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Evolution of the polarization of the optical afterglow of the γ-ray burst GRB030329

Greiner, Jochen and Sari, Re'em (2003) Evolution of the polarization of the optical afterglow of the γ-ray burst GRB030329. Nature, 426 (6963). pp. 157-159. ISSN 0028-0836. doi:10.1038/nature02077. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150326-091043609

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Abstract

The association of a supernova with GRB030329 strongly supports the 'collapsar' model of gamma-ray bursts, where a relativistic jet forms after the progenitor star collapses. Such jets cannot be spatially resolved because gamma-ray bursts lie at cosmological distances; their existence is instead inferred from 'breaks' in the light curves of the afterglows, and from the theoretical desire to reduce the estimated total energy of the burst by proposing that most of it comes out in narrow beams. Temporal evolution of the polarization of the afterglows may provide independent evidence for the jet structure of the relativistic outflow. Small-level polarization (~1–3 per cent) has been reported for a few bursts, but its temporal evolution has yet to be established. Here we report polarimetric observations of the afterglow of GRB030329. We establish the polarization light curve, detect sustained polarization at the per cent level, and find significant variability. The data imply that the afterglow magnetic field has a small coherence length and is mostly random, probably generated by turbulence, in contrast with the picture arising from the high polarization detected in the prompt gamma-rays from GRB021206 (ref. 18).


Item Type:Article
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URLURL TypeDescription
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature02077DOIArticle
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v426/n6963/full/nature02077.htmlPublisherArticle
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0311282arXivDiscussion Paper
http://rdcu.be/cpqmPublisherFree ReadCube access
ORCID:
AuthorORCID
Sari, Re'em0000-0002-1084-3656
Additional Information:© 2003 Nature Publishing Group. Received 16 July; accepted 30 September 2003. This work is primarily based on observations collected at ESO, Chile, with additional data obtained at the German-Spanish Astronomical Centre Calar Alto, operated by the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, jointly with the Spanish National Commission for Astronomy, the NOT on La Palma, Canary Islands, and the Observatorio Astronomico National, San Pedro, Mexico. We are grateful to the staff at the Paranal, Calar Alto and NOT observatories, in particular A. Aguirre, M. Alises, S. Hubrig, A. O. Jaunsen, C. Ledoux, S. Pedraz, T. Szeifert, L. Vanzi and P. Vreeswijk for obtaining the service mode data reported here.
Issue or Number:6963
DOI:10.1038/nature02077
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20150326-091043609
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150326-091043609
Official Citation:Greiner, J., Klose, S., Reinsch, K., Martin Schmid, H., Sari, R. e., Hartmann, D. H., . . . Reimer, O. (2003). Evolution of the polarization of the optical afterglow of the [gamma]-ray burst GRB030329. [10.1038/nature02077]. Nature, 426(6963), 157-159.
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:56111
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By:INVALID USER
Deposited On:26 Mar 2015 20:10
Last Modified:10 Nov 2021 20:54

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