Journal article
A strong limit on the very-high-energy emission from GRB 150323A
The Astrophysical journal, Vol.857(1), p.33
03/03/2018
DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aab371
Abstract
On 2015 March 23, VERITAS responded to a $Swift$-BAT detection of a gamma-ray
burst, with observations beginning 270 seconds after the onset of BAT emission,
and only 135 seconds after the main BAT emission peak. No statistically
significant signal is detected above 140 GeV. The VERITAS upper limit on the
fluence in a 40 minute integration corresponds to about 1% of the prompt
fluence. Our limit is particularly significant since the very-high-energy (VHE)
observation started only $\sim$2 minutes after the prompt emission peaked, and
$Fermi$-LAT observations of numerous other bursts have revealed that the
high-energy emission is typically delayed relative to the prompt radiation and
lasts significantly longer. Also, the proximity of GRB~150323A ($z=0.593$)
limits the attenuation by the extragalactic background light to $\sim 50$ % at
100-200 GeV. We conclude that GRB 150323A had an intrinsically very weak
high-energy afterglow, or that the GeV spectrum had a turnover below $\sim100$
GeV. If the GRB exploded into the stellar wind of a massive progenitor, the VHE
non-detection constrains the wind density parameter to be $A\gtrsim 3\times
10^{11}$ g cm$^{-1}$, consistent with a standard Wolf-Rayet progenitor.
Alternatively, the VHE emission from the blast wave would be weak in a very
tenuous medium such as the ISM, which therefore cannot be ruled out as the
environment of GRB 150323A.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A strong limit on the very-high-energy emission from GRB 150323A
- Creators
- A. U Abeysekara - University of UtahA Archer - Washington University in St. LouisW Benbow - Harvard UniversityR Bird - University of California, Los AngelesR Brose - University of PotsdamM Buchovecky - University of California, Los AngelesV Bugaev - Washington University in St. LouisM. P Connolly - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayW Cui - Purdue University West LafayetteM Errando - Washington University in St. LouisA Falcone - Pennsylvania State UniversityQ Feng - McGill UniversityJ. P Finley - Purdue University West LafayetteA Flinders - University of UtahL Fortson - University of MinnesotaA Furniss - California State University, East BayG. H Gillanders - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayM HüttenD Hanna - McGill UniversityO Hervet - University of California, Santa CruzJ Holder - University of DelawareG Hughes - Harvard UniversityT. B Humensky - Columbia UniversityC. A Johnson - University of California, Santa CruzP Kaaret - University of IowaP Kar - University of UtahN Kelley-HoskinsM Kertzman - DePauw UniversityD Kieda - University of UtahM KrauseF Krennrich - Iowa State UniversityM. J Lang - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayT. T. Y Lin - McGill UniversityG MaierS McArthur - Purdue University West LafayetteP Moriarty - Ollscoil na Gaillimhe – University of GalwayR Mukherjee - Columbia UniversityS O'Brien - University College DublinR. A Ong - University of California, Los AngelesN Park - University of ChicagoJ. S Perkins - Goddard Space Flight CenterA Petrashyk - Columbia UniversityM Pohl - University of PotsdamA Popkow - University of California, Los AngelesE PueschelJ Quinn - University College DublinK Ragan - McGill UniversityP. T Reynolds - Cork Institute of TechnologyG. T Richards - Georgia Institute of TechnologyE Roache - Harvard UniversityC Rulten - University of MinnesotaI SadehM Santander - Columbia UniversityG. H Sembroski - Purdue University West LafayetteK Shahinyan - University of MinnesotaJ Tyler - McGill UniversityS. P Wakely - University of ChicagoO. M Weiner - Columbia UniversityA Weinstein - Iowa State UniversityR. M Wells - Iowa State UniversityP Wilcox - University of IowaA Wilhelm - University of PotsdamD. A Williams - University of California, Santa CruzB Zitzer - McGill UniversityIndrek Vurm - Columbia UniversityAndrei Beloborodov - Columbia UniversityVERITAS Collaboration
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The Astrophysical journal, Vol.857(1), p.33
- DOI
- 10.3847/1538-4357/aab371
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- eISSN
- 1538-4357
- Publisher
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/03/2018
- Academic Unit
- Physics and Astronomy
- Record Identifier
- 9984199785102771
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