Engineering topics

Palazzi, E.

Publications and source records attributed to Palazzi, E..

6 records

NASA NTRS2006

Gamma-Ray Burst Associated Supernovae: Outliers Become Mainstream

During the last eight years a clear connection has been established-between the two most powerful explosions in our Universe: core-collapse supernovae (SNe) and long gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Theory suggests4 that every GRB is simultaneously accompanied by a SN, but in only a few nearby cases have these two phenomena been observed together. We report the discovery and daily monitoring of SN 2006aj associated with the GRB 060218. Because the event was the second closest GRB, both explosions could be examined in detail. GRB 060218 had an unusually soft spectrum, long duration, and a total energy 100 to 1000 times less than most other GRBs. Yet SN 2006aj was similar to those in other GRBs, aside from rising more rapidly and being approximately 40% fainter. Taken together, these observations suggest that GRBs have two components: a broad, energetic, but only mildly relativistic outflow that makes a SN, and a more narrowly focused, highly relativistic jet responsible for the GRB. The properties of the GRB jet apparently vary greatly from event to event, while the broad SN outflow varies much less. Low energy transients like GRB 060218 may be the most common events in the Universe.

Pian, E.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Constraints on an Optical Afterglow and on Supernova Light Following the Short Burst GRB 050813

We report early follow-up observations of the error box of the short burst 050813 using the telescopes at Calar Alto and at Observatorio Sierra Nevada (OSN), followed by deep VLT/FORS2 I-band observations obtained under very good seeing conditions 5.7 and 11.7 days after the event. No evidence for a GRB afterglow was found in our Calar Alto and OSN data, no rising supernova component was detected in our FORS2 images. A potential host galaxy can be identified in our FORS2 images, even though we cannot state with certainty its association with GRB 050813. IN any case, the optical afterglow of GRB 050813 was very faint, well in agreement with what is known so far about the optical properties of afterglows of short bursts. We conclude that all optical data are not in conflict with the interpretation that GRB 050813 was a short burst.

Ferrero, P.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Low-resolution VLT Spectroscopy of GRBs 991216, 011211, 021211 and 030328

We present low-resolution VLT spectroscopy of the aftergiow position of the gamma ray bursts 991216, 011211, 021211 and 030328. The spectmm of GRB 991216 shows two probable absorption systems at z = 0.80 and z = 1.02, where the highest redshift most likely reflects the distance to the host galaxy. A third, more uncertain, system may be detected at z = 0.77. HST imaging of the field obtained 4 months later, show two amorphous regions of emission, one at the projected OT position, the presumed host galaxy at z = 1.02, and the other 0"6 away. All significant lines in the spectrum of GRB 011211 are identified with lines originating in a single absorption system at z = 2.142 plus or minus 0.002, the redshift of the GRB 011211 host galaxy. We also detect Lya in the host, for which we fit a neutral hydrogen column density of log N(HI)=20.4 plus or minus 0.2, which indicates that it is a damped Lya system. For GRB021211, we detect a single emission line in a spectrum tens of days after the burst, which we identify as [OII] at z = 1.006. The galaxy l"5 away from the afterglow location has z = 0.800, and is therefore unrelated to the GRB. Finally, for GRB030328 at least two absorption systems are required to explain all significant lines: one at z = 1.522, the likely redshift of the GRB, and the other at z = 1.295. For the latter system we only detect two lines, and we consider the reality of this system to be uncertain.

Vreeswijk, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS2001

First Detection of a Foreground Damped Ly-Alpha Absorber Along a GRB Line of Sight?

We present a VLT spectrum of the optical afterglow of GRB 991216, taken 1.5 days after the burst, and HST (Hubble Space Telescope) imaging of the host galaxy, obtained four months later. The spectrum contains three metal absorption-line systems with redshifts z = 1.024, z = 0.803, and z = 0.771, where the highest redshift most likely reflects the distance to the host galaxy. For the z = 1.024 and z = 0.803 systems we tentatively detect MgI which suggests a dense environment at these redshifts. This and the strength of the z = 0.803 Fe lines indicate that this system very likely is a damped Ly-alpha absorber (DLA), which would be the first foreground DLA to be detected along a GRB afterglow sight line. The HST images are consistent with these findings: they show two blobs of light, one underneath the projected OT position, the presumed host galaxy, and the other 0.6" away, which is probably responsible for the absorption lines at z = 0.803. The lowest redshift system can be explained by either one of the two galaxies that are located roughly 2" away from the transient. Including these newly found systems, the total number of DLAS and Lyman limit systems along GRB afterglow sight lines is consistent with the number expected from QSO (quasi-stellar object) absorption line studies. We expect early spectroscopy of GRB afterglows to significantly increase the number of detected foreground absorption systems, and we discuss some advantages over QSO lines of sight.

Vreeswijk, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Spectral Evolution in GRB 990510

We present time-resolved spectroscopy of the afterglow of GRB 990510. Through the identification of several absorption lines in the first epoch spectrum, we determine the redshift for this burst to be z >= 1.6190 +/- 0.0016. No clear emission lines are detected. From the absence of the Ly.alpha drop, we can put an upper limit to the redshift of z <= 2.3. We study the time evolution of the MgII absorption line in our spectra taken 0.8 and 3.9 days after the burst, whose equivalent width (E.W.) is expected to change in case the burst resides in a dense compact medium (Perna & Loeb 1998). We measure an E.W. of 2.5 /- 0.2 and 2.3 +/- 0.6 in the spectra 0.8 and 3.8 days after the burst, respectively. Our results suggest that the atoms responsible for the absorption are not in the vicinity of the site of the burst.

Vreeswijk, P. M.↗

NASA NTRS2000

GRB 990712: First Detection of Polarization Variability in a Gamma-ray Burst Afterglow

We report the detection of significant polarization in the afterglow of GRB 990712 on three instances 0.44-1.45 days after the gamma-ray burst. This polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow. The degree of polarization is not constant, and smallest at the second measurement. The polarization angle does not vary significantly during these observations. We find that none of the existing models predict such polarization variations constant polarization angle, and discuss ways in which these models might be modified to accommodate the observed behavior of this afterglow.

Rol, E.↗