arXiv subjects

Daniele Malesani

Publications and source records attributed to Daniele Malesani.

26 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2009

GRB 060605: multi-wavelength analysis of the first GRB observed using integral field spectroscopy

The long and relatively faint gamma-ray burst GRB 060605 detected by \emph{Swift}/BAT lasted about 20 sec. Its afterglow could be observed with \emph{Swift}/XRT for nearly 1 day, while \emph{Swift}/UVOT could detect the afterglow during the first 6 hours after the event. Here, we report on integral field spectroscopy of its afterglow performed with PMAS/PPak mounted at the Calar Alto 3.5 m telescope. In addition, we report on a detailed analysis of XRT and UVOT data and on the results of deep late-time VLT observations that reveal the GRB host galaxy. We find that the burst occurred at a redshift of $z$=3.773, possibly associated with a faint, $R_C=26.4 \pm 0.3$ host. Based on the optical and X-ray data, we deduce information on the SED of the afterglow, the position of the cooling frequency in the SED, the nature of the circumburst environment, its collimation factor, and its energetics. We find that the GRB fireball was expanding into a constant-density medium and that the explosion was collimated with a narrow half-opening angle of about 2.4 degrees. The initial Lorentz factor of the fireball was about 250; however, its beaming-corrected energy release in the gamma-ray band was comparably low. The optical, X-ray afterglow, on the other hand, was rather luminous. Finally, we find that the data are consistent within the error bars with an achromatic evolution of the afterglow during the suspected jet break time at about 0.27 days after the burst.

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arXiv2007

Spatially resolved properties of the GRB 060505 host: implications for the nature of the progenitor

GRB 060505 was the first well-observed nearby possible long-duration GRB that had no associated supernova. Here we present spatially resolved spectra of the host galaxy of GRB 060505, an Sbc spiral, at redshift z=0.0889. The GRB occurred inside a star-forming region in the northern spiral arm at 6.5 kpc from the center. From the position of the emission lines, we determine a maximum rotational velocity for the galaxy of v~212km/s corresponding to a mass of 1.14x10^11 M_solar within 11 kpc from the center. By fitting single-age spectral synthesis models to the stellar continuum, we derive a very young age for the GRB site, confirmed by photometric and Halpha line measurements, of around 6 Myr which corresponds to the lifetime of a 32 M_solar star. The metallicity derived from several emission line measurements is lowest at the GRB site with 1/5 Z_solar but roughly solar in the rest of the galaxy. Using the 2dF galaxy redshift survey we can locate the host galaxy in its large scale (Mpc) environment. The galaxy lies in the foreground of a filamentary overdensity extending south west from the galaxy cluster Abell 3837 at z=0.0896. The properties of the GRB site are similar to those found for other long-duration GRB host galaxies with high specific star formation rate and low metallicity, which is an indication that GRB 060505 originated from a young massive star that died without making a supernova.

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arXiv2007

The GRB afterglow onset observed by REM: fireball Lorentz factor and afterglow fluence

We report observations of the early light curves of GRB 060418 and GRB 060607A, carried out with the pink robotic telescope REM. A clear peak is detected for both events, which is interpreted as the onset of the afterglow, that is the time at which the fireball starts decelerating. This detection allows to directly measure the initial fireball Lorentz factor, which was found to be Gamma_0 ~ 400 for both events, fully confirming the ultrarelativistic nature of gamma-ray burst fireballs. Sampling the light curve before the peak also allows to compute the bolometric fluence of the afterglow, which is 16% of the prompt one in the case of GRB 060418.

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arXiv2006

Swift XRT Observations of the Afterglow of XRF 050416A

Swift discovered XRF 050416A with the BAT and began observing it with its narrow field instruments only 64.5 s after the burst onset. Its very soft spectrum classifies this event as an X-ray flash. The afterglow X-ray emission was monitored up to 74 days after the burst. The X-ray light curve initially decays very fast, subsequently flattens and eventually steepens again, similar to many X-ray afterglows. The first and second phases end about 172 and 1450 s after the burst onset, respectively. We find evidence of spectral evolution from a softer emission with photon index Gamma ~ 3.0 during the initial steep decay, to a harder emission with Gamma ~ 2.0 during the following evolutionary phases. The spectra show intrinsic absorption in the host galaxy. The consistency of the initial photon index with the high energy BAT photon index suggests that the initial phase of the X-ray light curve may be the low-energy tail of the prompt emission. The lack of jet break signatures in the X-ray afterglow light curve is not consistent with empirical relations between the source rest-frame peak energy and the collimation-corrected energy of the burst. The standard uniform jet model can give a possible description of the XRF 050416A X-ray afterglow for an opening angle larger than a few tens of degrees, although numerical simulations show that the late time decay is slightly flatter than expected from on-axis viewing of a uniform jet. A structured Gaussian-type jet model with uniform Lorentz factor distribution and viewing angle outside the Gaussian core is another possibility, although a full agreement with data is not achieved with the numerical models explored.

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arXiv2006

Models for the Type Ic Hypernova SN 2003lw associated with GRB 031203

The Gamma-Ray Burst 031203 at a redshift z=0.1055 revealed a highly reddened Type Ic Supernova, SN 2003lw, in its afterglow light. This is the third well established case of a link between a long-duration GRB and a type Ic SN. The SN light curve is obtained subtracting the galaxy contribution and is modelled together with two spectra at near-maximum epochs. A red VLT grism 150I spectrum of the SN near peak is used to extend the spectral coverage, and in particular to constrain the uncertain reddening, the most likely value for which is E_{G+H}(B-V) about 1.07 +/- 0.05. Accounting for reddening, SN 2003lw is about 0.3 mag brighter than the prototypical GRB-SN 1998bw. Light curve models yield a 56Ni mass of about 0.55 solar mass. The optimal explosion model is somewhat more massive (ejecta mass about 13 solar mass) and energetic (kinetic energy about 6 times 10^52 erg) than the model for SN 1998bw, implying a massive progenitor (40 - 50 solar mass). The mass at high velocity is not very large (1.4 solar mass above 30000 km/s, but only 0.1 solar mass above 60000 km/s), but is sufficient to cause the observed broad lines. The similarity of SNe 2003lw and 1998bw and the weakness of their related GRBs, GRB031203 and GRB980425, suggest that both GRBs may be normal events viewed slightly off-axis or a weaker but possibly more frequent type of GRB.

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arXiv2005

Swift XRT and VLT Observations of the Afterglow of GRB 041223

The Swift Gamma-Ray Burst Explorer, launched on 2004 November 20, is a multiwavelength, autonomous, rapid-slewing observatory for gamma-ray burst (GRB) astronomy. On 2004 December 23, during the activation phase of the mission, the Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT) was pointed at a burst discovered earlier that day by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A fading, uncataloged X-ray source was discovered by the XRT and was observed over a period of about 3 hours, beginning 4.6 hours after the burst. The X-ray detection triggered a VLT observation of the optical/NIR counterpart, located about 1.1 arcseconds from the XRT position. The X-ray counterpart faded rapidly, with a power law index of -1.72 +/- 0.20. The average unabsorbed X-ray flux 4.6-7.9 hours after the burst was 6.5 x 10^{-12} erg cm^{-2} s^{-1} in the 0.5-10 keV band, for a power-law spectrum of photon index 2.02 +/- 0.13 with Galactic absorption. The NIR counterpart was observed at three epochs between 16 and 87 hours after the burst, and faded with a power-law index of -1.14 +/- 0.08 with a reddening-corrected SED power-law slope of -0.40 +/- 0.03. We find that the X-ray and NIR data are consistent with a two-component jet in a wind medium, with an early jet break in the narrow component and an underlying electron index of 1.8-2.0.

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arXiv2004

Gamma-Ray Bursts and Afterglow Polarisation

Polarimetry of Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) afterglows in the last few years has been considered one of the most effective tool to probe the geometry, energetic, dynamics and the environment of GRBs. We report some of the most recent results and discuss their implications and future perspectives.

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arXiv2003

Polarization of Gamma--Ray Burst Optical and Near-Infrared Afterglows

Gamma-Ray Burst afterglow polarization measurements, in spite of their intrinsic difficulties, have been carried out for a number of events that begins to be adequate to draw some general statistical conclusions. Although the presence of some degree of intrinsic polarization seems to be well established, there are still open problems regarding the polarization time evolution and the possible contribution of polarization induced by dust in the host galaxies.

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