Gamma-ray Bursts Research Articles

The Early Radio Afterglow of Short GRB 230217A

We present the radio afterglow of short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 230217A, which was detected less than 1 day after the gamma-ray prompt emission with the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) and the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array. The ATCA rapid-response system automatically triggered an observation of GRB 230217A following its detection by the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory and began observing the event just 32 minutes postburst at 5.5 and 9 GHz for 7 hr. Dividing the 7 hr observation into three time-binned images allowed us to obtain radio detections with logarithmic central times of 1, 2.8, and 5.2 hr postburst, the first of which represents the earliest radio detection of any GRB to date. The decline of the light curve is consistent with reverse shock emission if the observing bands are below the spectral peak and not affected by synchrotron self-absorption. This makes GRB 230217A the fifth short GRB (SGRB) with radio detections attributed to a reverse shock at early times (<1 day postburst). Following brightness temperature arguments, we have used our early radio detections to place the highest minimum Lorentz factor ( Γmin>50 at ∼1 hr) constraints on a GRB in the radio band. Our results demonstrate the importance of rapid radio follow-up observations with long integrations and good sensitivity for detecting the fast-evolving radio emission from SGRBs and probing their reverse shocks.

The Scintillation Counters of the High-Energy Particle Detector of the China Seismo-Electromagnetic (CSES-02) Satellite

The High-Energy Particle Detector (HEPD-02) is one of the scientific payloads of the China Seismo-Electromagnetic Satellite (CSES-02). The HEPD-02’s main purpose is to characterize the particle environment in the Earth’s vicinity, identifying sudden changes in the fluxes and correlating them with solar and terrestrial phenomena. Additionally, HEPD-02 also has capabilities in detecting Gamma-Ray Bursts. At the core of HEPD-02, a tower of scintillation counters made of plastic and LYSO crystals is able to recognize electrons in the range between 3 and 100 MeV, protons and nuclei between 30 and 200 MeV/n. Plastic scintillators covering the calorimeter on five sides allow to reject particles entering from the top and not completely absorbed within its volume. In this work, the design of the HEPD-02 is reviewed in comparison to its predecessor, HEPD-01, highlighting the innovations of the new design. The design of each scintillation counter type has been fully validated through a campaign of prototype realization, testing, and characterization. The production of the scintillation counters, including the PMT selection process, is also discussed. Finally, the performance of the counters is compared with simulations, showing an agreement of within 20% with the expected performance, thereby meeting expectations.

Is Gamma-Ray Burst 221009A Really a Once-in-10,000 yr Event?

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) brighter than the GRB 221009A, the brightest yet observed, have previously been estimated to occur at a rate of one per 10,000 yr, based on the extrapolation of the distribution of fluences of the long-GRB population. We show that bursts this bright could instead have a rate as high as approximately one per 200 yr if they are from a separate population of narrow-jet GRBs. This population must have a maximum redshift of about z ≈ 0.38 in order to avoid overproducing the observed rate of fainter GRBs. We show that it will take ≳100 yr to confirm this new population based on observing another GRB from it with a γ-ray detector; observing an orphan optical afterglow from this population with Vera Rubin Observatory or an orphan radio afterglow with the Square Kilometer Array will also take similarly long times to observe, and it is unclear if they could be distinguished from the standard GRB population. We show that the nearby narrow-jet population has more favorable energetics for producing ultra-high-energy cosmic rays than standard GRBs. The rate of bursts in the Milky Way bright enough to cause mass extinctions of life on Earth from the narrow-jet population is estimated to be approximately one per 500 Myr. This GRB population could make life in the Milky Way less likely, with implications for future searches for life on exoplanets.

Testing the phenomenological interacting dark energy model with gamma-ray bursts and type Ia supernovae

Abstract In this paper, we utilize recent observational data from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and Pantheon+ supernovae Ia (SNe Ia) sample to explore the interacting dark energy (IDE) model in a phenomenological scenario. Results from GRBs alone, SNe Ia and GRBs+SNe Ia indicate that the energy is transferred from dark energy to dark matter and the coincidence problem is alleviated. The value of $H_0$ from GRBs+SNe Ia in the IDE scenario shows agreement with the SH0ES measurement. Considering the age estimate of the quasar APM 08279+5255 at $z = 3.91$, we find that the phenomenological IDE scenario can predict a cosmic age greater than that of the $\Lambda$CDM model, thus the cosmic age problem can be alleviated.

AM3: An Open-source Tool for Time-dependent Lepto-hadronic Modeling of Astrophysical Sources

We present the Astrophysical Multimessenger Modeling (AM 3 ) software. AM 3 is a documented open-source software (source code at https://gitlab.desy.de/am3/am3; user guide and documentation at https://am3.readthedocs.io/en/latest/) that efficiently solves the coupled integro-differential equations describing the temporal evolution of the spectral densities of particles interacting in astrophysical environments, including photons, electrons, positrons, protons, neutrons, pions, muons, and neutrinos. The software has been extensively used to simulate the multiwavelength and neutrino emission from active galactic nuclei (including blazars), gamma-ray bursts, and tidal disruption events. The simulations include all relevant nonthermal processes, namely synchrotron emission, inverse Compton scattering, photon–photon annihilation, proton–proton and proton–photon pion production, and photo-pair production. The software self-consistently calculates the full cascade of primary and secondary particles, including nonlinear feedback processes and predictions in the time domain. It also allows the user to track separately the particle densities produced by means of each distinct interaction process, including the different hadronic channels. With its efficient hybrid solver combining analytical and numerical techniques, AM 3 combines efficiency and accuracy at a user-adjustable level. We describe the technical details of the numerical framework and present three examples of applications to different astrophysical environments.

Off-Axis Color Characteristics of Binary Neutron Star Merger Events: Applications for Space Multi-Band Variable Object Monitor and James Webb Space Telescope

With advancements in gravitational wave detection technology, an increasing number of binary neutron star (BNS) merger events are expected to be detected. Due to the narrow opening angle of jet cores, many BNS merger events occur off-axis, resulting in numerous gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) going undetected. Models suggest that kilonovae, which can be observed off-axis, offer more opportunities to be detected in the optical/near-infrared band as electromagnetic counterparts of BNS merger events. In this study, we calculate kilonova emission using a three-dimensional semi-analytical code and model the GRB afterglow emission with the open-source Python package afterglowpy at various inclination angles. Our results show that it is possible to identify the kilonova signal from the observed color evolution of BNS merger events. We also deduce the optimal observing window for SVOM/VT and JWST/NIRCam, which depends on the viewing angle, jet opening angle, and circumburst density. These parameters can be cross-checked with the multi-band afterglow fitting. We suggest that kilonovae are more likely to be identified at larger inclination angles, which can also help determine whether the observed signals without accompanying GRBs originate from BNS mergers.

Direct Evidence for Preburst Stage of Gamma-Ray Burst from GRB 221009A Data

Previous research on Lorentz invariance violation in photons from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) suggested a scenario where multi-GeV photons could be emitted before lower-energy photons at the GRB source frame. This implies the existence of a new preburst phase in addition to the traditionally identified prompt and afterglow stages observed in earlier studies. In this study, we present direct evidence for this novel preburst phase in GRBs based on recent observations of GRB 221009A. Our analysis leverages data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope detectors of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, as well as data from the KM2A detector of the Large High Altitude Air-shower Observatory.

Modelling of long Gamma-Ray Burst host-galaxies at cosmic noon from Damped Lyman-alpha absorption statistics

Abstract We study the properties of long gamma-ray burst host galaxies using a statistical modelling framework derived to model damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) in quasar spectra at high redshift. The distribution of $N_{\rm H\, \small {I}}$ for GRB-DLAs is ∼10 times higher than what is found for quasar-DLAs at similar impact parameters. We interpret this as a temporal selection effect due to the short-lived GRB progenitor probing its host at the onset of a starburst where the ISM may exhibit multiple over-dense regions. Owing to the larger $N_{\rm H\, \small {I}}$, the dust extinction is larger with 29 per cent of GRB-DLAs exhibiting A(V) &amp;gt; 1 mag in agreement with the fraction of ‘dark bursts’. Despite the differences in $N_{\rm H\, \small {I}}$ distributions, we find that high-redshift 2 &amp;lt; z &amp;lt; 3 quasar- and GRB-DLAs trace the luminosity function of star-forming host-galaxies in the same way. We propose that their differences may arise from the fact that the galaxies are sampled at different times in their star formation histories, and that the absorption sight lines probe the galaxy halos differently. Quasar-DLAs sample the full H i cross-section whereas GRB-DLAs sample only regions hosting cold neutral medium. Previous studies have found that GRBs avoid high-metallicity galaxies (∼0.5 Z⊙). Since at these redshifts galaxies on average have lower metallicities, our sample is only weakly sensitive to such a threshold. Lastly, we find that the modest detection rate of cold gas (H2 or C i) in GRB spectra can be explained mainly by a low volume filling factor of cold gas clouds and to a lesser degree by destruction from the GRB explosion itself.

Gamma-ray flashes offer clues about thunderstorm electrification

Gamma-ray flashes offer clues about thunderstorm electrification

A simulation study on the sub-threshold joint gravitational wave-electromagnetic wave observation on binary neutron star mergers

Abstract The coalescence of binary neutron stars (BNS) is a prolific source of gravitational waves (GWs) and electromagnetic (EM) radiation, offering a dual observational window into the Universe. Lowering the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) threshold is a simple and cost-effective way to enhance the detection probability of GWs from BNS mergers. In this study, we introduce a metric of the purity of joint GW and EM detections Pjoint, which is in analogue to Pastro in GW only observations. By simulating BNS merger GWs jointly detected by the HLV network and EM counterparts (kilonovae and short Gamma-ray bursts, sGRBs) with an assumed merger rate density of BNS, we generate catalogs of GW events and EM counterparts. Through this simulation, we analyze joint detection pairs, both correct and misidentified. We find the following: 1. For kilonovae, requiring Pjoint &amp;gt; 95% instead of $P_{\rm astro}&amp;gt;95~{{\%}}$ reduces the S/N from 9.2 to 8.5-8.8, allowing 5-13 additional joint detections per year and increasing the GW detection volume by 9-17%; 2. For sGRBs, requiring Pjoint &amp;gt; 95% instead of Pastro reduces the S/N from 9.2 to 8.1-8.5; 3. Increasing kilonova or sGRB detection capability does not improve Pjoint due to a higher rate of misidentifications. We also show that sub-threshold GW and kilonova detections can reduce the uncertainty in measuring the Hubble constant to 89-92% of its original value, and sub-threshold GW and sGRB observations can enhance the precision of constraining the speed of GWs to 88% of previously established values.

DUNE: Dust depletion UNified method across cosmic time and Environments

We present a novel method to characterize dust depletion, namely, the depletion of metals into dust grains. We used observed correlations among relative abundances combining a total of 17 metals in diverse galactic environments, including the Milky Way (MW), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and damped Lyman-alpha absorbers (DLAs) towards quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We only considered the relative abundances of metals that qualify as tracers of dust and we used all available dust tracers. We find linear correlations among all studied dust tracers in a multidimensional space, where each dimension corresponds to an individual dust tracer. The fit to the linear correlations among the dust tracers describes the tendencies of different elements when depleting into dust grains. We determined the overall strength of dust depletion, Delta , along individual lines of sight, based on the correlations among different dust tracers. We avoided any preference for specific dust tracers or any other assumptions by including all available dust tracers in this multidimensional space. We also determined the dust depletion of Kr, C, O, Cl, P, Zn, Ge, Mg, Cu, Si, Fe, Ni, and Ti. Finally, we offer simple guidelines for the application of the method to the study of the observed patterns of abundances and relative abundances. This has allowed for a straightforward determination of the overall strength of depletion and the dust depletion of individual elements. We also obtained an estimate for the gas-phase metallicity and identified any additional deviations due to the nucleosynthesis of specific stellar populations. Thus, we have established a unified methodology for characterizing dust depletion across cosmic time and diverse galactic environments, offering a valuable new approach to the study of dust depletion in studies of the chemical evolution of galaxies.

Synchrotron self-Compton in a radiative-adiabatic fireball scenario: Modelling the multiwavelength observations in some Fermi/LAT bursts

Abstract Energetic GeV photons expected from the closest and the most energetic Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide an unique opportunity to study the very-high-energy emission as well as the possible correlations with lower energy bands in realistic GRB afterglow models. In the standard GRB afterglow model, the relativistic homogeneous shock is usually considered to be fully adiabatic, however, it could be partially radiative. Based on the external forward-shock scenario in both stellar wind and constant-density medium. We present a radiative-adiabatic analytical model of the synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) and synchrotron processes considering an electron energy distribution with a power-law index of 1 &amp;lt; p &amp;lt; 2 and 2 ≤ p. We show that the SSC scenario plays a relevant role in the radiative parameter ε, leading to a prolonged evolution during the slow cooling regime. In a particular case, we derive the Fermi/LAT light curves together with the photons with energies ≥100 MeV in a sample of nine bursts from the second Fermi/LAT GRB catalog that exhibited temporal and spectral indices with ≳ 1.5 and ≈2, respectively. These events can hardly be described with closure relations of the standard synchrotron afterglow model, and also exhibit energetic photons above the synchrotron limit. We have modeled the multi-wavelength observations of our sample to constrain the microphysical parameters, the circumburst density, the bulk Lorentz factor and the mechanism responsible for explaining the energetic GeV photons.

Polarization from a Radially Stratified GRB Outflow

While the dominant radiation mechanism of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) remains a question of debate, synchrotron emission is one of the foremost candidates to describe the multi-wavelength afterglow observations. As such, it is expected that GRBs should present some degree of polarization across their evolution—presenting a feasible means of probing these bursts’ energetic and angular properties. Although obtaining polarization data is difficult due to the inherent complexities regarding GRB observations, advances are being made, and theoretical modeling of synchrotron polarization is now more relevant than ever. In this manuscript, we present the polarization for a fiduciary model, where the synchrotron FS emission evolving in the radiative–adiabatic regime is described by a radially stratified off-axis outflow. This is parameterized with a power-law velocity distribution and decelerated in a constant-density and wind-like external environment. We apply this theoretical polarization model for two select GRBs, presenting upper limits in their polarization—GRB 170817A, a known off-axis GRB with radio polarization upper limits, and GRB 190014C, an on-axis case, where the burst was seen from within the half-opening angle of the jet, with observed optical polarization—in an attempt to constrain their magnetic field geometry in the emitting region.

Diversity in Fermi/GBM Gamma-Ray Bursts: New Insights from Machine Learning

Classification of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has been a long-standing puzzle in high-energy astrophysics. Recent observations challenge the traditional short versus long viewpoint, where long GRBs are thought to originate from the collapse of massive stars and short GRBs from compact binary mergers. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have been instrumental in addressing this problem, revealing five distinct GRB groups within the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) light-curve data, two of which are associated with kilonovae (KNe). In this work, we extend our analysis to the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor catalog and identify five clusters using unsupervised ML techniques, consistent with the Swift/BAT results. These five clusters are well separated in the fluence-duration plane, hinting at a potential link between fluence, duration, and complexities (or structures) in the light curves of GRBs. Further, we confirm two distinct classes of KN-associated GRBs. The presence of GRB 170817A in one of the two KN-associated clusters lends evidence to the hypothesis that this class of GRBs could potentially be produced by binary neutron star mergers. The second KN-associated GRB cluster could potentially originate from neutron star–black hole mergers. Future multimessenger observations of compact binaries in gravitational waves and electromagnetic waves can be paramount in understanding these clusters better.

Varying linear polarisation in the dust-free gamma-ray burst 210610B

Context. Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced by the collapse of some very massive stars, that emit ultra-relativistic jets. When the jets collide with the interstellar medium they decelerate and generate the so-called afterglow emission, which has been observed to be polarised. Aims. We study the polarimetric evolution of the GRB 210610B afterglow, at z = 1.1341. This allows us to evaluate the role of geometric and/or magnetic mechanisms in the GRB afterglow polarisation. Methods. We observed GRB 210610B using imaging polarimetry with CAFOS on the 2.2 m Calar Alto Telescope and FORS2 on the 4 × 8.1 m Very Large Telescope. Complementary optical spectroscopy was obtained with OSIRIS on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias. We studied the GRB light-curve from X-rays to the optical bands and the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED). This allowed us to strongly constrain the line-of-sight extinction. Finally, we studied the GRB host galaxy using optical to NIR data to fit the SED and derive its integrated properties. Results. GRB 210610B had a bright afterglow with a negligible line-of-sight extinction. Polarimetry was obtained at three epochs: during an early plateau phase, at the time when the light curve breaks, and after the light curve steepened. We observe an initial polarisation of ∼4% that goes to zero at the time of the break, and it then again increases to ∼2%, with a change in the position angle of 54 ± 9 deg. The spectrum shows features with very low equivalent widths. This indicate a small amount of material in the line of sight within the host. Conclusions. The lack of dust and the low amount of material in the line of sight to GRB 210610B allowed us to study the intrinsic polarisation of the GRB optical afterglow. The GRB polarisation signals are consistent with ordered magnetic fields in refreshed shock or/and hydrodynamics-scale turbulent fields in the forward shock.

A simple model of dust extinction in gamma-ray burst host galaxies

Context. Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows are powerful probes for studying the different properties of their host galaxies (e.g., the interstellar dust) at all redshifts. By fitting their spectral energy distribution (SED) over a large range of wavelengths, we can gain direct insights into the properties of the interstellar dust by studying the extinction curves. Unlike the dust extinction templates, such as those of the average Milky Way (MW) or the Small and Large Magellanic Cloud (SMC and LMC), the extinction curves of galaxies outside the Local Group exhibit deviation from these laws. Altogether, X-ray and gamma-ray satellites as well as ground-based telescopes, such as Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory (Swift) and Gamma-Ray Optical and Near-Infrared Detector (GROND), provide measurements of the afterglows from the X-ray to the NIR, which can be used to extract information on dust extinction curves along their lines of sight (LoS). The study presented in this paper undertakes such a photometric study, comprising a preparatory work for the SVOM mission and its ground-based follow-up telescope COLIBRI. Aims. We propose a simple approach to parameterize the dust extinction curve of GRB host galaxies. The model used in this analysis is based on a power law form with the addition of a Loretzian-like Drude profile with two parameters: the extinction slope, γ, and the 2175 Å bump amplitude, Eb. Methods. Using the g′r′i′z′JHKs GROND filter bands, we tested our dust extinction model and explored the parameter space in extinction and redshift by fitting SEDs of simplified simulations of GRB afterglow spectra based on different extinction curve templates. From a final sample of 10 real Swift/GROND extinguished GRBs, we determined the quantities of the dust extinction in their host and measured their extinction curves. Results. We find that our derived extinction curves are in agreement with the spectroscopic measurements reported for four GRBs in the literature. We compared four other GRBs to the results of photometric studies where fixed laws were used to fit their data. We additionally derived two new GRB extinction curves. The measured average extinction curve is given by a slope of γ = 1.051 ± 0.129 and Eb = 0.070 ± 0.036, which is equivalent to a quasi-featureless in-between SMC-LMC template. This is consistent with previous studies aimed at deriving the dust host galaxy extinction where we expect that small dust grains dominate in GRB environment, yielding a steeper curve than the mean MW extinction curve.

Investigating the off-axis GRB afterglow scenario for extragalactic fast X-ray transients

Context. Extragalactic fast X-ray transients (FXTs) are short-duration (∼ks) X-ray flashes of unknown origin, potentially arising from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers, tidal disruption events, or supernova shock breakouts. Aims. In the context of the BNS scenario, we investigate the possible link between FXTs and the afterglows of off-axis merger-induced gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Methods. By modelling well-sampled broadband afterglows of 13 merger-induced GRBs, we make predictions for their X-ray light curve behaviour had they been observed off-axis, considering both a uniform jet with core angle θC and a Gaussian-structured jet whose edge lies at an angle θW = 2θC. We compare their peak X-ray luminosity, duration, and temporal indices α (where F ∝ tα) with those of the currently known extragalactic FXTs. Results. Our analysis reveals that a slightly off-axis observing angle of θobs ≈ (2.2 − 3)θC and a structured jet are required to explain the shallow (|α|≲0.3) temporal indices of the FXT light curves, which cannot be reproduced in the uniform-jet case at any viewing angle. In the case of a structured jet with truncation angle θW = 2θC, the distributions of the duration of the FXTs are consistent with those of the off-axis afterglows for the same range of observing angles, θobs ≈ (2.2 − 3)θC. While the distributions of the off-axis peak X-ray luminosity are consistent only for θobs = 2.2θC, focussing on individual events with different intrinsic luminosities reveals that the match of all three properties (peak X-ray luminosity, duration and temporal indices) of the FXTs at the same viewing angle is possible in the range θobs ∼ (2.2 − 2.6)θC. Despite the small sample of GRBs analysed, these results show that there is a region of the parameter space – although quite limited – where the observational properties of off-axis GRB afterglow can be consistent with those of the newly discovered FXTs. Future observations of FXTs discovered by the recently launched Einstein Probe mission and GRB population studies combined with more complex afterglow models will shed light on this possible GRB-FXT connection, and eventually unveil the progenitors of some FXTs.

Photospheric Prompt Emission from Long Gamma Ray Burst Simulations. III. X-Ray Spectropolarimetry

While gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have the potential to shed light on the astrophysics of jets, compact objects, and cosmology, a major set back in their use as probes of these phenomena stems from our incomplete knowledge surrounding their prompt emission. There are numerous models that can account for various observations of GRBs in the gamma-ray and X-ray energy ranges, due to the flexibility in the number of parameters that can be tuned to increase agreement with data. Furthermore, these models lack predictive power that can test future spectropolarimetric observations of GRBs across the electromagnetic spectrum. In this work, we use the MCRaT radiative transfer code to calculate the X-ray spectropolarimetric signatures expected from the photospheric model for two unique hydrodynamic simulations of long GRBs. We make time-resolved and time-integrated comparisons between the X-ray and gamma-ray mock observations, shedding light on the information that can be obtained from X-ray prompt emission signatures. Our results show that the T 90 derived from the X-ray light curve is the best diagnostic for the time that the central engine is active. We also find that our simulations reproduce the observed characteristics of the Einstein Probe–detected GRB 240315C. Based on our simulations, we are also able to make predictions for future X-ray spectropolarimetric measurements. Our results show the importance of conducting global radiative transfer calculations of GRB jets to better contextualize the prompt emission observations and constrain the mechanisms that produce the prompt emission.

Afterglow Linear Polarization Signatures from Shallow GRB Jets: Implications for Energetic GRBs

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powered by ultrarelativistic jets. The launching sites of these jets are surrounded by dense media, which the jets must cross before they can accelerate and release high-energy emission. Interaction with the medium leads to the formation of a mildly relativistic sheath around the jet, resulting in an angular structure to the jet’s asymptotic Lorentz factor and energy per solid angle, which modifies the afterglow emission. We build a semi-analytical tool to analyze the afterglow light curve and polarization signatures of jets observed from a wide range of viewing angles, and focus on ones with slowly declining energy profiles known as shallow jets. We find overall lower polarization compared to the classical top hat jet model. We provide an analytical expression for the peak polarization degree as a function of the energy profile power-law index, magnetic field configuration, and viewing angle, and show that it occurs near the light-curve break time for all viewers. When applying our tool to GRB 221009A, suspected to originate from a shallow jet, we find that the suggested jet structures for this event agree with the upper limits placed on the afterglow polarization in the optical and X-ray bands. We also find that at early times the polarization levels may be significantly higher, allowing for a potential distinction between different jet structure models and possibly constraining the magnetization in both forward and reverse shocks at that stage.

Towards a new model-independent calibration of Gamma-Ray Bursts

Current data on baryon acoustic oscillations and Supernovae of Type Ia (SNIa) cover up to z∼2.5. These low-redshift observations play a very important role in the determination of cosmological parameters and have been widely used to constrain the ΛCDM and models beyond the standard, such as the ones with open curvature. To extend this investigation to higher redshifts, Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) stand out as one of the most promising observables. In spite of being transient, they are extremely energetic and can be used to probe the universe up to z∼9.4. They exhibit characteristics that suggest they are potentially standardizable candles and this allows their use to extend the distance ladder beyond SNIa. The use of GRB correlations is still a challenge due to the spread in their intrinsic properties. One of the correlations that can be employed for the standardization is the fundamental plane relation between the peak prompt luminosity, the rest-frame end time of the plateau phase, and its corresponding luminosity, also known as the three-dimensional Dainotti correlation. In this work, we propose an innovative method of calibration of the Dainotti relation which is independent of cosmology. We employ state-of-the-art data on Cosmic Chronometers (CCH) at z≲2 and use the Gaussian Processes Bayesian reconstruction tool. To match the CCH redshift range, we select 20 long GRBs in the range 0.553≤z≤1.96 from the Platinum sample, which consists of well-defined GRB plateau properties that obey the fundamental plane relation. To ensure the generality of our method, we verify that the choice of priors on the parameters of the Dainotti relation and the modelling of CCH uncertainties and covariance have negligible impact on our results. Moreover, we consider the case in which the redshift evolution of the physical features of the plane is accounted for. We find that the use of CCH allows us to identify a sub-sample of GRBs that adhere even more closely to the fundamental plane relation, with an intrinsic scatter of σint=0.20−0.05+0.03 obtained in this analysis when evolutionary effects are considered. In an epoch in which we strive to reduce uncertainties on the variables of the GRB correlations in order to tighten constraints on cosmological parameters, we have found a novel model-independent approach to pinpoint a sub-sample that can thus represent a valuable set of standardizable candles. This allows us to extend the cosmic distance ladder presenting a new catalogue of calibrated luminosity distances up to z=5.