Detection Of Gamma-ray Bursts Research Articles

The Optimization of Xenon Gamma-Detector SIGNAL onboard INTERHELIOPROBE Satellite for Gamma-ray Bursts Observations

The results of xenon detector SIGNAL optimization for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detection in satellite experiment “INTERHELIOPROBE” are presented. We have analyzed GRBs temporal profiles and spectral parameters according to Fermi/GBM data and have modeled the xenon detector response, peak count rate and minimum temporal variation intervals for typical events of long, short and intermediate GRBs types. Detector deadtime and optimal ADC channel number had obtained.

A search forFermibursts associated with supernovae and their frequency of occurrence

Context: Observations suggest that the major fraction of long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are connected with broad-lines supernovae Ib/c, (SNe-Ibc). The presence of GRB-SNe is revealed by rebrightenings emerging from the optical GRB afterglow $10$--$15$ days, in the rest-frame of the source, after the prompt GRB emission. Aims: \textit{Fermi}-GBM has a field of view (FoV) which is about 6.5 times larger than the FoV of \textit{Swift}, therefore we expect that a number of GRB-SN connections have been missed due to lack of optical and X-ray instruments on board of \textit{Fermi}, which are essential to reveal SNe associated with GRBs. This fact has motivated our search in the \textit{Fermi} catalogue for possible GRB-SN events. Methods: The search for possible GRB-SN associations follows two requirements: (1) SN should fall inside the \textit{Fermi}-GBM error box of the considered long GRB, and (2) this GRB should occur within $20$ days before the SN event. Results: We have found $5$ cases, within $z<0.2$ fulfilling the above reported requirements. One of them, GRB 130702A-SN 2013dx, was already known as GRB-SN association. We have analyzed the remaining $4$ cases and we concluded that three of them are, very likely, just random coincidences, due to the \textit{Fermi}-GBM large error box associated with each GRB detection. We found one GRB possibly associated with a SN 1998bw-like, GRB 120121B/SN 2012ba. Conclusions: The very low redshift of GRB 120121B/SN 2012ba ($z = 0.017$) implies a low isotropic energy of this burst ($E_{iso} = 1.39 \times 10^{48}$) erg. We then compute the rate of \textit{Fermi} low-luminosity GRBs connected with SNe to be $\rho_{0,b} \leq 770\ $Gpc$^{-3}$yr$^{-1}$. We estimate that \textit{Fermi}-GBM could detect $1$--$4$ GRBs-SNe within $z \leq 0.2$ in the next 4 years.

CLOAKED GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

It is suggested that many $\gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs) are cloaked by an ultra-relativistic baryonic shell that has high optical depth when the photons are manufactured. Such a shell would not fully block photons reflected or emitted from its inner surface, because the radial velocity of the photons can be less than that of the shell. This avoids the standard problem associated with GRBs that the thermal component should be produced where the flow is still obscured by high optical depth. The radiation that escapes high optical depth obeys the Amati relation. Observational implications may include a) anomalously high ratios of afterglow to prompt emission, such as may have been the case in the recently discovered PTF 11agg, and b) ultrahigh-energy neutrino pulses that are non-coincident with detectable GRB. It is suggested that GRB 090510, a short, very hard GRB with very little afterglow, was an {\it exposed} GRB, in contrast to those cloaked by baryonic shells. \end{abstract}

THE POTENTIAL FOR DETECTING GAMMA-RAY BURST AFTERGLOWS FROM POPULATION III STARS WITH THE NEXT GENERATION OF INFRARED TELESCOPES

We investigate the detectability of a proposed population of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) from the collapse of Population III (Pop III) stars. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and Space Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA) will be able to observe the late time infrared afterglows. We have developed a new method to calculate their detectability, which takes into account the fundamental initial mass function (IMF) and formation rates of Pop III stars, from which we find the temporal variability of the afterglows and ultimately the length of time JWST and SPICA can detect them. In the range of plausible Pop III GRB parameters, the afterglows are always detectable by these instruments during the isotropic emission, for a minimum of 55 days and a maximum of 3.7 years. The average number of detectable afterglows will be 2.96$\times 10^{-5}$ per SPICA field of view (FOV) and 2.78$\times 10^{-6}$ per JWST FOV. These are lower limits, using a pessimistic estimate of Pop III star formation. An optimal observing strategy with SPICA could identify a candidate orphan afterglow in $\sim 1.3$ years, with a 90 percent probability of confirmation with further detailed observations. A beamed GRB will align with the FOV of the planned GRB detector Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope once every 9 years. Pop III GRBs will be more easily detected by their isotropic emissions (i.e. orphan afterglows) rather than by their prompt emissions.

The long, the short and the weak: the origin of gamma-ray bursts

The origin of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is one of the most interesting puzzles in recent astronomy. During the last decade a consensus has formed that long GRBs (LGRBs) arise from the collapse of massive stars, and that short GRBs (SGRBs) have a different origin, most likely neutron star mergers. A key ingredient of the collapsar model that explains how the collapse of massive stars produces a GRB is the emergence of a relativistic jet that penetrates the stellar envelope. The condition that the emerging jet penetrates the envelope imposes strong constraints on the system. Using these constraints we show the following. (i) Low-luminosity GRBs (llGRBs), a subpopulation of GRBs with very low luminosities (and other peculiar properties: single-peaked, smooth and soft), cannot be formed by collapsars. llGRBs must have a different origin (most likely a shock breakout). (ii) On the other hand, regular LGRBs must be formed by collapsars. (iii) While for BATSE the dividing line between collapsars and non-collapsars is indeed at approximately 2 s, the dividing line is different for other GRB detectors. In particular, most Swift bursts longer than 0.8 s are of a collapsar origin. This last result requires a revision of many conclusions concerning the origin of Swift SGRBs, which were based on the commonly used 2 s limit.

Detection prospects for GeV neutrinos from collisionally heated gamma-ray bursts with IceCube/DeepCore.

Jet reheating via nuclear collisions has recently been proposed as the main mechanism for gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission. In addition to producing the observed gamma rays, collisional heating must generate 10-100 GeV neutrinos, implying a close relation between the neutrino and gamma-ray luminosities. We exploit this theoretical relation to make predictions for possible GRB detections by IceCube + DeepCore. To estimate the expected neutrino signal, we use the largest sample of bursts observed by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment in 1991-2000. GRB neutrinos could have been detected if IceCube + DeepCore operated at that time. Detection of 10-100 GeV neutrinos would have significant implications, shedding light on the composition of GRB jets and their Lorentz factors. This could be an important target in designing future upgrades of the IceCube + DeepCore observatory.

Design and implementation of electronics and data acquisition system for Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO) Pathfinder for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) consists of two telescopes. The UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) handles the detection and localization of GRBs, and the Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) conducts the measurement of the UV/optical afterglow. UBAT is equipped with an X-ray detector, analog and digital signal readout electronics that detects X-rays from GRBs and determines the location. SMT is equipped with a stepping motor and the associated electronics to rotate the slewing mirror targeting the GRBs identified by UBAT. First the slewing mirror points to a GRB, then SMT obtains the optical image of the GRB using the intensified CCD and its readout electronics. The UFFO Data Acquisition system (UDAQ) is responsible for the overall function and operation of the observatory and the communication with the satellite main processor. In this paper we present the design and implementation of the electronics of UBAT and SMT as well as the architecture and implementation of UDAQ.

In-Flight Calibrations of UFFO-Pathfinder

The Ultra-Fast Flash Observatory (UFFO), which will be launched onboard the Lomonosov spacecraft, contains two crucial instruments: UFFO Burst Alert & Trigger Telescope (UBAT) for detection and localization of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and the fast-response Slewing Mirror Telescope (SMT) designed for the observation of the prompt optical/UV counterparts. Here we discuss the in-space calibrations of the UBAT detector and SMT telescope. After the launch, the observations of the standard X-ray sources such as pulsar in Crab nebula will provide data for necessary calibrations of UBAT. Several standard stars will be used for the photometric calibration of SMT. The celestial X-ray sources, e.g. X-ray binaries with bright optical sources in their close angular vicinity will serve for the cross-calibration of UBAT and SMT.

GRB 100219A with X-shooter – abundances in a galaxy at z =4.7

Abundances of galaxies at redshifts z > 4 are difficult to obtain from damped Ly {\alpha} (DLA) systems in the sightlines of quasars (QSOs) due to the Ly {\alpha} forest blanketing and the low number of high-redshift quasars detected. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with their higher luminosity are well suited to study galaxies out to the formation of the first stars at z > 10. Its large wavelength coverage makes the X-shooter spectrograph an excellent tool to study the interstellar medium (ISM) of high redshift galaxies, in particular if the redshift is not known beforehand. Here we determine the properties of a GRB host at z = 4.66723 from a number of resonant low- and high ionization and fine-structure absorption lines. This is one of the highest redshifts where a detailed analysis with medium-resolution data has been possible. We detect one intervening system at z = 2.18. The velocity components of the absorption lines are fitted with Voigt-profiles and we determine a metallicity of [M/H] = -1.0 \pm 0.1 using S. The absorption lines show a complicated kinematic structure which could point to a merger in progress. Si II* together with the restframe UV energy release determined from GROND data gives us the distance of 0.3 to 1 kpc of the absorbing material from the GRB. We measure a low extinction of AV = 0.24 \pm 0.06 mag using X-ray spectral information and the flux calibrated X-shooter spectrum. GRB-DLAs have a shallower evolution of metallicity with redshift than QSO absorbers and no evolution in HI column density or ionization fraction. GRB hosts at high redshift might continue the trend towards lower metallicities in the LZ-relation with redshift, but the sample is still too small to draw a definite conclusion. While the detection of GRBs at z > 4 with current satellites is still difficult, they are very important for our understanding of the early epochs of star- and galaxy-formation.

Counts of high-redshift GRBs as probes of primordial non-Gaussianities

We propose to use high-redshift long $\gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs) as cosmological tools to constrain the amount of primordial non-Gaussianity in the density field. By using numerical, N-body, hydrodynamic, chemistry simulations of different cosmological volumes with various Gaussian and non-Gaussian models, we self-consistently relate the cosmic star formation rate density to the corresponding GRB rate. Assuming that GRBs are fair tracers of cosmic star formation, we find that positive local non-Gaussianities, described in terms of the non-linear parameter, \fnl, might boost significantly the GRB rate at high redshift, $z \gg 6$. Deviations with respect to the Gaussian case account for a few orders of magnitude if \fnl$\sim 1000$, one order of magnitude for \fnl$\sim 100$, and a factor of $\sim 2$ for \fnl$\sim 50$. These differences are found only at large redshift, while at later times the rates tend to converge. Furthermore, a comparison between our predictions and the observed GRB data at $z > 6$ allows to exclude large negative \fnl, consistently with previous works. Future detections of any long GRB at extremely high redshift ($z\sim 15-20$) could favor non-Gaussian scenarios with positive \fnl. More stringent constraints require much larger high-$z$ GRB complete samples, currently not available in literature. By distinguishing the contributions to the GRB rate from the metal-poor population III regime, and the metal-enriched population II-I regime, we conclude that the latter is a more solid tracer of the underlying matter distribution, while the former is strongly dominated by feedback mechanisms from the first, massive, short-lived stars, rather than by possible non-Gaussian fluctuations. This holds quite independently of the assumed population III initial mass function.

IACT observations of gamma-ray bursts: prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Gamma rays at rest frame energies as high as 90 GeV have been reported from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT). There is considerable hope that a confirmed GRB detection will be possible with the upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), which will have a larger effective area and better low-energy sensitivity than current-generation imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). To estimate the likelihood of such a detection, we have developed a phenomenological model for GRB emission between 1 GeV and 1 TeV that is motivated by the high-energy GRB detections of Fermi-LAT, and allows us to extrapolate the statistics of GRBs seen by lower energy instruments such as the Swift-BAT and BATSE on the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. We show a number of statistics for detected GRBs, and describe how the detectability of GRBs with CTA could vary based on a number of parameters, such as the typical observation delay between the burst onset and the start of ground observations. We also consider the possibility of using GBM on Fermi as a finder of GRBs for rapid ground follow-up. While the uncertainty of GBM localization is problematic, the small field-of-view for IACTs can potentially be overcome by scanning over the GBM error region. Overall, our results indicate that CTA should be able to detect one GRB every 20 to 30 months with our baseline instrument model, assuming consistently rapid pursuit of GRB alerts, and provided that spectral breaks below 100 GeV are not a common feature of the bright GRB population. With a more optimistic instrument model, the detection rate can be as high as 1 to 2 GRBs per year.

Influence of the Earth on the background and the sensitivity of the GRM and ECLAIRs instruments aboard the Chinese-French mission SVOM

SVOM (Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Object Monitor) is a future Chinese-French satellite mission which is dedicated to Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) studies. Its anti-solar pointing strategy makes the Earth cross the field of view of its payload every orbit. In this paper, we present the variations of the gamma-ray background of the two high energy instruments aboard SVOM, the Gamma-Ray Monitor (GRM) and ECLAIRs, as a function of the Earth position. We conclude with an estimate of the Earth influence on their sensitivity and their GRB detection capability.

Prospects for detecting gamma-ray bursts at very high energies with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

We discuss the prospects for the detection of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) by the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next generation, ground-based facility of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) operating above a few tens of GeV. By virtue of its fast slewing capabilities, the lower energy threshold compared to current IACTs, and the much larger effective area compared to satellite instruments, CTA can measure the spectra and variability of GRBs with excellent photon statistics at multi-GeV energies. Employing a model of the GRB population whose properties are broadly consistent with observations by the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard Fermi, we simulate follow-up observations of GRBs with the Large Size Telescopes (LSTs), the component of CTA with the fastest slew speed and the best sensitivity at energies below a few hundred GeV. For our fiducial assumptions, we foresee that the LSTs can detect ~0.1 GRBs per year during the prompt phase and ~0.5 per year in the afterglow phase, considering only one array site and both GBM and the Space-based multi-band astronomical Variable Object Monitor (SVOM) as the alert instruments. The detection rates can be enhanced by a factor of about 5 and 6 for the prompt emission and the afterglow, respectively, assuming two array sites with the same sensitivity and that the GBM localization error can be reduced to less than 1 deg. The expected distribution of redshift and photon counts are presented, showing that despite the modest event rate, hundreds or more multi-GeV photons can be anticipated from a single burst once they are detected. We also study how the detection rate depends on the intrinsic GRB properties and the delay time between the burst trigger and the follow-up observation.

Nearby low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts as the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays revisited

Low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with luminosity . 10^49erg/s probably consititute a distinct population from the classic high-luminosity GRBs. They are the most luminous objects detected so far within ~ 100 Mpc, the horizon distance of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), so they are considered to be candidate sources of UHECRs. It was recently argued that the energy production rate in UHECRs is much larger than that in gamma-ray photons of long GRBs measured by the Fermi satellite, which, if true, would challenge the view that GRBs can be the sources of UHECRs. We here suggest that many of the low luminosity GRBs, due to their low luminosity, can not trigger the current GRB detectors and hence their contribution to the local gamma-ray energy production rate is missing. We find that the real local energy production rate by low-luminosity GRBs, taking into account the missing part, which constitutes a dominant fraction of the total amount, could be sufficient to account for the flux of UHECRs. Due to the low-luminosity, only intermediate-mass or heavy nuclei can be accelerated to ~ 10^20 eV. We discuss the acceleration and survival of these UHE nuclei in low-luminosity GRBs, especially in those missing low-luminosity GRBs. At last, the accompanying diffuse neutrino flux from the whole low-luminosity GRB population is calculated.

Prospects for GRB detection with HAWC scalers

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) experiment is a high energy gamma ray observatory which is currently under construction in the Sierra Negra, Mexico, at an altitude of 4100 m. It will detect gamma-ray induced atmospheric particle showers on the ground. The water Cherenkov particle detection technique allows for full day observations of a large fraction of the sky. HAWC is the successor of Milagro. Because of the higher altitude, size and improved detector design, the sensitivity of HAWC will be ≈15× higher than the sensitivity of Milagro. Besides a triggered data acquisition system (DAQ) searching for individual air shower events, a scaler DAQ counting all signals in the HAWC photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) above a fixed threshold is available. The large sky coverage of about 1.5 sr and high duty cycle of HAWC increases its detection potential for transient sources like gamma ray bursts (GRBs). The sensitive energy range of the scaler DAQ overlaps at low energies with the energy range of the Large Area Telescope (LAT) aboard the Fermi satellite. We demonstrate that GRBs with a high energy spectral component ( E γ ≳ 30 GeV) seen by the LAT are also visible for the HAWC scaler DAQ. The properties of the GRB spectra at high energies provide information about e ±-pair attenuation inside of GRB jets, extra-galactic background light (EBL) absorption and the maximum energy to which particles can be accelerated in GRBs.

Detectability of GRB Optical Afterglows with Gaia Satellite

ABSTRACTWith the launch of the Gaia satellite, detection of many different types of transient sources will be possible, with one of them being optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Using the knowledge of the satellite’s dynamics and properties of GRB optical afterglows, we performed a simulation in order to estimate an average GRB detection rate with Gaia. Here, we present the simulation results for two types of GRB optical afterglows, differing in the observer’s line of sight compared with a GRB jet axis: regular (on-axis) and orphan afterglows. Results show that for on-axis GRBs, less than 10 detections in 5 yr of foreseen Gaia operational time are expected. The orphan afterglow simulation results are more promising, giving a more optimistic number of several tens of detections in 5 yr.

A prototype study of the POLAR front-end electronics

POLAR is a multi-channel position-sensitive detector used for polarization property detection of gamma-ray burst (GRB) photons. We have designed a prototype of POLAR front-end electronics (PFEE) based on Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) with large dynamic range and low power consumption. The performances of PFEE are measured using a pulse generator and an alpha-ray source. The measured average Equivalent Noise Charge (ENC) and input signal dynamic range of the PFEE prototype are 6.7 fC (rms) and 9 pC, respectively. The results that are obtained show that the main functions of the PFEE have been achieved, making this prototype usable in future experiments. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Response of the Compton polarimeter POLAR to polarized hard X-rays

POLAR is a novel compact space-borne Compton polarimeter conceived for a precise measurement of hard X-ray polarization and optimized for the detection of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) photons in the energy range 50–500keV. In December 2009 we have performed a systematic calibration of one modular unit of POLAR at four energy levels (200, 288, 356 and 511keV) with a 100% polarized synchrotron radiation source at the beam line ID15A at ESRF. The detector was displaced several times on the beam line in order to achieve a uniform illumination, which mimics the flux from a GRB placed on the zenith of the experiment. Several rotations of the detector on the beam axis allowed us to test the response of POLAR to several polarization angles. Two different analysis methods to reconstruct the polarization angle of the beam and the modulation factor μ100 are presented; the first relies on the existence of a unpolarized sample, produced by merging two data sets with orthogonal polarization directions, and is less dependent on systematic effects due to asymmetries in the detector; the second is independent from unpolarized measurements, and will likely be used to analyze the polarization of GRB during the flight. Both methods reconstruct the input polarization angle within 2° and produce modulation factors μ100 between 30% and 50% depending on the beam energy. Monte Carlo simulations performed with GEANT4 confirm the experimental results.

Observing the prompt emission of GRBs

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) were first detected thanks to their prompt emission, which was the only information available for decades. In 2010, while the high-energy prompt emission remains the main tool for the detection and the first localization of GRB sources, our understanding of this crucial phase of GRBs has made great progress. We discuss some recent advances in this field, like the occasional detection of the prompt emission at all wavelengths, from optical to GeV; the existence of sub-luminous GRBs; the attempts to standardize GRBs; and the possible detection of polarization in two very bright GRBs. Despite these advances, tantalizing observational and theoretical challenges still exist, concerning the detection of the faintest GRBs, the panchromatic observation of GRBs from their very beginning, the origin of the prompt emission, or the understanding of the physics at work during this phase. Significant progress on this last topic is expected with SVOM thanks to the observation of dozens of GRBs from optical to MeV during the burst itself, and the measure of the redshift for the majority of them. SVOM will also change our view of the prompt GRB phase in another way. Within a few years, the sensitivity of sky surveys at optical and radio frequencies, and outside the electromagnetic domain in gravitational waves or neutrinos, will allow them to detect several new types of transient signals, and SVOM will be uniquely suited to identify which of these transients are associated with GRBs. This radically novel look at GRBs may elucidate the complex physics producing these bright flashes.

Study of capabilities of the HAWC observatory to detect GRBs

We describe the simulation of atmospheric air showers originated by gamma rays with energies in the 0.1-1 TeV range. We study the properties of the secondary particles at a height above level of 4100 m corresponding to the height of the array of water Cherenkov detectors (WCDs) of the HAWC (High Altitude Water Cherenkov) Observatory. In particular we study the pile-up effect of the secondary particles as they arrive at the HAWC Observatory to discern the way in which the PMTs of the WCDs of HAWC can distinguish isolated secondary particles as a function of their signal thresholds. This study is relevant to the application of the single-particle counting technique often used to try to detect gamma ray bursts (GRBs) with ground-based experiments.