Hard Gamma-ray Bursts Research Articles

A large-scale magnetic field produced by a solar-like dynamo in binary neutron star mergers

The merger of two neutron stars launches a relativistic jet, which must be driven by a strong large-scale magnetic field. However, the magnetohydrodynamical mechanism required to build up this magnetic field remains uncertain. By performing an ab initio super-high-resolution neutrino-radiation magnetohydrodynamics merger simulation in full general relativity, we show that the αΩ dynamo mechanism, driven by the magnetorotational instability, builds up the large-scale magnetic field inside the long-lived remnant of the binary neutron star merger. As a result, the magnetic field induces a Poynting-flux-dominated relativistic outflow with an isotropic equivalent luminosity of ~1052 erg s−1 and a magnetically driven post-merger mass ejection of ~0.1 M⊙. Therefore, the magnetar hypothesis, in which an ultra-strongly magnetized neutron star drives a relativistic jet in binary neutron star mergers, is possible. Magnetars can be the engines of short, hard gamma-ray bursts, and they should be associated with very bright kilonovae, which current telescopes could observe. Therefore, this scenario is testable in future observations.

Critical Tests of Leading Gamma Ray Burst Theories

It has been observationally established that supernovae (SNe) of Type Ic produce long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and that neutron star mergers generate short hard GRBs. SN-Less GRBs presumably originate in a phase transition of a neutron star in a high mass X-ray binary. How these phenomena actually generate GRBs is debated. The fireball and cannonball models of GRBs and their afterglows have been widely confronted with the huge observational data, with their defenders claiming success. The claims, however, may reflect multiple choices and the use of many adjustable parameters, rather than the validity of the models. Only a confrontation of key falsifiable predictions of the models with solid observational data can test their validity. Such critical tests are reviewed in this report.

Infrared Emission from Kilonovae: The Case of the Nearby Short Hard Burst GRB 160821B

Abstract We present constraints on Ks-band emission from one of the nearest short hard gamma-ray bursts, GRB 160821B, at z = 0.16, at three epochs. We detect a red relativistic afterglow from the jetted emission in the first epoch but do not detect any excess kilonova emission in the second two epochs. We compare upper limits obtained with Keck I/MOSFIRE to multi-dimensional radiative transfer models of kilonovae, that employ composition-dependent nuclear heating and LTE opacities of heavy elements. We discuss eight models that combine toroidal dynamical ejecta and two types of wind and one model with dynamical ejecta only. We also discuss simple, empirical scaling laws of predicted emission as a function of ejecta mass and ejecta velocity. Our limits for GRB 160821B constrain the ejecta mass to be lower than 0.03 M ⊙ for velocities greater than 0.1 c. At the distance sensitivity range of advanced LIGO, similar ground-based observations would be sufficiently sensitive to the full range of predicted model emission including models with only dynamical ejecta. The color evolution of these models shows that I–K color spans 7–16 mag, which suggests that even relatively shallow infrared searches for kilonovae could be as constraining as optical searches.

ASTROSAT CZT IMAGER OBSERVATIONS OF GRB 151006A: TIMING, SPECTROSCOPY, AND POLARIZATION STUDY

ABSTRACT AstroSat is a multi-wavelength satellite launched on 2015 September 28. The CZT Imager of AstroSat on its very first day of operation detected a long duration gamma-ray burst (GRB), namely GRB 151006A. Using the off-axis imaging and spectral response of the instrument, we demonstrate that the CZT Imager can localize this GRB correctly to about a few degrees, and it can provide, in conjunction with Swift, spectral parameters similar to those obtained from Fermi/GBM. Hence, the CZT Imager would be a useful addition to the currently operating GRB instruments (Swift and Fermi). Specifically, we argue that the CZT Imager will be most useful for the short hard GRBs by providing localization for those detected by Fermi and spectral information for those detected only by Swift. We also provide preliminary results on a new exciting capability of this instrument: the CZT Imager is able to identify Compton scattered events thereby providing polarization information for bright GRBs. GRB 151006A, in spite of being relatively faint, shows hints of a polarization signal at 100–300 keV (though at a low significance level). We point out that the CZT Imager should provide significant time resolved polarization measurements for GRBs that have fluence three times higher than that of GRB 151006A. We estimate that the number of such bright GRBs detectable by the CZT Imager is five to six per year. The CZT Imager can also act as a good hard X-ray monitoring device for possible electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events.

The rate, luminosity function and time delay of non-Collapsar short GRBs

We estimate the rate and the luminosity function of short (hard) Gamma-Ray Bursts (sGRBs) that are non-Collapsars, using the peak fluxes and redshifts of BATSE, Swift and Fermi GRBs. Following Bromberg2013 we select a sub-sample of Swift bursts which are most likely non-Collapsars. We find that these sGRBs are delayed relative to the global star formation rate (SFR) with a typical delay time of a 3-4 Gyr (depending on the SFR model). However, if two or three sGRB at high redshifts have been missed because of selection effects, a distribution of delay times of ~1/t would be also compatible. The current event rate of these non-Collapsar sGRBs with L_iso > 5*10^49 erg/s is 4.1(-1.9,+2.3)Gpc^-3 yr^-1. The rate was significantly larger around z ~ 1 and it declines since that time. The luminosity function we find is a broken power law with a break at 2.0(-0.4,+1.4) * 10^52~erg/s and power-law indices 0.95(-0.12,+0.12) and 2.0(-0.8,+1.0). When considering the whole Swift sGRB sample we find that it is composed of two populations: One group (~ 60%-80% of Swift sGRBs) with the above rate and time delay and a second group (~ 20%-40% of Swift sGRBs) of potential "impostors" that follow the SFR with no delay. These two populations are in very good agreement with the division of sGRBs to non-Collapsars and Collapsars suggested recently by Bromberg2013. If non-Collapsar sGRBs arise from neutron star merger this rate suggest a detection rate of 3-100 yr^-1 by a future gravitational wave detectors (e.g. Advanced Ligo/Virgo with detection horizon on 300 Mpc), and a co-detection with Fermi (Swift) rate of 0.1-1 yr^-1 (0.02-0.14 yr^-1). We estimate that about 4 * 10^5 (f_b^-1 / 30) mergers took place in the Milky Way. If $0.025 m_\odot$ were ejected in each event this would have been sufficient to produce all the heavy r-process material in the Galaxy.

GRB 130603B: No Compelling Evidence for Neutron Star Merger

The near infrared (NIR) flare/rebrightening in the afterglow of the short hard gamma ray burst (SHB) 130603B measured with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and an alleged late-time X-ray excess were interpreted as possible evidence of a neutron star merger origin of SHBs. However, the X-ray afterglow that was measured with the Swift XRT and Newton XMM has the canonical behaviour of a synchrotron afterglow produced by a highly relativistic jet. The H-band flux observed with HST 9.41 days after burst is that expected from the measured late-time X-ray afterglow. The late-time flare/rebrightening of the NIR-optical afterglow of SHB 130603B could have been produced also by jet collision with an interstellar density bump. Moreover, SHB plus a kilonova can be produced also by the collapse of a compact star (neutron star, strange star, or quark star) to a more compact object due to cooling, loss of angular momentum, or mass accretion.

MAXI observations of gamma-ray bursts

Abstract The Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image (MAXI) Gas Slit Camera (GSC) detects gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), including bursts with soft spectra, such as X-ray flashes (XRFs). MAXI/GSC is sensitive to the energy range from 2 to 30 keV. This energy range is lower than other currently operating instruments which are capable of detecting GRBs. Since the beginning of the MAXI operation on 2009 August 15, GSC observed 35 GRBs up to the middle of 2013. One third of them were also observed by other satellites. The rest of them show a trend to have soft spectra and low fluxes. Because of the contribution of those XRFs, the MAXI GRB rate is about three times higher than those expected from the BATSE log N–log P distribution. When we compare it to the observational results of the Wide-field X-ray Monitor on the High Energy Transient Explorer 2, which covers the the same energy range as that of MAXI/GSC, we find the possibility that many of the MAXI bursts are XRFs with Epeak lower than 20 keV. We discuss the source of soft GRBs observed only by MAXI. The MAXI log N–log S distribution suggests that the MAXI XRFs are distributed over a closer distance than hard GRBs. Since the distributions of the hardness of galactic stellar flares and X-ray bursts overlap with those of MAXI GRBs, we discuss the possibility of confusion of such galactic transients with the MAXI GRB samples.

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}

Massive disc formation in the tidal disruption of a neutron star by a nearly extremal black hole

Black hole–neutron star (BHNS) binaries are important sources of gravitational waves for second-generation interferometers, and BHNS mergers are also a proposed engine for short, hard gamma-ray bursts. The behavior of both the spacetime (and thus the emitted gravitational waves) and the neutron-star matter in a BHNS merger depend strongly and nonlinearly on the black hole's spin. While there is a significant possibility that astrophysical black holes could have spins that are nearly extremal (i.e. near the theoretical maximum), to date fully relativistic simulations of BHNS binaries have included black-hole spins only up to S/M2 = 0.9, which corresponds to the black hole having approximately half as much rotational energy as possible, given the black hole's mass. In this paper, we present a new simulation of a BHNS binary with a mass ratio q = 3 and black-hole spin S/M2 = 0.97, the highest simulated to date. We find that the black hole's large spin leads to the most massive accretion disc and the largest tidal tail outflow of any fully relativistic BHNS simulations to date, even exceeding the results implied by extrapolating results from simulations with lower black-hole spin. The disc appears to be remarkably stable. We also find that the high black-hole spin persists until shortly before the time of merger; afterward, both merger and accretion spin down the black hole.

AGILE mini-calorimeter gamma-ray burst catalog

The Mini-Calorimeter of the AGILE satellite can observe the high-energy part of gamma-ray bursts with good timing capability. We present the data of the 85 hard gamma-ray bursts observed by the Mini-Calorimeter since the launch (April 2007) until October 2009. We report the timing data for 84 and spectral data for 21 bursts.

Outlook for detection of GW inspirals by GRB-triggered searches in the advanced detector era

Short, hard gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to originate from the coalescence of two neutron stars (NSs) or a NS and a black hole (BH). If this scenario is correct, then short GRBs will be accompanied by the emission of strong gravitational waves (GWs), detectable by GW observatories such as LIGO, Virgo, KAGRA, and LIGO-India. As compared with blind, all-sky, all-time GW searches, externally triggered searches for GW counterparts to short GRBs have the advantages of both significantly reduced detection threshold due to known time and sky location and enhanced GW amplitude because of face-on orientation. Based on the distribution of signal-to-noise ratios in candidate compact binary coalescence events in the most recent joint LIGO-Virgo data, our analytic estimates, and our Monte Carlo simulations, we find an effective sensitive volume for GRB-triggered searches that is about 2 times greater than for an all-sky, all-time search. For NS-NS systems, a jet angle of 20 degrees, a gamma-ray satellite field of view of 10% of the sky, and priors with generally precessing spin, this doubles the number of NS-NS short-GRB and NS-BH short-GRB associations, to ~3-4% of all detections of NS-NSs and NS-BHs. We also investigate the power of tests for statistical excesses in lists of subthreshold events, and show that these are unlikely to reveal a subthreshold population until finding GW associations to short GRBs is already routine. Finally, we provide useful formulas for calculating the prior distribution of GW amplitudes from a compact binary coalescence, for a given GW detector network and given sky location.

SEARCH FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVES ASSOCIATED WITH GAMMA-RAY BURSTS DURING LIGO SCIENCE RUN 6 AND VIRGO SCIENCE RUNS 2 AND 3

We present the results of a search for gravitational waves associated with 154 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that were detected by satellite-based gamma-ray experiments in 2009-2010, during the sixth LIGO science run and the second and third Virgo science runs. We perform two distinct searches: a modeled search for coalescences of either two neutron stars or a neutron star and black hole; and a search for generic, unmodeled gravitational-wave bursts. We find no evidence for gravitational-wave counterparts, either with any individual GRB in this sample or with the population as a whole. For all GRBs we place lower bounds on the distance to the progenitor, under the optimistic assumption of a gravitational-wave emission energy of 10^-2 M c^2 at 150 Hz, with a median limit of 17 Mpc. For short hard GRBs we place exclusion distances on binary neutron star and neutron star-black hole progenitors, using astrophysically motivated priors on the source parameters, with median values of 16 Mpc and 28 Mpc respectively. These distance limits, while significantly larger than for a search that is not aided by GRB satellite observations, are not large enough to expect a coincidence with a GRB. However, projecting these exclusions to the sensitivities of Advanced LIGO and Virgo, which should begin operation in 2015, we find that the detection of gravitational waves associated with GRBs will become quite possible.

The AGILE observations of the hard and bright GRB 100724B

The observation of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) in the gamma-ray band has been advanced by the AGILE and Fermi satellites after the era of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory. AGILE and Fermi are showing that the GeV-bright GRBs share a set of common features, particularly the high fluence from the keV up to the GeV energy bands, the high value of the minimum Lorentz factor, the presence of an extended emission of gamma-rays, often delayed with respect to lower energies, and finally the possible presence of multiple spectral components. GRB 100724B, localised in a joint effort by Fermi and the InterPlanetary Newtork, is the brightest burst detected in gamma-rays so far by AGILE. Characteristic features of GRB 100724B are the simultaneous emissions at MeV and GeV, without delayed onset nor time lag as shown by the analysis of the cross correlation function, and the significant spectral evolution in hard X-rays over the event duration. In this paper we show the analysis of the AGILE data of GRB 100724B and we discuss its features in the context of the bursts observed so far in gamma-rays and the recently proposed models.

FIRST-YEAR RESULTS OF BROADBAND SPECTROSCOPY OF THE BRIGHTESTFERMI-GBM GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

We present here our results of the temporal and spectral analysis of a sample of 52 bright and hard gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed with the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) during its first year of operation (July 2008-July 2009). Our sample was selected from a total of 253 GBM GRBs based on each event peak count rate measured between 0.2 and 40MeV. The final sample comprised 34 long and 18 short GRBs. These numbers show that the GBM sample contains a much larger fraction of short GRBs, than the CGRO/BATSE data set, which we explain as the result of our (different) selection criteria and the improved GBM trigger algorithms, which favor collection of short, bright GRBs over BATSE. A first by-product of our selection methodology is the determination of a detection threshold from the GBM data alone, above which GRBs most likely will be detected in the MeV/GeV range with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) onboard Fermi. This predictor will be very useful for future multiwavelength GRB follow ups with ground and space based observatories. Further we have estimated the burst durations up to 10MeV and for the first time expanded the duration-energy relationship in the GRB light curves to high energies. We confirm that GRB durations decline with energy as a power law with index approximately -0.4, as was found earlier with the BATSE data and we also notice evidence of a possible cutoff or break at higher energies. Finally, we performed time-integrated spectral analysis of all 52 bursts and compared their spectral parameters with those obtained with the larger data sample of the BATSE data. We find that the two parameter data sets are similar and confirm that short GRBs are in general harder than longer ones.

Limits on radioactive powered emission associated with a short-hard GRB 070724A in a star-forming galaxy

We present results of an extensive observing campaign of the short duration, hard spectrum gamma-ray burst (GRB) 070724A, aimed at detecting the radioactively-powered emission that might follow from a binary merger or collapse involving compact objects. Our multi-band observations span the range in time over which this so-called Li-Paczynski mini-supernova could be active, beginning within 3 hours of the GRB trigger, and represent some of the deepest and most comprehensive searches for such emission. We find no evidence for such activity and place limits on the abundances and the lifetimes of the possible radioactive nuclides that could form in the rapid decompression of nuclear-density matter. Furthermore, our limits are significantly fainter than the peak magnitude of any previously detected broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN) associated with other GRBs, effectively ruling out a long GRB-like SN for with this event. Given the unambiguous redshift of the host galaxy (z=0.456), GRB 070724A represents one of a small, but growing, number of short-hard GRBs for which firm physical/restframe quantities currently exist. The host of GRB 070724A is a moderately star-forming galaxy with an older stellar population component and a relatively high metallicity of 12+log(O/H)_KD02=9.1. We find no significant evidence for large amounts of extinction along the line of sight that could mask the presence of a SN explosion and estimate a small probability for chance alignment with the putative host. We discuss how our derived constraints fit into the evolving picture of short-hard GRBs, their potential progenitors, and the host environments in which they are thought to be produced.

FLARES IN LONG AND SHORT GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

The many similarities between the prompt emission pulses in gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and X-ray flares during the fast decay and afterglow phases of GRBs suggest a common origin. In the cannonball (CB) model of GRBs, this common origin is mass accretion episodes of fall-back matter on a newly born compact object. The prompt emission pulses are produced by a bipolar jet of highly relativistic plasmoids (CBs) ejected in the early, major episodes of mass accretion. As the accretion material is consumed, one may expect the engine's activity to weaken. X-ray flares ending the prompt emission and during the afterglow phase are produced in such delayed episodes of mass accretion. The common engine, environment and radiation mechanisms (inverse Compton scattering and synchrotron radiation) produce their observed similarities. Flares in both long GRBs and short hard gamma ray bursts (SHBs) can also be produced by bipolar ejections of CBs following a phase transition in compact objects due to loss of angular momentum and/or cooling. Optical flares, however, are mostly produced in collisions of CBs with massive stellar winds/ejecta or with density bumps along their path. In this paper we show that the master formulae of the CB model of GRBs and SHBs, which reproduce very well their prompt emission pulses and their smooth afterglows, seem to reproduce also very well the lightcurves and spectral evolution of the prominent X-ray and optical flares that are well sampled.

WIDE ANGLE X-RAY SKY MONITORING FOR CORROBORATING NON-ELECTROMAGNETIC COSMIC TRANSIENTS

Gravitational waves (GW) can be emitted from coalescing neutron star (NS) and black hole-neutron star (BH-NS) binaries, which are thought to be the sources of short hard gamma ray bursts (SHBs). The gamma ray fireballs seem to be beamed into a small solid angle and therefore only a fraction of detectable GW events is expected to be observationally coincident with SHBs. Similarly ultrahigh energy (UHE) neutrino signals associated with gamma ray bursts (GRBs) could fail to be corroborated by prompt gamma-ray emission if the latter is beamed in a narrower cone than the neutrinos. Alternative ways to corroborate non-electromagnetic signals from coalescing neutron stars are therefore all the more desirable. It is noted here that the extended X-ray tails (XRT) of SHBs are similar to X-ray flashes (XRFs), and that both can be attributed to an off-axis line of sight and thus span a larger solid angle than the hard emission. It is proposed that a higher fraction of detectable GW events may be coincident with XRF/XRT than with hard gamma-rays, thereby enhancing the possibility to detect it as a GW or neutrino source. Scattered gamma-rays, which may subtend a much larger solid angle that the primary gamma ray jet, are also candidates for corroborating non-electromagnetic signals.

SHORT HARD GAMMA-RAY BURSTS AND THEIR AFTERGLOWS

Long duration gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and X-ray flashes (XRFs) are produced by highly- relativistic jets ejected in core-collapse supernova explosions. The origin of short hard gamma-ray bursts (SHBs) has not been established. They may be produced by highly relativistic jets ejected in various processes: mergers of compact stellar objects; large-mass accretion episodes onto compact stars in close binaries or onto intermediate-mass black holes in dense stellar regions; phase transition of compact stars. Natural environments of such events are the dense cores of globular clusters, superstar clusters and young supernova remnants. We have used the cannonball model of GRBs to analyze all Swift SHBs with a well-sampled X-ray afterglow. We show that their prompt gamma-ray emission can be explained by inverse Compton scattering (ICS) of the progenitor's glory light, and their extended soft emission component by ICS of high density light or synchrotron radiation (SR) in a high density interstellar medium within the cluster. The mechanism generating the afterglow is synchrotron radiation outside the cluster. No associated supernova could be detected in the low luminosity nearby GRBs 060614 and 060505. We interpret them as SHBs seen relatively far off axis.

Different progenitors of short hard gamma-ray bursts

Abstract We consider the spatial offsets of short hard gamma-ray bursts (SHBs) from their host galaxies. We show that all SHBs with extended-duration soft emission components lie very close to their hosts. We suggest that neutron star–black hole binary mergers offer a natural explanation for the properties of this extended-duration/low-offset group. SHBs with large offsets have no observed extended emission components and are less likely to have an optically detected afterglow, properties consistent with neutron star–neutron star binary mergers occurring in low-density environments.

Implications for the Origin of GRB 070201 from LIGO Observations

We analyzed the available LIGO data coincident with GRB 070201, a short duration hard spectrum gamma-ray burst whose electromagnetically determined sky position is coincident with the spiral arms of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). Possible progenitors of such short hard GRBs include mergers of neutron stars or a neutron star and black hole, or soft gamma-ray repeater (SGR) flares. These events can be accompanied by gravitational-wave emission. No plausible gravitational wave candidates were found within a 180 s long window around the time of GRB 070201. This result implies that a compact binary progenitor of GRB 070201, with masses in the range 1 M_sun 99% confidence. Indeed, if GRB 070201 were caused by a binary neutron star merger, we find that D < 3.5 Mpc is excluded, assuming random inclination, at 90% confidence. The result also implies that an unmodeled gravitational wave burst from GRB 070201 most probably emitted less than 4.4 x 10^(-4) M_sun c^2 (7.9 x 10^(50) ergs) in any 100 ms long period within the signal region if the source was in M31 and radiated isotropically at the same frequency as LIGO's peak sensitivity (f ~ 150 Hz). This upper limit does not exclude current models of SGRs at the M31 distance.