Djorgovski, S. G. and Metzger, M. R. and Kulkarni, S. R. and Odewahn, S. C. and Gal, R. R. and Pahre, M. A. and Frail, D. A. and Feroci, M. and Costa, E. and Palazzi, E. (1997) The optical counterpart to the γ-ray burst GRB970508. Nature, 387 (6636). pp. 876-878. ISSN 0028-0836. doi:10.1038/43126. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150609-120007821
Full text is not posted in this repository. Consult Related URLs below.
Use this Persistent URL to link to this item: https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150609-120007821
Abstract
Understanding the nature of the gamma-ray burst phenomenon is one of the outstanding problems of modern astrophysics. The identification of counterparts at optical wavelengths is considered a crucial factor for determining the origin of these events. Here we report the detection and temporal properties of a variable optical source, which has been identified as the counterpart of the X-ray transient associated with the γ-ray burst GRB970508 (ref. 3). The initial optical images were obtained only 5.8 hours after the initial gamma-ray burst, after which the optical source was observed to brighten over the next two days before declining in luminosity with a t-1 power law. The decline in brightness follows a form predicted by many relativistic fireball models for γ-ray bursts, although the initial rise does not appear to be compatible with the simplest of these models. The observed fluence of the source at visible wavelengths over the period spanned by our observations is ≥4.6 times 10^(-8) erg cm^(-2), about 3% of the fluence of the gamma-ray burst itself.
Item Type: | Article | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Related URLs: |
| ||||||||||||
ORCID: |
| ||||||||||||
Additional Information: | © 1997 Macmillan Publishers Limited. Received 21 May; accepted 28 May 1997. We thank the staff of Palomar Observatory for their assistance during our observing runs, and the entire BeppoSAX team for their efforts in providing accurate burst positions as rapidly as possible. This work was supported in part by the NSF, NASA, the Bressler Foundation, the Norris Foundation and Caltech. | ||||||||||||
Funders: |
| ||||||||||||
Issue or Number: | 6636 | ||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1038/43126 | ||||||||||||
Record Number: | CaltechAUTHORS:20150609-120007821 | ||||||||||||
Persistent URL: | https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20150609-120007821 | ||||||||||||
Official Citation: | Djorgovski, S. G., Metzger, M. R., Kulkarni, S. R., Odewahn, S. C., Gal, R. R., Pahre, M. A., . . . Palazzi, E. (1997). The optical counterpart to the [gamma]-ray burst GRB970508. Nature, 387(6636), 876-878. | ||||||||||||
Usage Policy: | No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided. | ||||||||||||
ID Code: | 58122 | ||||||||||||
Collection: | CaltechAUTHORS | ||||||||||||
Deposited By: | INVALID USER | ||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 10 Jun 2015 15:35 | ||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 10 Nov 2021 21:59 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page