Early time optical polarization of GRB Afterglows: GRB 060418 and GRB 090102

I. A. Steele; C. G. Mundell; R. J. Smith; S. Kobayashi; C. Guidorzi

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arXiv · 0912.3391

Early time optical polarization of GRB Afterglows: GRB 060418 and GRB 090102

I. A. Steele·C. G. Mundell·R. J. Smith·S. Kobayashi·C. Guidorzi

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Abstract

RINGO on the Liverpool Telescope has now measured the optical polarization of GRB 060418 (where a 2 sigma upper limit of P<8% was determined) and GRB 090102 (when a detection of P = 10 +/-1 % was made). We discuss the implications of these observations for the various competing models of GRB jet magnetization and describe a possible unified model that can explain both measurements.

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I. A. Steele, C. G. Mundell, R. J. Smith, S. Kobayashi, C. Guidorzi. 2009-12-17. Early time optical polarization of GRB Afterglows: GRB 060418 and GRB 090102. https://arxiv.org/abs/0912.3391

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