The temporal and spectral analysis of nine bright X-ray flares out of a sample of 113 flares observed by Swift reveals that the flare phenomenology is strictly analogous to the prompt γ-ray emission: ...high-energy flare profiles rise faster, decay faster and peak before the low-energy emission. However, flares and prompt pulses differ in one crucial aspect: flares evolve with time. As time proceeds, flares become wider, with larger peak lag, lower luminosities and softer emission. The flare spectral peak energy Ep,i evolves to lower values following an exponential decay which tracks the decay of the flare flux. The two flares with best statistics show higher than expected isotropic energy Eiso and peak luminosity Lp,iso when compared to the Ep,i–Eiso and Ep,i–Liso prompt correlations. Ep,i is found to correlate with Liso within single flares, giving rise to a time-resolved Ep,i(t)–Liso(t). Like prompt pulses, flares define a lag–luminosity relation: L0.3–10 keVp,iso∝t−0.95±0.23lag. The lag–luminosity is proven to be a fundamental law extending ∼5 decades in time and ∼5 decades in energy. Moreover, this is direct evidence that γ-ray burst (GRB) X-ray flares and prompt γ-ray pulses are produced by the same mechanism. Finally we establish a flare–afterglow morphology connection: flares are preferentially detected superimposed to one-break or canonical X-ray afterglows.
We observed GRB 190114C (redshift
z
= 0.4245), the first gamma-ray burst (GRB) ever detected at TeV energies, at optical and near-infrared wavelengths with several ground-based telescopes and the
...Hubble
Space Telescope, with the primary goal of studying its underlying supernova, SN 2019jrj. The monitoring spanned the time interval between 1.3 and 370 days after the burst, in the observer frame. We find that the afterglow emission can be modelled with a forward shock propagating in a uniform medium modified by time-variable extinction along the line of sight. A jet break could be present after 7 rest-frame days, and accordingly the maximum luminosity of the underlying supernova (SN) ranges between that of stripped-envelope core-collapse SNe of intermediate luminosity and that of the luminous GRB-associated SN 2013dx. The observed spectral absorption lines of SN 2019jrj are not as broad as in classical GRB SNe and are instead more similar to those of less-luminous core-collapse SNe. Taking the broad-lined stripped-envelope core-collapse SN 2004aw as an analogue, we tentatively derive the basic physical properties of SN 2019jrj. We discuss the possibility that a fraction of the TeV emission of this source might have had a hadronic origin and estimate the expected high-energy neutrino detection level with IceCube.
ABSTRACT We report the discovery of Swift J221951−484240 (hereafter: J221951), a luminous slow-evolving blue transient that was detected by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Ultraviolet/Optical ...Telescope (Swift/UVOT) during the follow-up of gravitational wave alert S190930t, to which it is unrelated. Swift/UVOT photometry shows the UV spectral energy distribution of the transient to be well modelled by a slowly shrinking blackbody with an approximately constant temperature of T ∼ 2.5 × 104 K. At a redshift z = 0.5205, J221951 had a peak absolute magnitude of Mu,AB = −23 mag, peak bolometric luminosity $L_{max}=1.1\times 10^{45}~{\rm erg\, s}^{-1}$ and a total radiated energy of E > 2.6 × 1052 erg. The archival Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer IR photometry shows a slow rise prior to a peak near the discovery date. Spectroscopic UV observations display broad absorption lines in N v and O vi, pointing towards an outflow at coronal temperatures. The lack of emission in the higher H α lines, N i and other neutral lines is consistent with a viewing angle close to the plane of the accretion or debris disc. The origin of J221951 cannot be determined with certainty but has properties consistent with a tidal disruption event and the turn-on of an active galactic nucleus.
Context.The discovery by Swift and HETE-2 of an afterglow emission associated possibly with short GRBs opened the new problematic of their nature and classification. This issue has been further ...enhanced by the observation of GRB 060614 and by a new analysis of the BATSE catalog which led to the identification of a new class of GRBs with “an occasional softer extended emission lasting tenths of seconds after an initial spikelike emission”. Aims.We plan a twofold task: a) to fit this new class of “hybrid” sources within our “canonical GRB” scenario, where all GRBs are generated by a “common engine” (i.e. the gravitational collapse to a black hole); b) to propose GRB 970228 as the prototype of the above mentioned class, since it shares the same morphology and observational features. Methods.We analyze BeppoSAX data on GRB 970228 within the “fireshell” model and we determine the parameters describing the source and the CircumBurst Medium (CBM) needed to reproduce its light curves in the 40-700 keV and 2-26 keV energy bands. Results.We find that GRB 970228 is a “canonical GRB”, like e.g. GRB 050315, with the main peculiarity of a particularly low average density of the CBM $\langle n_{\rm cbm} \rangle \sim$ 10-3 particles/cm3. We also simulate the light curve corresponding to a rescaled CBM density profile with $\langle n_{\rm cbm} \rangle$ = 1 particle/cm3. From such a comparison it follows that the total time-integrated luminosity is a faithful indicator of the nature of GRBs, contrary to the peak luminosity which is merely a function of the CBM density. Conclusions.We call attention on discriminating the short GRBs between the “genuine” and the “fake” ones. The “genuine” ones are intrinsically short, with baryon loading B $\la$ 10-5, as stated in our original classification. The “fake” ones, characterized by an initial spikelike emission followed by an extended emission lasting tenths of seconds, have a baryon loading 10-4 $\la$ B ≤ 10-2. They are observed as such only due to an underdense CBM consistent with a galactic halo environment which deflates the afterglow intensity.
Aquaculture productivity in coastal lagoons is endangered by a complex interplay of anthropogenic and environmental factors, amplified by the effects of climate change in these sensitive areas. To ...reach a more comprehensive assessment of farming sites quality, a quantitative Weight of Evidence approach (QWoE) is applied for the first time to data collected at four Manila clam (R. philippinarum) farming sites in the Venice lagoon (Italy). This included sediment quality, chemical bioaccumulation, and biological responses. Results revealed a greater hazard for sites closer to the open sea. In these areas, the combination of sediment characteristics and a higher frequency of salinity and temperature stress could explain the alterations measured at a transcriptional and biomarker level. The findings demonstrate that a QWoE approach that integrates multiple sources of evidence should also include physicochemical conditions in order to better understand the impacts of human activities and other stressors on clam aquaculture productivity.
Abstract
The comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light curves, collecting data from six years of operation, revealed the existence of a universal scaling among the isotropic energy ...emitted in the rest-frame 1 - 104 keV energy band during the prompt emission (), the peak of the prompt emission energy spectrum (E
pk) and the X-ray energy emitted in the 0.3-10 keV observed energy band (E
X, iso). In this paper, we show that this three-parameter correlation is robust and does not depend on our definition of E
X, iso. It is shared by long, short and low-energetic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and thus reflects the existence of some properties which are shared by the GRB class as a whole. A more intuitive way to express the three-parameter correlation is in the form of a two-parameter correlation between the GRB efficiency and E
pk. We speculate that the physical origin of such a relation is connected with the outflow Lorentz factor.
Pain alleviation associated with castration of piglets is an important welfare issue. The present study compares the effect of different approaches and products suitable for farmer use, with the aim ...to alleviate pain due to castration in piglets. A randomized within-litter design, with 28 replicate litters, compared 7 treatments: handling () restraint of the piglet and manipulation of the scrotum, castration without pain relief (), 2 treatments (, ) with different concentrations of tetracaine (2 and 6%) applied topically 10 min before and immediately post-surgery, and 3 treatments with i.m. injection of different nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs () 10 min prior to surgery (-meloxicam, -ketoprofen, -tolfenamic acid). Efficacy of pain relief was assessed during a 300 min period after castration by serum cortisol, behavior (walking, lying, suckling, in the nest, isolated and pain related: tremors, rubbing the rear, hunching, wagging of the tail), facial expression and scrotal skin pressure sensitivity. C pigs had greater serum cortisol concentration than all other groups at 60 min post-surgery ( < 0.001), while H pigs had lower concentrations than pigs given topical anesthesia ( < 0.001) though not injected analgesia. No treatment differences were significant at 180 min, but at 300 min cortisol concentration was greater in T2 and T6 piglets than those given NSAIDs ( = 0.03). These treatment differences were mirrored by the pressure sensitivity of the scrotum; in comparison with C piglets, those given NSAIDs showed a reduced sensitivity ( 0.003) but those given local anesthesia did not ( = 0.15). C pigs showed increased frequency of pain-related behavior in the first 30 min in comparison with all other treatments, more time isolated than H or NSAID treatments, and more time standing inactive than H or K treatments. No behavioral differences were apparent after 60 min. No differences in facial expressions were observed among treatments. In conclusion, on-farm methods for pain relief can provide some, though not complete, pain alleviation in the hours after castration. The use of topical anesthesia gave only minor benefit in comparison to NSAID agents injected prior to castration. Since the main differences in indicators of pain between positive and negative controls were observed within the first h after castration, it is important to select drugs that act quickly after administration to facilitate practical processing schedules on farm.
The long Swift gamma-ray burst GRB 120326A at redshift z = 1.798 exhibited a multi-band light-curve with a striking feature: a late-time, long-lasting achromatic rebrightening that is rarely seen in ...such events. Peaking in optical and X-ray bands ~35 ks (~12.5 ks in the GRB rest frame) after the 70 s GRB prompt burst, the feature brightened nearly two orders of magnitude above the underlying optical power-law decay. By modelling the multi-wavelength light-curves, we investigated possible causes of the rebrightening in the context of the standard fireball model. We excluded a range of scenarios for the origin of this feature: reverse-shock flash, late-time forward-shock peak caused by the passage of the brightest synchrotron frequency through the optical band, late central engine optical or X-ray flares, interaction between the expanding blast wave and a density enhancement in the circumburst medium, and gravitational microlensing. Instead we conclude that the achromatic rebrightening may be caused by a refreshed forward shock or a geometrical effect. In addition, we identify an additional component after the end of the prompt emission, which shapes the observed X-ray and optical light-curves differently, and which rules out a single overall emission component to explain the observed early-time emission.
Aims. The association of Type Ic supernovae (SNe) with long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is well established. We endeavor, through accurate ground-based observational campaigns, to characterize ...these SNe at increasingly high redshifts. Methods. We obtained a series of optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the Type Ic SN 2012bz associated with the Swift long-duration GRB 120422A (redshift z = 0.283) using the 3.6-m TNG and the 8.2-m VLT telescopes during the time interval between 4 and 36 days after the burst. Results. The peak times of the light curves of SN 2012bz in various optical filters differ, with the B-band and i’-band light curves reaching maximum at 9 ± 4 and 23 ± 3 rest-frame days, respectively. The bolometric light curve has been derived from individual bands photometric measurements, but no correction for the unknown contribution in the near-infrared (probably around 10–15%) has been applied. Therefore, the present light curve should be considered as a lower limit to the actual UV-optical-IR bolometric light curve. This pseudo-bolometric curve reaches its maximum (Mbol = −18.56 ± 0.06) at 13 ± 1 rest-frame days; it is similar in shape and luminosity to the bolometric light curves of the SNe associated with z < 0.2 GRBs and more luminous than those of SNe associated with X-ray flashes (XRFs). A comparison with the model generated for the bolometric light curve of SN 2003dh suggests that SN 2012bz produced only about 15% less 56Ni than SN 2003dh, about 0.35 M⊙. Similarly the VLT spectra of SN 2012bz, after correction for Galactic extinction and for the contribution of the host galaxy, suggest comparable explosion parameters with those observed in SN 2003dh (EK ~ 3.5 × 1052 erg, Mej ~ 7 M⊙) and a similar progenitor mass (~25–40 M⊙). GRB 120422A is consistent with the Epeak − Eiso and the EX,iso − Eγ,iso − Epeak relations. GRB 120422A / SN 2012bz shows the GRB-SN connection at the highest redshift so far accurately monitored both photometrically and spectroscopically.
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