1. Challenging gamma-ray burst models through the broadband dataset of GRB 060908
- Author
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Alberto Fernández-Soto, Giuseppe Cutispoto, Fabrizio Vitali, V. D'Elia, A. de Ugarte Postigo, S. D. Vergani, Luigi Stella, B. E. Cobb, P. Ward, K. Wiersema, Sergio Campana, Stefano Covino, D. Malesani, Keith Horne, A. Cucchiara, Lorenzo Amati, M. Brusasca, F. M. Zerbi, A. J. Castro-Tirado, D. A. Kann, Mauro Stefanon, Emilio Molinari, Vincenzo Testa, P. Goldoni, Elena Pian, Robert Chapman, C. Henriksen, E. Palazzi, Paolo Conconi, G. Malaspina, J. P. U. Fynbo, M. L. Conciatore, C. C. Thöne, L. A. Antonelli, G. Tosti, E. J. A. Meurs, M. Bremer, G. Tagliaferri, Luciano Nicastro, and Nial R. Tanvir
- Subjects
Physics ,non-thermal [Radiation mechanisms] ,Radiation mechanisms: non-thermal ,010308 nuclear & particles physics ,Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,individual: GRB 060908 [Gamma-ray burst] ,Gamma-ray burst: general ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics ,Astrophysics ,01 natural sciences ,Galaxy ,Afterglow ,general [Gamma-ray burst] ,Gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 060908 ,Space and Planetary Science ,0103 physical sciences ,Broadband ,Millimeter ,Gamma-ray burst ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Phenomenology (particle physics) ,Electron distribution - Abstract
11 páginas.-- El Pdf del artículo es la versión pre-print: arXiv:1007.4769v1.-- et al., [Context]: Multiwavelength observations of gamma-ray burst prompt and afterglow emission are a key tool to separate the various possible emission processes and scenarios proposed to interpret the complex gamma-ray burst phenomenology. [Aims]: We collected a large dataset on GRB 060908 in order to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the prompt emission as well as the early and late afterglow. [Methods]: Data from Swift-BAT, -XRT and -UVOT together with data from a number of different ground-based optical/near-infrared and millimeter telescopes allowed us to follow the afterglow evolution after about a minute from the high-energy event down to the host galaxy limit. We discuss the physical parameters required to model these emissions. [Results]: The prompt emission of GRB 060908 was characterised by two main periods of activity, spaced by a few seconds of low intensity, with a tight correlation between activity and spectral hardness. Observations of the afterglow began less than one minute after the high-energy event, when it was already in a decaying phase, and it was characterised by a rather flat optical/near-infrared spectrum which can be interpreted as due to a hard energy-distribution of the emitting electrons. On the other hand, the X-ray spectrum of the afterglow could be fit by a rather soft electron distribution. [Conclusions]: GRB 060908 is a good example of a gamma-ray burst with a rich multi-wavelength set of observations. The availability of this dataset, built thanks to the joint efforts of many different teams, allowed us to carry out stringent tests for various interpretative scenarios, showing that a satisfactorily modelling of this event is challenging. In the future, similar efforts will enable us to obtain optical/near-infrared coverage comparable in quality and quantity to the X-ray data for more events, therefore opening new avenues to progress gamma-ray burst research., The SMARTS project is supported by NSF-AST 0707627. AFS acknowledges support from the Spanish MICINN projects AYA2006-14056, Consolider-Ingenio 2007-32022, and from the Generalitat Valenciana project Prometeo 2008/132.
- Published
- 2010