We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
The afterglow of GRB 050709 and the nature of the short-hard γ-ray bursts.
- Authors
Fox, D. B.; Frail, D. A.; Price, P. A.; Kulkarni, S. R.; Berger, E.; Piran, T.; Soderberg, A. M.; Cenko, S. B.; Cameron, P. B.; Gal-Yam, A.; Kasliwal, M. M.; Moon, D.-S.; Harrison, F. A.; Nakar, E.; Schmidt, B. P.; Penprase, B.; Chevalier, R. A.; Kumar, P.; Roth, K.; Watson, D.
- Abstract
The final chapter in the long-standing mystery of the γ-ray bursts (GRBs) centres on the origin of the short-hard class of bursts, which are suspected on theoretical grounds to result from the coalescence of neutron-star or black-hole binary systems. Numerous searches for the afterglows of short-hard bursts have been made, galvanized by the revolution in our understanding of long-duration GRBs that followed the discovery in 1997 of their broadband (X-ray, optical and radio) afterglow emission. Here we present the discovery of the X-ray afterglow of a short-hard burst, GRB 050709, whose accurate position allows us to associate it unambiguously with a star-forming galaxy at redshift z = 0.160, and whose optical lightcurve definitively excludes a supernova association. Together with results from three other recent short-hard bursts, this suggests that short-hard bursts release much less energy than the long-duration GRBs. Models requiring young stellar populations, such as magnetars and collapsars, are ruled out, while coalescing degenerate binaries remain the most promising progenitor candidates.
- Subjects
GAMMA ray bursts; NEUTRONS; SUPERNOVAE; STELLAR activity; GALAXIES; STARS
- Publication
Nature, 2005, Vol 437, Issue 7060, p845
- ISSN
0028-0836
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/nature04189