Astrophysics in 2006

The fastest pulsar and the slowest nova; the oldest galaxies and the youngest stars; the weirdest life forms and the commonest dwarfs; the highest energy particles and the lowest energy photons. These were some of the extremes of Astrophysics 2006. We attempt also to bring you updates on things of which there is currently only one (habitable planets, the Sun, and the Universe) and others of which there are always many, like meteors and molecules, black holes and binaries.     

Time-dependent thermal X-ray afterglows from GRBS

Time-dependent thermal X-ray spectra are calculated from physically plausible conditions around GRB. It is shown that account for time-dependent ionization processes strongly affects the observed spectra of hot rarefied plasma. These calculations may provide an alternative explanation to the observed X-ray lines of early GRBs afterglows (such as GRB 011211). Our technique will allow one to obtain independent constraints on the GRB collimation angle and on the clumpiness of circumstellar matter.     

Real time localization of gamma ray bursts with INTEGRAL

The INTEGRAL satellite has been successfully launched in October 2002 and has recently started its operational phase. The INTEGRAL burst alert system (IBAS) will distribute in real time the coordinates of the gamma ray bursts (GRBs) detected with INTEGRAL. After a brief introduction on the INTEGRAL instruments, we describe the main IBAS characteristics and report on the initial results. During the initial performance and verification phase of the INTEGRAL mission, which lasted about two months, two GRBs have been localized with accuracy of 2–4 arcmin. These observations have allowed us to validate the IBAS software, which is now expected to provide quick (few seconds delay) and precise (few arcmin) localization for 10–15 GRBs per year.     

太阳微波爆发精细结构与硬X射线耀斑的相关

北京天文台在２．８４ＧＨｚ频率上观测到的带短时标精细结构的微波爆发与日本ＹＯＨＫＯＨ卫星上ＨＸＴ在１９９１年１０月－１９９２年１２月观测到的硬Ｘ射线爆发（ＨＸＢ）事件作了比较，发现在２０个微波精细结构爆发事件只有１２个与ＹＯＨＫＯＨ卫星记录的ＨＸＢ有对应关系．本文对１９９２年６月７日典型事件中２．８４ＧＨｚ与ＨＸＢ共同存在的百秒量级的准周期振荡作了分析及源区参数的计算，并作了简要的讨论．     

太阳射电微波爆发的频谱分析

1981年4月1日太阳发生一个4N级Hα耀斑并伴随出现强烈的IV型射电爆发.本文对北京天文台,西澳大利亚站等射电资料进行分析.分析表明:(1)该事件的微波源状态相对稳定,米波源位置存在移动,因此产生微波辐射与米波辐射是两组不同的电子群体,在爆发频谱指数的时变曲线上表现出明显的形态差异.还由于两者辐射源的位置不同,微波与米波的爆发在峰值时刻上也不完全符合.(2)4月1日微波大爆发是由三个主爆发组成的,它们的峰值时刻分别为0135.1,0146.1,0153.6UT.由射电高频端谱指数算出的非热电子能谱指数表明,在射电爆发的三个峰值时刻电子能谱都变硬.本文还得出该活动区的非热电子平均速度(以光速c为单位)β为0.9左右,磁场强度B为430G.并由回旋同步辐射阻尼算得,非热电子的寿命为829秒,这个数值与三个主峰的持续时间相吻合.     

Using gamma-ray burst prompt emission to probe relativistic shock acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV–10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broad-band spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).     

Investigating gamma-ray burst data reduction techniques with Swift’s instruments

The amount of data on gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and the detected afterglows observed by the Swift satellite contributed significantly to the understanding of the phenomenon. The behavior of the early afterglow rises some interesting questions. With the early afterglow localizations of gamma-ray burst positions made by Swift, the clear delimitation of the prompt phase and the afterglow is not so obvious any more. There are hints of a canonical X-ray afterglow lightcurve with segments of different slopes. Not all bursts necessarily show all the segments. It is important to see if the prompt phase and the afterglow has the same origin or they stem from different parts of the progenitor system. We will combine the of gamma-ray burst data from BAT and XRT and compare the extrapolated gamma-ray flux to the X-ray in a sample of bursts and find that there is a good agreement between the two measurements. This indicates that the physical process shaping burst and the early afterglow are the same.     

Bursts in the HETE-2 catalogue

We have studied a set of GRBs detected by HETE-2 satellite with special focus on low-energy part of the spectrum. Results of data reduction procedures of different members of the HETE collaboration were combined with other publicly available information creating a concise catalogue. A more detailed analysis of lightcurves of the prompt emission was performed using data from FREGATE instrument.     

Contamination of short GRBs by giant magnetar flares: Significance of downward revision in distance to SGR 1806–20

We highlight how the downward revision in the distance to the star cluster associated with SGR 1806–20 by Bibby et al. (2008) reconciles the apparent low contamination of BATSE short GRBs by intense flares from extragalactic magnetars without recourse to modifying the frequency of one such flare per 30 years per Milky Way galaxy. We also discuss the variety in progenitor initial masses of magnetars based upon cluster ages, ranging from ∼50 M_⊙ for SGR 1806–20 and AXP CXOU J164710.2–455216 in Westerlund 1 to ∼17 M_⊙ for SGR 1900+14 according to Davies et al. (2009) and presumably also 1E 1841–045 if it originated from one of the massive RSG clusters #2 or #3.     

Gamma ray bursts: Short vs. long

Short and long GRBs are thought to be two distinct classes based on their different duration and spectrum. Through the spectral analysis of two similarly selected samples of BATSE short and long GRBs, we show that short GRBs are harder than long events, confirming what found from the comparison of their hardness ratio. However, this spectral diversity seems to be due to a harder low energy spectral component of short GRBs, rather than a (slightly higher) peak energy. Interestingly short GRBs have a spectrum which is similar to the spectrum of the emission of the first 1–2 s of long events. We find evidence that short GRBs are inconsistent with the E_peak–E_iso correlation defined by long bursts while they follow the same E_peak–L_iso correlation of long GRBs. These results, coupled to the similar variability timescale of short events and the first seconds of long ones, suggest that a common (or similar) dissipation mechanism could operate in both classes. The difference in the duration would then be due mainly to the central engine lifetime.