Observation of X-ray lines from a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB991216): Evidence of Moving Ejecta from the Progenitor

L. Piro; G. Garmire; M. Garcia; G. Stratta; E. Costa; M. Feroci; P. Meszaros; M. Vietri; H. Bradt; D. Frail; F. Frontera; J. Halpern; J. Heise; K. Hurley; N. Kawai; R. M. Kippen; F. Marshall; T. Murakami; V. V. Sokolov; T. Takeshima; A. Yoshida

doi:10.1126/science.290.5493.955

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arXiv · astro-ph/0011337

Observation of X-ray lines from a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB991216): Evidence of Moving Ejecta from the Progenitor

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Abstract

We report on the discovery of two emission features observed in the X-ray spectrum of the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) of 16 Dec. 1999 by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. These features are identified with the Ly$_α$ line and the narrow recombination continuum by hydrogenic ions of iron at a redshift $z=1.00\pm0.02$, providing an unambiguous measurement of the distance of a GRB. Line width and intensity imply that the progenitor of the GRB was a massive star system that ejected, before the GRB event, $\approx 0.01 \Ms$ of iron at a velocity $\approx 0.1 c$, probably by a supernova explosion.

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L. Piro, G. Garmire, M. Garcia, G. Stratta, E. Costa, M. Feroci, P. Meszaros, M. Vietri, H. Bradt, D. Frail, F. Frontera, J. Halpern, J. Heise, K. Hurley, N. Kawai, R. M. Kippen, F. Marshall, T. Murakami, V. V. Sokolov, T. Takeshima, A. Yoshida. 2000-11-17. Observation of X-ray lines from a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB991216): Evidence of Moving Ejecta from the Progenitor. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.290.5493.955

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