scholarly journals Search for Gamma-Ray Bursts and Gravitational Wave Electromagnetic Counterparts with High Energy X-ray Telescope of Insight-HXMT

Author(s):  
C Cai ◽  
S L Xiong ◽  
C K Li ◽  
C Z Liu ◽  
S N Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract The High Energy X-ray telescope (HE) on-board the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (Insight-HXMT) can serve as a wide Field of View (FOV) gamma-ray monitor with high time resolution (μs) and large effective area (up to thousands cm2). We developed a pipeline to search for Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), using the traditional signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) method for blind search and the coherent search method for targeted search. By taking into account the location and spectrum of the burst and the detector response, the targeted coherent search is more powerful to unveil weak and sub-threshold bursts, especially those in temporal coincidence with Gravitational Wave (GW) events. Based on the original method in literature, we further improved the coherent search to filter out false triggers caused by spikes in light curves, which are commonly seen in gamma-ray instruments (e.g. Fermi/GBM, POLAR). We show that our improved targeted coherent search method could eliminate almost all false triggers caused by spikes. Based on the first two years of Insight-HXMT/HE data, our targeted search recovered 40 GRBs, which were detected by either Swift/BAT or Fermi/GBM but too weak to be found in our blind search. With this coherent search pipeline, the GRB detection sensitivity of Insight-HXMT/HE is increased to about 1.5E-08 erg cm−2 (200 keV–3 MeV). We also used this targeted coherent method to search Insight-HXMT/HE data for electromagnetic (EM) counterparts of LIGO-Virgo GW events (including O2 and O3a runs). However, we did not find any significant burst associated with GW events.

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (4) ◽  
pp. 5986-5992
Author(s):  
Nikhil Sarin ◽  
Paul D Lasky ◽  
Gregory Ashton

ABSTRACT The spin-down energy of millisecond magnetars has been invoked to explain X-ray afterglow observations of a significant fraction of short and long gamma-ray bursts. Here, we extend models previously introduced in the literature, incorporating radiative losses with the spin-down of a magnetar central engine through an arbitrary braking index. Combining this with a model for the tail of the prompt emission, we show that our model can better explain the data than millisecond-magnetar models without radiative losses or those that invoke spin-down solely through vacuum dipole radiation. We find that our model predicts a subset of X-ray flares seen in some gamma-ray bursts. We can further explain the diversity of X-ray plateaus by altering the radiative efficiency and measure the braking index of newly born millisecond magnetars. We measure the braking index of GRB061121 as $n=4.85^{+0.11}_{-0.15}$ suggesting the millisecond-magnetar born in this gamma-ray burst spins down predominantly through gravitational-wave emission.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (A29B) ◽  
pp. 243-243
Author(s):  
P. O'Brien ◽  
P. Jonker

AbstractAthena is the second large mission selected in the ESA Cosmic Vision plan. With its large collecting area, high spectral-energy resolution (X-IFU instrument) and impressive grasp (WFI instrument), Athena will truly revolutionise X-ray astronomy. The most prodigious sources of high-energy photons are often transitory in nature. Athena will provide the sensitivity and spectral resolution coupled with rapid response to enable the study of the dynamic sky. Potential sources include: distant Gamma-Ray Bursts to probe the reionisation epoch and find missing baryons in the cosmic web; tidal disruption events to reveal dormant supermassive and intermediate-mass black holes; and supernova explosions to understand progenitors and their environments. We illustrate Athenas capabilities and show how it will be able to constrain the nature of explosive transients including gas metallicity and dynamics.


2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (2) ◽  
pp. 2471-2476 ◽  
Author(s):  
B Gendre ◽  
Q T Joyce ◽  
N B Orange ◽  
G Stratta ◽  
J L Atteia ◽  
...  

Abstract Ultra-long gamma-ray bursts are a class of high-energy transients lasting several hours. Their exact nature is still elusive, and several models have been proposed to explain them. Because of the limited coverage of wide-field gamma-ray detectors, the study of their prompt phase with sensitive narrow-field X-ray instruments could help in understanding the origin of ultra-long GRBs. However, the observers face a true problem in rapidly activating follow-up observations, due to the challenging identification of an ultra-long GRB before the end of the prompt phase. We present here a comparison of the prompt properties available after a few tens of minutes of a sample of ultra-long GRBs and normal long GRBs, looking for prior indicators of the long duration. We find that there is no such clear prior indicator of the duration of the burst. We also found that statistically, a burst lasting at least 10 and 20 minutes has respectively $28{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ probability to be an ultralong event. These findings point towards a common central engine for normal long and ultra-long GRBs, with the collapsar model privileged.


2019 ◽  
Vol 490 (4) ◽  
pp. 4935-4943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Ahlers ◽  
Lea Halser

ABSTRACT We investigate the expected high-energy neutrino fluence from internal shocks produced in the relativistic outflow of gamma-ray bursts. Previous model predictions have primarily focused on on-axis observations of uniform jets. Here, we present a generalization to account for arbitrary viewing angles and jet structures. Based on this formalism, we provide an improved scaling relation that expresses off-axis neutrino fluences in terms of on-axis model predictions. We also find that the neutrino fluence from structured jets can exhibit a strong angular dependence relative to that of gamma-rays and can be far more extended. We examine this behaviour in detail for the recent short gamma-ray burst GRB 170817A observed in coincidence with the gravitational wave event GW170817.


2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. A56
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Ren ◽  
Daming Wei ◽  
Zhenyu Zhu ◽  
Yan Yan ◽  
Chengming Li

The joint detection of the gravitational wave signal and the electromagnetic emission from a binary neutron star merger can place unprecedented constraint on the equation of state of supranuclear matter. Although a variety of electromagnetic counterparts have been observed for GW170817, including a short gamma-ray burst, kilonova, and the afterglow emission, the nature of the merger remnant is still unclear, however. The X-ray plateau is another important characteristics of short gamma-ray bursts. This plateau is probably due to the energy injection from a rapidly rotating magnetar. We investigate what we can learn from the detection of a gravitational wave along with the X-ray plateau. In principle, we can estimate the mass of the merger remnant if the X-ray plateau is caused by the central magnetar. We selected eight equations of state that all satisfy the constraint given by the gravitational wave observation, and then calculated the mass of the merger remnants of four short gamma-ray bursts with a well-measured X-ray plateau. If, on the other hand, the mass of the merger remnant can be obtained by gravitational wave information, then by comparing the masses derived by these two different methods can further constrain the equation of state. We discuss the possibility that the merger product is a quark star. In addition, we estimate the possible mass range for the recently discovered X-ray transient CDF-S XT2 that probably originated from a binary neutron star merger. Finally, under the assumption that the post-merger remnant of GW170817 was a supramassive neutron star, we estimated the allowed parameter space of the supramassive neutron star and find that in this case, the magnetic dipole radiation energy is so high that it may have some effects on the short gamma-ray burst and kilonova emission. The lack of detection of these effects suggests that the merger product of GW170817 may not be a supermassive neutron star.


1990 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-265
Author(s):  
Paul J. Edwards

AbstractContinuous, wide sky coverage is essential for the detection and monitoring of infrequent, short-lived events of astrophysical interest such as supernova and nova explosions, variable X-ray sources, gamma ray bursts, gravity waves and stellar and solar flares. We propose to (1) examine past radio propagation records and (2) develop new computer based radio receivers to monitor and log ionospheric perturbations associated with these events.


2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (S279) ◽  
pp. 433-446

Measuring cosmological parameters with GRBs: status and perspectivesNew interpretation of the Amati relationThe SED Machine - a dedicated transient spectrographPTF10iue - evidence for an internal engine in a unique Type Ic SNDirect evidence for the collapsar model of long gamma-ray burstsOn pair instability supernovae and gamma-ray burstsPan-STARRS1 observations of ultraluminous SNeThe influence of rotation on the critical neutrino luminosity in core-collapse supernovaeGeneral relativistic magnetospheres of slowly rotating and oscillating neutron starsHost galaxies of short GRBsGRB 100418A: a bridge between GRB-associated hypernovae and SNeTwo super-luminous SNe at z ~ 1.5 from the SNLSProspects for very-high-energy gamma-ray bursts with the Cherenkov Telescope ArrayThe dynamics and radiation of relativistic flows from massive starsThe search for light echoes from the supernova explosion of 1181 ADThe proto-magnetar model for gamma-ray burstsStellar black holes at the dawn of the universeMAXI J0158-744: the discovery of a supersoft X-ray transientWide-band spectra of magnetar burst emissionDust formation and evolution in envelope-stripped core-collapse supernovaeThe host galaxies of dark gamma-ray burstsKeck observations of 150 GRB host galaxiesSearch for properties of GRBs at large redshiftThe early emission from SNeSpectral properties of SN shock breakoutMAXI observation of GRBs and short X-ray transientsA three-dimensional view of SN 1987A using light echo spectroscopyX-ray study of the southern extension of the SNR Puppis AAll-sky survey of short X-ray transients by MAXI GSCDevelopment of the CALET gamma-ray burst monitor (CGBM)


2020 ◽  
Vol 493 (4) ◽  
pp. 4852-4860
Author(s):  
J Braga ◽  
O S C Durão ◽  
M Castro ◽  
F D’Amico ◽  
P E Stecchini ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT With the advent of the nanosat/cubesat revolution, new opportunities have appeared to develop and launch small (∼1000 cm3), low-cost (∼US$ 1M) experiments in space in very short time frames (∼2  yr). In the field of high-energy astrophysics, in particular, it is a considerable challenge to design instruments with compelling science and competitive capabilities that can fit in very small satellite buses, such as a cubesat platform, and operate them with very limited resources. Here, we describe a hard X-ray (30–200 keV) experiment, LECX (‘Localizador de Explosões Cósmicas de Raios X’ – Locator of X-Ray Cosmic Explosions), that is capable of detecting and localizing within a few degrees events like gamma-ray bursts and other explosive phenomena in a 2U-cubesat platform, at a rate of ∼5 events per year. In the current gravitational wave era of astronomy, a constellation or swarm of small spacecraft carrying instruments such as LECX can be a very cost-effective way to search for electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational wave events produced by the coalescence of compact objects.


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