Bright bursts and the GRB distance scale

We discuss the use of selected characteristics of the burster population (e.g. the distribution of peak fluxes, or durations) to derive the GRB distance scale within the framework of cosmological models. The effects of the cosmological expansion on GRBs are briefly noted and it is shown that intrinsic GRB properties may strongly complicate the search for (and the interpretation of) purely cosmological effects. In this context, bright GRBs provide a sample of reference; they are almost free of cosmological influences and they have been studied for a long time. We also emphasize the need for a GRB distance indicator which could be used for individual events; several recent studies suggest that such a quantity may exist.     

On the anomalous X-ray afterglows of GRB 970508 and 970828

Recently, BeppoSAX and ASCA have observed an unusual resurgence of soft X-ray emission during the afterglows of GRB 970508 and 970828, together with marginal evidence for the existence of Fe lines in both objects. We consider the implications of the existence of a torus of iron-rich material surrounding the sites of gamma-ray bursts, as would be expected in the supra-nova model; in particular, we show that the fireball will quickly hit this torus, and bring it to a temperature of ≈3×10⁷ K. Bremsstrahlung emission from the heated-up torus will cause a resurgence of the soft X-ray emission with all expected characteristics (flux level, duration and spectral hardening with time) identical to those observed during the re-burst. Also, thermal emission from the torus will account for the observed iron line flux. These events are also observable, for instance by new missions such as SWIFT , when beaming away from our line of sight makes us miss the main burst, as fast (soft) X-ray transients, with durations of ≈10³ s and fluences of ≈10⁻⁷–10⁻⁴ erg cm⁻². This model provides evidence in favour of the supra-nova model for gamma-ray bursts.     

Was GRB 990123 a unique optical flash?

GRB 990123 was a long, complex gamma-ray burst accompanied by an extremely bright optical flash. We find different constraints on the bulk Lorentz of this burst to be consistent with the speculation that the optical light is emission from the reverse shock component of the external shock. Motivated by this currently favoured idea, we compute the prompt reverse shock emission to be expected for bursts in which multiwavelength observations allow the physical parameters to be constrained. We find that for reasonable assumptions about the velocity of source expansion, a strong optical flash  m_V≈9  was expected from the reverse shocks, which were usually found to be mildly relativistic. The best observational prospects for detecting these prompt flashes are highlighted, along with the possible reasons for the absence of optical prompt detections in ongoing observations.     

A GRB Follow-up System at the Xinglong Observatory and Detection of the High-Redshift GRB 060927

A gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical photometric follow-up system at the Xinglong Observatory of National Astronomical Observatories of China (NAOC) has been constructed. It uses the 0.8-m Tsinghua-NAOC Telescope (TNT) and the 1-m EST telescope, and can au-tomatically respond to GRB Coordinates Network (GCN) alerts. Both telescopes slew rela-tively fast, being able to point to a new target field within ～ 1 min upon a request. Whenever available, the 2.16-m NAOC telescope is also used. In 2006 the system responded to 15 GRBs and detected seven early afterglows. In 2007 six GRBs have been detected among 18 follow-up observations. TNT observations of the second most distant GRB 060927 (z = 5.5) are shown, which started as early as 91 s after the GRB trigger. The afterglow was detected in the combined image of the first 19 × 20 s unfiltered exposures. This GRB follow-up system has joined the East-Asia GRB Follow-up Observation Network (EAFON).     

Swift observations of GRB 050712

We present the results of X-ray and optical observations of GRB 050712 performed by Swift . The X-ray light curve of this burst exhibits episodes of flares in the first 1000 s, the same epoch at which the UVOT detected an optical counterpart. A shallow X-ray decay, with a decay slope of  α=−0.73  , followed and lasted ∼70 ks. This behaviour can be explained in terms of activity of the gamma-ray burst 'inner engine', with the possibility that the last flare is caused by the interaction of the ejecta with the surrounding medium.
We also find interesting spectral parameters for the X-ray emission. In particular, data suggest the presence of an intrinsic absorption in the first 1000 s, which can be explained if circumburst medium clouds lie along the line of sight.     

On the Light Curves of GRB Afterglows

We present gamma-ray burst afterglow light curves in X-ray, optical and radio bands for various distributions of accelerated electrons behind the shock. The effects of lateral expansion of the jet and of winds in typical Wolf-Rayet star on the evolution are discussed. The light curves in the radiative case decline more rapidly than those in the adiabatic case. Under the combined effect of jet expansion and wind environment, the light curves have the greatest deviation from those of the standard model. All these results refer to the relativistic phase.     

Hydrodynamic Evolution of GRB Afterglow

1 INTRODUCTIONMom the detection at X-rap optical and radio wavelengths of ganuna-ray bursts (GRBs)since 1997 (Costa et al. 1997; van Paradijs et al. 1997; Sahu et al. 1997; Djorgovsld et al. 1997;Metzger et al. 1997; Frail et al. 1997; Taylor et al. 1997; Kulforni et al. 1998; Halpern et al.1998; Castro-Tirado et al. 1999; Kulkalni et al. 1999; Galama et al. 1999), we have come toknow that the GRBs can release 1051 ~ 1054 ergs in a few seconds and that the fireball modelcan describ…     

Relationship between pulse width and energy in GRB 060124: from X-ray to γ-ray bands

GRB 060124 is the first event that both prompt and afterglow emission were observed simultaneously by the three Swift instruments. Its main peak also triggered Konus-Wind and HETE-II. Therefore, investigation on both the temporal and spectral properties of the prompt emission can be extended to X-ray bands. We perform a detailed analysis on the two well identified pulses of this burst, and find that the pulses are narrower at higher energies, and both X-rays and γ-rays follow the same w–E relation for an individual pulse. However, there is no a universal power-law index of the w–E relation among pulses. We find also that the rise-to-decay ratio r/d seems not to evolve with E and the r/d values are well consistent with that observed in typical GRBs. The broadband spectral energy distribution also suggests that the X-rays are consistent with the spectral behavior of the γ-rays. These results indicate that the X-ray emission tracks the γ-ray emission and the emissions in the two energy bands are likely to be originated from the same physical mechanism.     

Jet breaks at the end of the slow decline phase of Swift GRB light curves

The Swift mission has discovered an intriguing feature of gamma-ray burst (GRBs) afterglows, a phase of shallow decline of the flux in the X-ray and optical light curves. This behaviour is typically attributed to energy injection into the burst ejecta. At some point this phase ends, resulting in a break in the light curve, which is commonly interpreted as the cessation of the energy injection. In a few cases, however, while breaks in the X-ray light curve are observed, optical emission continues its slow flux decline. This behaviour suggests a more complex scenario. In this paper, we present a model that invokes a double component outflow, in which narrowly collimated ejecta are responsible for the X-ray emission while a broad outflow is responsible for the optical emission. The narrow component can produce a jet break in the X-ray light curve at relatively early times, while the optical emission does not break due to its lower degree of collimation. In our model both components are subject to energy injection for the whole duration of the follow-up observations. We apply this model to GRBs with chromatic breaks, and we show how it might change the interpretation of the GRBs canonical light curve. We also study our model from a theoretical point of view, investigating the possible configurations of frequencies and the values of GRB physical parameters allowed in our model.     

等时面与γ射线暴余辉

在γ射线暴（ 简称γ暴） 的火球模型下,γ暴余辉存在等时面,面上发射的光子会同时被观测到．通过对等时面积分来计算辐射流量Ｆν（ｔ） ,结果表明等时面的引入对峰值以及峰值前后流量随观测者时间的变化关系有明显的影响     

The search and investigation of faint blue star-like objects in the small GRB error boxes

A central part of the GRB 790613 field is investigated, which contains about 1/3 of the area of 99% confidence of the GRB localization. Up to V 25 no blue optical counterparts were found. This can be interpreted as the absence in the field of single compact objects of the neutron star type as a possible potential source of -burst, up to a distance of 30 pc.     

Optical observations of GRB 050401 afterglow : a case for double-jet model

The afterglow of GRB 050401 presents several novel and interesting features. (i) An initially faster decay in optical band than in X-rays. (ii) A break in the X-ray light curve after ∼0.06 d with an unusual slope after the break. (iii)The X-ray afterglow does not show any spectral evolution across the break while the R -band light curve does not show any break. We have modelled the observed multiband evolution of the afterglow of GRB 050401 as originating in a two-component jet, and interpreting the break in X-ray light curve as due to lateral expansion of a narrow collimated outflow which dominates the X-ray emission. The optical emission is attributed to a wider jet component. Our model reproduces all the observed features of multiband afterglow of GRB 050401. We present optical observations of GRB 050401 using the 104-cm Sampurnanand Telescope at the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital. Results of the analysis of multiband data are presented and compared with GRB 030329, the first reported case of double jet.     

The investigation of Moskalenko's 1959 optical transient field inside GRB791101 error box

We report the results of an optical study of Moskalenko's OT 1959 field. The deep CCD images were obtained at the 6-m telescope of SAO RAS on June 8/9 1994. The BVR photometry of objects near the position of Moskalenko's OT 1959 are presented. An object with V= 23.43 and peculiar colours B-V= 0.9 and V-R= 1.10 was found. It is a possible candidate for the 1959 optical flash.     

Multiple regression of GRB luminosity on light-curve properties

Statistical relations between the luminosity L of gamma-ray burster (GRBs) and several of their other observable properties have been discovered. Four of these properties are considered here: the spectral lag; a measure of the light-curve variability; peak energy and the minimum light-curve rise time. Data are taken from a tabulation by Schaefer. Log–log regression of L on various combinations of the four light-curve properties, as well as redshift, is considered, using conventional multiple linear regression, and multiple errors-in-variables regression. Several cases are found in which the regression coefficients of more than one luminosity indicators are significant. In particular, the simultaneous regression of luminosity on peak energy, spectral lag, minimum rise time and redshift is meaningful.