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I. Gorbunov

Publications and source records attributed to I. Gorbunov.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

Three-stage Collapse of the Long Gamma-Ray Burst from GRB 160625B Prompt Multiwavelength Observations

This article presents the early results of synchronous multiwavelength observations of one of the brightest gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) GRB 160625B with the detailed continuous fast optical photometry of its optical counterpart obtained by MASTER and with hard X-ray and gamma-ray emission, obtained by the Lomonosov and Konus-Wind spacecraft. The detailed photometry led us to detect the quasi-periodical emission components in the intrinsic optical emission. As a result of our analysis of synchronous multiwavelength observations, we propose a three-stage collapse scenario for this long and bright GRB. We suggest that quasiperiodic fluctuations may be associated with forced precession of a self-gravitating rapidly rotating superdense body (spinar), whose evolution is determined by a powerful magnetic field. The spinar's mass allows it to collapse into a black hole at the end of evolution.

astro-ph.HE

The early afterglow of GRB 190829A

GRB 190829A at z=0.0785 is the fourth closest long GRB ever detected by the Neil Gehrels Swift observatory, and the third confirmed case with a very high energy component. We present our multi-wavelength analysis of this rare event, focusing on its early stages of evolution, and including data from Swift, the MASTER global network of optical telescopes, ALMA, and ATCA. We report sensitive limits on the linear polarization of the optical emission, disfavouring models of off-axis jets to explain the delayed afterglow peak. The study of the multi-wavelength light curves and broadband spectra supports a model with at least two emission components: a bright reverse shock emission, visible at early times in the optical and X-rays and, later, in the radio band; and a forward shock component dominating at later times and lower radio frequencies. A combined study of the prompt and afterglow properties shows many similarities with cosmological long GRBs, suggesting that GRB 190829A is an example of classical GRBs in the nearby universe.

astro-ph.HE

Spectropolarimetry and photometry of the early afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB191221B

We report on results of spectropolarimetry of the afterglow of the long gamma-ray burst GRB 191221B, obtained with SALT/RSS and VLT/FORS2, as well as photometry from two telescopes in the MASTER Global Robotic Network, at the MASTER-SAAO (South Africa) and MASTER-OAFA (Argentina) stations. Prompt optical emission was detected by MASTER-SAAO 38 s after the alert, which dimmed from a magnitude (white-light) of ~10 to 16.2 mag over a period of ~10 ks, followed by a plateau phase lasting ~10 ks and then a decline to ~18 mag after 80 ks. The light curve shows complex structure, with four or five distinct breaks in the power-law decline rate. SALT/RSS linear spectropolarimetry of the afterglow began ~2.9 h after the burst, during the early part of the plateau phase of the light curve. Absorption lines seen at ~6010 Å and 5490 Å are identified with the Mg II 2799 Å line from the host galaxy at z=1.15 and an intervening system located at z=0.96. The mean linear polarisation measured over 3400-8000 Å was ~1.5% and the mean equatorial position angle theta ~65 degrees. VLT/FORS2 spectropolarimetry was obtained ~10 h post-burst, during a period of slow decline (alpha = -0.44), and the polarisation was measured to be p = 1.2% and theta = 60 degrees. Two observations with the MeerKAT radio telescope, taken 30 and 444 days after the GRB trigger, detected radio emission from the host galaxy only. We interpret the light curve and polarisation of this long GRB in terms of a slow-cooling forward-shock.

astro-ph.HE

Optical Observations Reveal Strong Evidence for High Energy Neutrino Progenitor

We present the earliest astronomical observation of a high energy neutrino error box in which its variability was discovered after high-energy neutrinos detection. The one robotic telescope of the MASTER global international network (Lipunov et al. 2010) automatically imaged the error box of the very high-energy neutrino event IceCube-170922A. Observations were carried out in minute after the IceCube-170922A neutrino event was detected by the IceCube observatory at the South Pole. MASTER found the blazar TXS 0506+056 to be in the off-state after one minute and then switched to the on-state no later than two hours after the event. The effect is observed at a 50-sigma significance level. Also we present own unique 16-years light curve of blazar TXS 0506+056 (518 data set).

astro-ph.HE

Multiwavelength observations of GRB 140629A. A long burst with an achromatic jet break in the optical and X-ray afterglow

We investigate the long GRB140629A through multiwavelength observations, which cover optical, infrared and X-rays between 40s and 3yr after the burst, to derive the properties of the dominant jet and its host galaxy. Polarisation observations by the MASTER telescope indicate that this burst is weakly polarised. The optical spectrum contains absorption features, from which we confirm the redshift of the GRB as originating at z=2.276. We performed spectral fitting of the X-rays to optical afterglow data and find there is no strong spectral evolution. We determine the hydrogen column density to be 7.2x10^21cm^-2 along the line of sight. The afterglow in this burst can be explained by a blast wave jet with a long-lasting central engine expanding into a uniform medium in the slow cooling regime. At the end of energy injection, a normal decay phase is observed in both the optical and X-ray bands. An achromatic jet break is also found in the afterglow light curves 0.4d after trigger. We fit the multiwavelength data simultaneously with a model based on a numerical simulation and find that the observations can be explained by a narrow uniform jet in a dense environment with an opening angle of 6.7deg viewed 3.8deg off-axis, which released a total energy of 1.4x10^54erg. Using the redshift and opening angle, we find GRB 140629A follows both the Ghirlanda and Amati relations. From the peak time of the light curve, identified as the onset of the forward shock (181s after trigger), the initial Lorentz factor is constrained in the range 82-118. Fitting the host galaxy photometry, we find the host to be a low mass, star-forming galaxy with a star formation rate of logSFR=1.1^+0.9_-0.4Myr^-1. We obtain a value of the neutral hydrogen density by fitting the optical spectrum, logN(HI)=21.0+-0.3, classifying this host as a damped Lyman-alpha. High ionisation lines are also detected in the spectrum.

astro-ph.HE

MASTER optical detection of the first LIGO/Virgo neutron stars merging GW170817

Following the reported discovery of the gravitational-wave pulse GW170817/ G298048 by three LIGO/Virgo antennae (Abbott et al., 2017a), the MASTER Global Robotic Net telescopes obtained the first image of the NGC 4993 galaxy after the NS+NS merging. The optical transient MASTER OTJ130948.10-232253.3/SSS17a was later found, which appears to be a kilonova resulting from a merger of two neutron stars. In this paper we report the independent detection and photometry of the kilonova made in white light and in B, V, and R filters. We note that luminosity of the discovered kilonova NGC 4993 is very close to another possible kilonova proposed early GRB 130603 and GRB 080503.

astro-ph.HE

MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1/M31LRN 2015 Luminous Red Nova in M31: Discovery, Light Curve, Hydrodynamics, Evolution

We report the discovery and multicolor (VRIW) photometry of a rare explosive star MASTER OT J004207.99+405501.1 - a luminous red nova - in the Andromeda galaxy M31N2015-01a. We use our original light curve acquired with identical MASTER Global Robotic Net telescopes in one photometric system: VRI during first 30 days and W (unfiltered) during 70 days. Also we added publishied multicolor photometry data to estimate the mass and energy of the ejected shell, and discuss the likely formation scenarios of outbursts of this type. We propose the interpretation of the explosion, that is consistent with the evolutionary scenario where star merger is a natural stage of the evolution of close-mass stars and may serve as an extra channel for the formation of nova outbursts.

astro-ph.HE

Night-sky brightness and extinction at Mt. Shatdzhatmaz

The photometric sky quality of Mt. Shatdzhatmaz, the site of Sternberg Astronomical Institute Caucasian Observatory 2.5 m telescope, is characterized here by the statistics of the night-time sky brightness and extinction. The data were obtained as a by-product of atmospheric optical turbulence measurements with the MASS (Multi-Aperture Scintillation Sensor) device conducted in 2007--2013. The factors biasing night-sky brightness measurements are considered and a technique to reduce their impact on the statistics is proposed. The single-band photometric estimations provided by MASS are easy to transform to the standard photometric bands. The median moonless night-sky brightness is 22.1, 21.1, 20.3, and 19.0 mag per square arcsec for the $B$, $V$, $R$, and $I$ spectral bands, respectively. The median extinction coefficients for the same photometric bands are 0.28, 0.17, 0.13, and 0.09 mag. The best atmospheric transparency is observed in winter.

astro-ph.IM

First Gravitational-Wave Burst GW150914: Part II. MASTER Optical Follow-Up Observations

The Advanced LIGO observatory recently reported the first direct detection of gravitational waves predicted by Einstein (1916). We report on the first optical observations of the Gravitational Wave (GW) source GW150914 error region with the Global MASTER Robotic Net. We detected several optical transients, which proved to be unconnected with the GW event. Our result is consistent with the assumption that gravitational waves were produced by a binary black hole merger. The detection of the event confirmed the main prediction of the population synthesis performed with the "Scenario Machine" formulated in Lipunov1997b.

astro-ph.HE

Resolved photometry of the binary components of RW Aur

Resolved UBVRI photometry of RW Aur binary was performed on November 13/14, 2014 during the deep dimming of RW Aur with a newly installed 2.5 meter telescope of the Caucasus observatory of Lomonosov Moscow State University at the mount Shatzhatmaz. At that moment RW Aur A was $\simeq 3^m$ fainter than in November 1994 in all spectral bands. We explain the current RW Aur A dimming as a result of eclipse of the star by dust particles with size $>1 μm.$ We found that RW Aur B is also a variable star: it was brighter than 20 years ago at $0.7^m$ in each of UBVRI band (gray brightening).

astro-ph.SR

Studies of aging and HV break down problems during development and operation of MSGC and GEM detectors for the Inner Tracking System of HERA-B

The results of five years of development of the inner tracking system of the HERA-B experiment and first experience from the data taking period of the year 2000 are reported. The system contains 184 chambers, covering a sensitive area of about 20 * 20 cm2 each. The detector is based on microstrip gas counters (MSGCs) with diamond like coated (DLC) glass wafers and gas electron multipliers (GEMs). The main problems in the development phase were gas discharges in intense hadron beams and aging in a high radiation dose environment. The observation of gas discharges which damage the electrode structure of the MSGC led to the addition of the GEM as a first amplification step. Spurious sparking at the GEM cannot be avoided completely. It does not affect the GEM itself but can produce secondary damage of the MSGC if the electric field between the GEM and the MSGC is above a threshold depending on operation conditions. We observed that aging does not only depend on the dose but also on the spot size of the irradiated area. Ar-DME mixtures had to be abandoned whereas a mixture of 70% Ar and 30% CO2 showed no serious aging effects up to about 40 mC/cm deposited charge on the anodes. X-ray measurements indicate that the DLC of the MSGC is deteriorated by the gas amplification process. As a consequence, long term gain variations are expected. The Inner Tracker has successfully participated in the data taking at HERA-B during summer 2000.

hep-ex