinsic X-ray absorbing column density distributions we obtain are consistent with the scenario of SGRBs originated by the coalescence of compact objects in primordial binaries, with a possible minor contribution (∼10–25 per cent) of binaries formed by dynamical capture (or experiencing large natal kicks). This sample is expected to significantly increase with further years of Swift activity.
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are a powerful probe of the high-redshift Universe. We present a tool to estimate the detection rate of high-z GRBs by a generic detector with defined energy band and ...sensitivity. We base this on a population model that reproduces the observed properties of GRBs detected by Swift, Fermi and CGRO in the hard X-ray and γ-ray bands. We provide the expected cumulative distributions of the flux and fluence of simulated GRBs in different energy bands. We show that scintillator detectors, operating at relatively high energies (e.g. tens of keV to the MeV), can detect only the most luminous GRBs at high redshifts due to the link between the peak spectral energy and the luminosity (E
peak–L
iso) of GRBs. We show that the best strategy for catching the largest number of high-z bursts is to go softer (e.g. in the soft X-ray band) but with a very high sensitivity. For instance, an imaging soft X-ray detector operating in the 0.2–5 keV energy band reaching a sensitivity, corresponding to a fluence, of ∼10−8 erg cm−2 is expected to detect ≈40 GRBs yr−1 sr−1 at z ≥ 5 (≈3 GRBs yr−1 sr−1 at z ≥ 10). Once high-z GRBs are detected the principal issue is to secure their redshift. To this aim we estimate their NIR afterglow flux at relatively early times and evaluate the effectiveness of following them up and construct usable samples of events with any forthcoming GRB mission dedicated to explore the high-z Universe.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) serve as powerful probes of the early universe, with their luminous afterglows revealing the locations and physical properties of star-forming galaxies at the highest ...redshifts, and potentially locating first-generation (Population III) stars. Since GRB afterglows have intrinsically very simple spectra, they allow robust redshifts from low signal-to-noise spectroscopy, or photometry. Here we present a photometric redshift of z ~ 9.4 for the Swift detected GRB 090429B based on deep observations with Gemini-North, the Very Large Telescope, and the GRB Optical and Near-infrared Detector. Assuming a Small Magellanic Cloud dust law (which has been found in a majority of GRB sight lines), the 90% likelihood range for the redshift is 9.06 < z < 9.52, although there is a low-probability tail toward somewhat lower redshifts. Adopting Milky Way or Large Magellanic Cloud dust laws leads to very similar conclusions, while a Maiolino law does allow somewhat lower redshift solutions, though in all cases the most likely redshift is found to be z > 7. The non-detection of the host galaxy to deep limits (Y(AB) ~ 28, which would correspond roughly to 0.001L* at z = 1) in our late-time optical and infrared observations with the Hubble Space Telescope strongly supports the extreme-redshift origin of GRB 090429B, since we would expect to have detected any low-z galaxy, even if it were highly dusty. Finally, the energetics of GRB 090429B are comparable to those of other GRBs and suggest that its progenitor is not greatly different from those of lower redshift bursts.
In this work we present spectra of all γ-ray burst (GRB) afterglows that have been promptly observed with the X-shooter spectrograph until 31/03/2017. In total, we have obtained spectroscopic ...observations of 103 individual GRBs observed within 48 hours of the GRB trigger. Redshifts have been measured for 97 per cent of these, covering a redshift range from 0.059 to 7.84. Based on a set of observational selection criteria that minimise biases with regards to intrinsic properties of the GRBs, the follow-up effort has been focused on producing a homogeneously selected sample of 93 afterglow spectra for GRBs discovered by the Swift satellite. We here provide a public release of all the reduced spectra, including continuum estimates and telluric absorption corrections. For completeness, we also provide reductions for the 18 late-time observations of the underlying host galaxies. We provide an assessment of the degree of completeness with respect to the parent GRB population, in terms of the X-ray properties of the bursts in the sample and find that the sample presented here is representative of the full Swift sample. We have constrained the fraction of dark bursts to be <28 per cent and confirm previous results that higher optical darkness is correlated with increased X-ray absorption. For the 42 bursts for which it is possible, we have provided a measurement of the neutral hydrogen column density, increasing the total number of published HI column density measurements by ∼33 per cent. This dataset provides a unique resource to study the ISM across cosmic time, from the local progenitor surroundings to the intervening Universe.
Aims. Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been found to be associated with broad-lined type-Ic supernovae (SNe), but only a handful of cases have been studied in detail. Prompted by the ...discovery of the exceptionally bright, nearby GRB 130427A (redshift z = 0.3399), we aim at characterising the properties of its associated SN 2013cq. This is the first opportunity to test the progenitors of high-luminosity GRBs directly. Methods. We monitored the field of the Swift long-duration GRB 130427A using the 3.6 m TNG and the 8.2 m VLT during the time interval between 3.6 and 51.6 days after the burst. Photometric and spectroscopic observations revealed the presence of the type Ic SN 2013cq. Results. Spectroscopic analysis suggests that SN 2013cq resembles two previous GRB-SNe, SN 1998bw and SN 2010bh, associated with GRB 980425 and X-ray flash (XRF) 100316D, respectively. The bolometric light curve of SN 2013cq, which is significantly affected by the host galaxy contribution, is systematically more luminous than that of SN 2010bh (~2 mag at peak), but is consistent with SN 1998bw. The comparison with the light curve model of another GRB-connected SN 2003dh indicates that SN 2013cq is consistent with the model when brightened by 20%. This suggests a synthesised radioactive 56Ni mass of ~0.4M⊙. GRB 130427A/SN 2013cq is the first case of low-z GRB-SN connection where the GRB energetics are extreme (Eγ,iso ~ 1054 erg). We show that the maximum luminosities attained by SNe associated with GRBs span a very narrow range, but those associated with XRFs are significantly less luminous. On the other hand the isotropic energies of the accompanying GRBs span 6 orders of magnitude (1048 erg <Eγ,iso< 1054 erg), although this range is reduced when corrected for jet collimation. The GRB total radiated energy is in fact a small fraction of the SN energy budget.
A complete sample of bright Swift gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been recently selected by Salvaterra et al. The sample has a high level of completeness in redshift (90 per cent). We derive here the ...intrinsic absorbing X-ray column densities of these GRBs making use of the Swift/X-ray Telescope data. This distribution has a mean value of log (N
H/cm−2) = 21.7 ± 0.5. This value is consistent with the distribution of the column densities derived from the total sample of GRBs with redshift. We find a mild increase in the intrinsic column density with redshift. This can be interpreted as due to the contribution of intervening systems along the line of sight. Making use of the spectral index connecting optical and X-ray fluxes at 11 h (βOX), we investigate the relation between the intrinsic column density and the GRB 'darkness'. We find that there is a very tight correlation between dark GRBs and high X-ray column densities. This clearly indicates that the dark GRBs are formed in a metal-rich environment where dust must be present.
Context.
GRB 211106A and GRB 211227A are two recent gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) whose initial X-ray position enabled us to possibly associate them with bright, low-redshift galaxies (
z
< 0.7). The ...prompt emission properties suggest that GRB 211106A is a genuine short-duration GRB and GRB 211227A is a short GRB with extended emission. Therefore, they are likely to be produced by a compact binary merger. However, a classification based solely on the prompt emission properties can be misleading.
Aims.
The possibility of having two short GRBs occurring in the local Universe makes them ideal targets for the search of associated kilonova (KN) emission and for detailed studies of the host galaxy properties.
Methods.
We carried out deep optical and near-infrared (NIR) follow-up with the ESO-VLT FORS2, HAWK-I, and MUSE instruments for GRB 211106A and with ESO-VLT FORS2 and X-shooter for GRB 211227A, starting from hours after the X-ray afterglow discovery up to days later. We performed photometric analysis to look for afterglow and KN emissions associated with the bursts, together with imaging and spectroscopic observations of the host galaxy candidates. We compared the results obtained from the optical/NIR observations with the available
Swift
X-Ray Telescope (XRT) and others high-energy data of both events.
Results.
For both GRBs we placed deep limits to the optical/NIR afterglow and KN emission. We identified their associated host galaxies, GRB 211106A at a photometric redshift
z
= 0.64, GRB 211227A at a spectroscopic
z
= 0.228. From MUSE and X-shooter spectra we derived the host galaxy properties, which turned out to be consistent with short GRBs typical hosts. We also compared the properties of GRB 211106A and GRB 211227A with those of the short GRBs belonging to the S-BAT4 sample, here extended up to December 2021, in order to further investigate the nature of these two bursts.
Conclusions.
Our study of the prompt and afterglow phase of the two GRBs, together with the analysis of their associated host galaxies, allows us to confirm the classification of GRB 211106A as a short GRB, and GRB 211227A as a short GRB with extended emission. The absence of an optical/NIR counterpart down to deep magnitude limits is likely due to high local extinction for GRB 211106A and a peculiarly faint kilonova for GRB 211227A.
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