arXiv subjects

D. Kocevski

Publications and source records attributed to D. Kocevski.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Spectral analysis of Fermi-LAT gamma-ray bursts with known redshift and their potential use as cosmological standard candles

Long duration Gamma-Ray Bursts (LGRBs) may serve as standard candles to constrain cosmological parameters by probing the Hubble diagram well beyond the range of redshift currently accessible using type-Ia supernovae. The standardization of GRBs is based on phenomenological relations between two or more parameters found from spectral modeling, of which one is strongly dependent on the cosmological model. The Amati relation links the source-frame energy ${E_{\mathrm{i,p}}}$ at which the prompt gamma-ray spectral energy distribution $νF_ν$ peaks, and the isotropic-equivalent bolometric energy ${E_{\mathrm{iso}}}$ emitted during the prompt phase. We performed spectral analysis of 26 GRBs with known redshift that have been detected by the Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) during its nine years of operations from July 2008 to September 2017, thus extending the computation of ${E_{\mathrm{iso}}}$ to the 100 MeV range. Multiple components are required to fit the spectra of a number of GRBs. We found that the Amati relation is satisfied by the 25 LGRBs, with best fit parameters similar to previous studies that used data from different satellite experiments, while the only short GRB with known redshift is an outlier. Using the Amati relation we extend the Hubble diagram to redshift 4.35 and constrain the Hubble constant and dark-energy density in the $Λ$CDM model, with Fermi-LAT GRBs alone and together with another sample of 94 GRBs and with the latest Supernovae type-Ia data. Our results are consistent with the currently acceptable ranges of those cosmological parameters within errors.

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arXiv2019

Probing Blazar Emission Processes with Optical/Gamma-ray Flare Correlations

Even with several thousand {\it Fermi}-LAT blazar detections, the $γ$-ray emission mechanism is poorly understood. We explore correlated optical/$γ$-ray flux variations for 178 {\it Fermi}-LAT blazars regularly monitored by KAIT, SMARTS, and the Steward Observatory. Out of the 178 sources, 121 show a measurable ($>1σ$) discrete correlation function peak. Using the derived time-lags and Bayesian block light-curve decompositions, we measure the fraction of common and orphan flares between the two bands. After accounting for sampling and sensitivity limitations we quantify for the first time the true orphan flare rates of optical and $γ$-ray flares: 54.5\% of optical and 20\% of $γ$-ray flares are orphan events. Both the intraband temporal relation and the small orphan $γ$-ray flare fraction point toward leptonic processes as the likely mechanism for the high-energy emission. Motivated to discriminate between synchrotron self-Compton and external-Compton dominance in individual sources, we use the flux-flux variations to determine the slope $m$ of the ${\rm log}\,f_{\rm opt} - {\rm log}\,f_γ$ dependence. The slope distribution suggests a bimodal population with high and intermediate synchrotron-peak objects showing larger $m$ than low synchrotron-peak objects. We find that $m$ is naturally decreased through pollution from the orphan (typically optical) flares and develop a method to statistically recover, given the sources' measured orphan flare rate, the intrinsic $m$. While source classes show composite behavior, the majority of BL Lac objects favor $m=2$, indicating a synchrotron self-Compton origin for the $γ$-rays. No preference for either $m$ is found in flat spectrum radio quasars.

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arXiv2019

Fermi GBM GRBs with characteristics similar to GRB 170817A

We present a search for gamma-ray bursts in the Fermi-GBM 10 year catalog that show similar characteristics to GRB 170817A, the first electromagnetic counterpart to a GRB identified as a binary neutron star (BNS) merger via gravitational wave observations. Our search is focused on a non-thermal pulse, followed by a thermal component, as observed for GRB 170817A. We employ search methods based on the measured catalog parameters and Bayesian Block analysis. Our multi-pronged approach, which includes examination of the localization and spectral properties of the thermal component, yields a total of 13 candidates, including GRB 170817A and the previously reported similar burst, GRB 150101B. The similarity of the candidates is likely caused by the same processes that shaped the gamma-ray signal of GRB 170817A, thus providing evidence of a nearby sample of short GRBs resulting from BNS merger events. Some of the newly identfied counterparts were observed by other space telescopes and ground observatories, but none of them have a measured redshift. We present an analysis of this sub-sample, and we discuss two models. From uncovering 13 candidates during a time period of ten years we predict that Fermi-GBM will trigger on-board on about one burst similar to GRB 170817A per year.

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arXiv2018

Fermi GBM Observations of GRB 150101B: A Second Nearby Event with a Short Hard Spike and a Soft Tail

In light of the joint multimessenger detection of a binary neutron star merger as the gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A and in gravitational waves as GW170817, we reanalyze the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor data of one of the closest short gamma-ray bursts: GRB 150101B. We find this burst is composed of a short hard spike followed by a comparatively long soft tail. This apparent two-component nature is phenomenologically similar to that of GRB 170817A. While GRB 170817A was distinct from the previously known population of short gamma-ray bursts in terms of its prompt intrinsic energetics, GRB 150101B is not. Despite these differences, GRB 150101B can be modeled as a more on-axis version of GRB 170817A. Identifying a similar signature in two of the closest short gamma-ray bursts suggests the soft tail is common, but generally undetectable in more distant events. If so, it will be possible to identify nearby short gamma-ray bursts from the prompt gamma-ray emission alone, aiding the search for kilonovae.

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arXiv2018

Analysis of Sub-threshold Short Gamma-ray Bursts in Fermi GBM Data

The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) is currently the most prolific detector of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Recently the detection rate of short GRBs (SGRBs) has been dramatically increased through the use of ground-based searches that analyze GBM continuous time tagged event (CTTE) data. Here we examine the efficiency of a method developed to search CTTE data for sub-threshold transient events in temporal coincidence with LIGO/Virgo compact binary coalescence triggers. This targeted search operates by coherently combining data from all 14 GBM detectors by taking into account the complex spatial and energy dependent response of each detector. We use the method to examine a sample of SGRBs that were independently detected by the Burst Alert Telescope on board the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, but which were too intrinsically weak or viewed with unfavorable instrument geometry to initiate an on-board trigger of GBM. We find that the search can successfully recover a majority of the BAT detected sample in the CTTE data. We show that the targeted search of CTTE data will be crucial in increasing the GBM sensitivity, and hence the gamma-ray horizon, to weak events such as GRB 170817A. We also examine the properties of the GBM signal possibly associated with the LIGO detection of GW150914 and show that it is consistent with the observed properties of other sub-threshold SGRBs in our sample. We find that the targeted search is capable of recovering true astrophysical signals as weak as the signal associated with GW150914 in the untriggered data.

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arXiv2018

Gamma-ray burst models in light of the GRB 170817A - GW170817 connection

For the first time, a short gamma-ray burst (GRB) was unambiguously associated with a gravitational wave (GW) observation from a binary neutron star (NS) merger. This allows us to link the details of the central engine properties to GRB emission models. We find that photospheric models (both dissipative and non-dissipative variants) have difficulties accounting for the observations. Internal shocks give the most natural account of the observed peak energy, viewing angle and total energy. We also show that a simple external shock model can reproduce the observed GRB pulse with parameters consistent with those derived from the afterglow modeling. We find a simple cocoon shock breakout model is in mild tension with the observed spectral evolution, however it cannot be excluded based on gamma-ray data alone. Future joint observations of brighter GRBs will pose even tighter constraints on prompt emission models.

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arXiv2018

On the interpretation of the Fermi GBM transient observed in coincidence with LIGO Gravitational Wave Event GW150914

The weak transient detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) 0.4 s after GW150914 has generated much speculation regarding its possible association with the black-hole binary merger. Investigation of the GBM data by Connaughton et al. (2016) revealed a source location consistent with GW150914 and a spectrum consistent with a weak, short Gamma-Ray Burst. Greiner et al. (2016) present an alternative technique for fitting background-limited data in the low-count regime, and call into question the spectral analysis and the significance of the detection of GW150914-GBM presented in Connaughton et al. (2016). The spectral analysis of Connaughton et al. (2016) is not subject to the limitations of the low-count regime noted by Greiner et al. (2016). We find Greiner et al. (2016) used an inconsistent source position and did not follow the steps taken in Connaughton et al. (2016) to mitigate the statistical shortcomings of their software when analyzing this weak event. We use the approach of Greiner et al. (2016) to verify that our original spectral analysis is not biased. The detection significance of GW150914-GBM is established empirically, with a False Alarm Rate (FAR) of $\sim 10^{-4}$~Hz. A post-trials False Alarm Probability (FAP) of $2.2 \times 10^{-3}$ ($2.9 σ$) of this transient being associated with GW150914 is based on the proximity in time to the GW event of a transient with that FAR. The FAR and the FAP are unaffected by the spectral analysis that is the focus of Greiner et al. (2016).

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arXiv2017

Evidence for Merger-Driven Growth in Luminous, High-z, Obscured AGN in the CANDELS/COSMOS Field

While major mergers have long been proposed as a driver of both AGN activity and the M-sigma relation, studies of moderate to high redshift Seyfert-luminosity AGN hosts have found little evidence for enhanced rates of interactions. However, both theory and observation suggest that while these AGN may be fueled by stochastic accretion and secular processes, high-luminosity, high-redshift, and heavily obscured AGN are the AGN most likely to be merger-driven. To better sample this population of AGN, we turn to infrared selection in the CANDELS/COSMOS field. Compared to their lower-luminosity and less obscured X-ray-only counterparts, IR-only AGN (luminous, heavily obscured AGN) are more likely to be classified as either irregular (50$^{+12}_{-12}$% vs. 9$^{+5}_{-2}$%) or asymmetric (69$^{+9}_{-13}$% vs. 17$^{+6}_{-4}$%) and are less likely to have a spheroidal component (31$^{+13}_{-9}$% vs. 77$^{+4}_{-6}$%). Furthermore, IR-only AGN are also significantly more likely than X-ray-only AGN (75$^{+8}_{-13}$% vs. 31$^{+6}_{-6}$%) to be classified either as interacting or merging in a way that significantly disturbs the host galaxy or disturbed though not clearly interacting or merging, which potentially represents the late stages of a major merger. This suggests that while major mergers may not contribute significantly to the fueling of Seyfert luminosity AGN, interactions appear to play a more dominant role in the triggering and fueling of high-luminosity heavily obscured AGN.

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arXiv2017

An Ordinary Short Gamma-Ray Burst with Extraordinary Implications: Fermi-GBM Detection of GRB 170817A

On August 17, 2017 at 12:41:06 UTC the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) detected and triggered on the short gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A. Approximately 1.7 s prior to this GRB, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) triggered on a binary compact merger candidate associated with the GRB. This is the first unambiguous coincident observation of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation from a single astrophysical source and marks the start of gravitational-wave multi-messenger astronomy. We report the GBM observations and analysis of this ordinary short GRB, which extraordinarily confirms that at least some short GRBs are produced by binary compact mergers.

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arXiv2017

The second catalog of flaring gamma-ray sources from the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis

We present the second catalog of flaring gamma-ray sources (2FAV) detected with the Fermi All-sky Variability Analysis (FAVA), a tool that blindly searches for transients over the entire sky observed by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the \textit{Fermi} Gamma-ray Space Telescope. With respect to the first FAVA catalog, this catalog benefits from a larger data set, the latest LAT data release (Pass 8), as well as from an improved analysis that includes likelihood techniques for a more precise localization of the transients. Applying this analysis on the first 7.4 years of \textit{Fermi} observations, and in two separate energy bands 0.1$-$0.8 GeV and 0.8$-$300 GeV, a total of 4547 flares has been detected with a significance greater than $6σ$ (before trials), on the time scale of one week. Through spatial clustering of these flares, 518 variable gamma-ray sources are identified. Likely counterparts, based on positional coincidence, have been found for 441 sources, mostly among the blazar class of active galactic nuclei. For 77 2FAV sources, no likely gamma-ray counterpart has been found. For each source in the catalog, we provide the time, location, and spectrum of each flaring episode. Studying the spectra of the flares, we observe a harder-when-brighter behavior for flares associated with blazars, with the exception of BL Lac flares detected in the low-energy band. The photon indexes of the flares are never significantly smaller than 1.5. For a leptonic model, and under the assumption of isotropy, this limit suggests that the spectrum of the freshly accelerated electrons is never harder than $p\sim$2.

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arXiv2016

CANDELS Multiwavelength Catalogs: Source Identification and Photometry in the CANDELS COSMOS Survey Field

We present a multi-wavelength photometric catalog in the COSMOS field as part of the observations by the Cosmic Assembly Near-infrared Deep Extragalactic Legacy Survey (CANDELS). The catalog is based on Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Camera 3 (HST/WFC3) and Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) observations of the COSMOS field (centered at RA: $10^h00^m28^s$, Dec:$+02^{\circ}12^{\prime}21^{\prime\prime}$). The final catalog has 38671 sources with photometric data in forty two bands from UV to the infrared ($\rm \sim 0.3-8\,μm$). This includes broad-band photometry from the HST, CFHT, Subaru, VISTA and Spitzer Space Telescope in the visible, near infrared and infrared bands along with intermediate and narrow-band photometry from Subaru and medium band data from Mayall NEWFIRM. Source detection was conducted in the WFC3 F160W band (at $\rm 1.6\,μm$) and photometry is generated using the Template FITting algorithm. We further present a catalog of the physical properties of sources as identified in the HST F160W band and measured from the multi-band photometry by fitting the observed spectral energy distributions of sources against templates.

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arXiv2016

New Constraints on Spatial Variations of the Fine Structure Constant from Clusters of Galaxies

We have constrained the spatial variation of the fine structure constant using multi-frequency measurements of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect of 618 X-ray selected clusters. Although our results are not competitive with the ones from quasar absorption lines, we improved by a factor 10 and ~2.5 previous results from Cosmic Microwave Background power spectrum and from galaxy clusters, respectively.

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arXiv2016

Constraining spatial variations of the fine structure constant using clusters of galaxies and Planck data

We propose an improved methodology to constrain spatial variations of the fine structure constant using clusters of galaxies. We use the {\it Planck} 2013 data to measure the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect at the location of 618 X-ray selected clusters. We then use a Monte Carlo Markov Chain algorithm to obtain the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background at the location of each galaxy cluster. When fitting three different phenomenological parameterizations allowing for monopole and dipole amplitudes in the value of the fine structure constant we improve the results of earlier analysis involving clusters and the CMB power spectrum, and we also found that the best-fit direction of a hypothetical dipole is compatible with the direction of other known anomalies. Although the constraining power of our current datasets do not allow us to test the indications of a fine-structure constant dipole obtained though high-resolution optical/UV spectroscopy, our results do highlight that clusters of galaxies will be a very powerful tool to probe fundamental physics at low redshift.

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arXiv2016

X-Ray Emitting Active Galactic Nuclei from z = 0.6-1.3 in the Intermediate and High-Density Environments of the ORELSE Survey

We studied AGN activity in twelve LSSs in the ORELSE survey, at 0.65<z<1.28, using a combination of Chandra observations, optical and NIR imaging and spectroscopy. We located a total of 61 AGNs across our sample that were successfully matched to optical counterparts in the LSSs. Seeking to study AGN triggering mechanisms, we examined the spatial distribution of the AGNs and their average spectral properties. We found that AGN populations across our sample had less time since the last starburst than the overall galaxy populations. We did not find any relation between AGN activity and location within the LSSs, suggesting triggering mechanisms which depend on global environment are at most sub-dominant. To focus on differences between our AGNs, we grouped them into four sub-samples based on the spectral properties of their parents LSSs. We found one of the sub-samples, SG0023 & SC1604, stood out from the others: AGNs in this sample were disproportionately luminous, their average time since the last starburst event was the smallest, despite the fact that this was not true of the overall galaxy population in those LSSs, and both the AGNs and the overall galaxy population had the largest fraction of close kinematic pairs, which indicates a higher rate of galaxy mergers and interactions. These results suggest that major mergers are driving AGN activity in SG0023 & SC1604, while other processes are likely triggering less luminous AGNs in the rest of our sample. Additionally, minor mergers are unlikely to play a significant role, since the same conditions that lead to more major mergers should should also lead to more minor mergers, which is not observed in SG0023 & SC1604.

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arXiv2016

Searching the Gamma-ray Sky for Counterparts to Gravitational Wave Sources: Fermi GBM and LAT Observations of LVT151012 and GW151226

We present the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and Large Area Telescope (LAT) observations of the LIGO binary black hole merger event GW151226 and candi- date LVT151012. No candidate electromagnetic counterparts were detected by either the GBM or LAT. We present a detailed analysis of the GBM and LAT data over a range of timescales from seconds to years, using automated pipelines and new techniques for char- acterizing the upper limits across a large area of the sky. Due to the partial GBM and LAT coverage of the large LIGO localization regions at the trigger times for both events, dif- ferences in source distances and masses, as well as the uncertain degree to which emission from these sources could be beamed, these non-detections cannot be used to constrain the variety of theoretical models recently applied to explain the candidate GBM counterpart to GW150914.

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arXiv2016

A Correlation Between the Intrinsic Brightness and Average Decay Rate of Gamma-ray Burst X-ray Afterglow Light Curves

We present a correlation between the average temporal decay (αX,avg,>200s) and early-time luminosity (LX,200s) of X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts as observed by Swift-XRT. Both quantities are measured relative to a rest frame time of 200 s after the γ-ray trigger. The luminosity average decay correlation does not depend on specific temporal behavior and contains one scale independent quantity minimizing the role of selection effects. This is a complementary correlation to that discovered by Oates et al. (2012) in the optical light curves observed by Swift-UVOT. The correlation indicates that on average, more luminous X-ray afterglows decay faster than less luminous ones, indicating some relative mechanism for energy dissipation. The X-ray and optical correlations are entirely consistent once corrections are applied and contamination is removed. We explore the possible biases introduced by different light curve morphologies and observational selection effects, and how either geometrical effects or intrinsic properties of the central engine and jet could explain the observed correlation.

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arXiv2016

NuSTAR, Swift, and GROND observations of the flaring MeV blazar: PMN J0641$-$0320

MeV blazars are a sub--population of the blazar family, exhibiting larger--than--average jet powers, accretion luminosities and black hole masses. Because of their extremely hard X--ray continua, these objects are best studied in the X-ray domain. Here, we report on the discovery by the $Fermi$ Large Area Telescope and subsequent follow-up observations with $NuSTAR$, $Swift$ and GROND of a new member of the MeV blazar family: PMN J0641$-$0320. Our optical spectroscopy provides confirmation that this is a flat--spectrum radio quasar located at a redshift of $z=1.196$. Its very hard $NuSTAR$ spectrum (power--law photon index of $\sim$1 up to $\sim$80 keV) indicates that the emission is produced via inverse Compton scattering off photons coming from outside the jet.The overall spectral energy distribution of PMN J0641$-$0320 is typical of powerful blazars and by reproducing it with a simple one-zone leptonic emission model we find the emission region to be located either inside the broad line region or within the dusty torus.

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arXiv2015

A catalog of visual-like morphologies in the 5 CANDELS fields using deep-learning

We present a catalog of visual like H-band morphologies of $\sim50.000$ galaxies ($H_{f160w}<24.5$) in the 5 CANDELS fields (GOODS-N, GOODS-S, UDS, EGS and COSMOS). Morphologies are estimated with Convolutional Neural Networks (ConvNets). The median redshift of the sample is $ \sim1.25$. The algorithm is trained on GOODS-S for which visual classifications are publicly available and then applied to the other 4 fields. Following the CANDELS main morphology classification scheme, our model retrieves the probabilities for each galaxy of having a spheroid, a disk, presenting an irregularity, being compact or point source and being unclassifiable. ConvNets are able to predict the fractions of votes given a galaxy image with zero bias and $\sim10\%$ scatter. The fraction of miss-classifications is less than $1\%$. Our classification scheme represents a major improvement with respect to CAS (Concentration-Asymmetry-Smoothness)-based methods, which hit a $20-30\%$ contamination limit at high z. The catalog is released with the present paper via the $\href{http://rainbowx.fis.ucm.es/Rainbow_navigator_public}{Rainbow\,database}$

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