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Deriving physical parameters from gamma-ray burst afterglow observations remains a challenge, even now, 20 years after the discovery of afterglows. The main reason for the lack of progress is that the peak of the synchrotron emission is in the sub-mm range, thus requiring radio observations in conjunction with X-ray/optical/near-infrared data in order to measure the corresponding spectral slopes and consequently remove the ambiguity wrt. slow vs. fast cooling and the ordering of the characteristic frequencies. We observed GRB 151027B, the 1000th Swift-detected GRB, with GROND in the optical-NIR, ALMA in the sub-millimeter, ATCA in the radio band, and combine this with public Swift-XRT X-ray data. While some observations at crucial times only return upper limits or surprising features, the fireball model is narrowly constrained by our data set, and allows us to draw a consistent picture with a fully-determined parameter set. Surprisingly, we find rapid, large-amplitude flux density variations in the radio band which are extreme not only for GRBs, but generally for any radio source. We interpret these as scintillation effects, though the extreme nature requires either the scattering screen to be at much smaller distance than usually assumed, multiple screens, or a combination of the two.
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We report the time variability of the late-time radio emission in a Type-I superluminous supernova (SLSN), PTF10hgi, at z = 0.0987. The Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array 3 GHz observations at 8.6 and 10 years after the explosion both detected radio emission with a ~40% decrease in flux density in the second epoch. This is the first report of a significant variability of the late-time radio light curve in a SLSN. Through combination with previous measurements in two other epochs, we constrained both the rise and decay phases of the radio light curve over three years, peaking at approximately 8-9 years after the explosion with a peak luminosity of L(3GHz) = 2 x 10^21 W/Hz. Possible scenarios for the origin of the variability are an active galactic nucleus (AGN) in the host galaxy, an afterglow caused by the interaction between an off-axis jet and circumstellar medium, and a wind nebula powered by a newly-born magnetar. Comparisons with models show that the radio light curve can be reproduced by both the afterglow model and magnetar wind nebula model. Considering the flat radio spectrum at 1-15 GHz and an upper limit at 0.6 GHz obtained in previous studies, plausible scenarios are a low-luminosity flat-spectrum AGN or a magnetar wind nebula with a shallow injection spectral index.
We present a search for late-time rebrightening of radio emission from three supernovae (SNe) with associated gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). It has been previously proposed that the unusually energetic SNe associated with GRBs should enter the Sedov-Taylor phase decades after the stellar explosion, and this SN remnant emission will outshine the GRB radio afterglow and be detectable at significant distances. We place deep limits on the radio luminosity of GRB 980425/SN 1998bw, GRB 030329/SN 2003dh and GRB 060218/SN 2006aj, 10-18 years after explosion, with our deepest limit being $L_{ u}$ $< 4 times 10^{26}$ erg s$^{-1}$ Hz$^{-1}$ for GRB 980425/SN 1998bw. We put constraints on the density of the surrounding medium for various assumed values of the microphysical parameters related to the magnetic field and synchrotron-emitting electrons. For GRB 060218/SN 2006aj and GRB 980425/SN 1998bw, these density limits have implications for the density profile of the surrounding medium, while the non-detection of GRB 030329/SN 2003dh implies that its afterglow will not be detectable anymore at GHz frequencies.
We examine a sample of 21 gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow light curves at radio frequencies, and compare them to the X-ray and/or optical properties of the afterglows and to the predictions of the standard jet/fireball model. Our sample includes every textit{Swift} GRB with an X-ray light curve indicating a jet break and with a published radio light curve, as well as several other targets with observed X-ray or and/optical jet breaks. We examine the late-time decline of each burst, and attempt to fit an analytical model based on the standard GRB afterglow equations to each data set. We show that most of the events in our textit{Swift} GRB sample are incompatible with the radio light curve behavior predicted by conventional afterglow theory. Many exhibit a late-time radio decline incompatible with the post-break X-ray or optical afterglow. Only one radio afterglow in this sample, at any time, shows the eventually expected decline of $sim t^{-2}$, although two others show it in their mm light curve. Several others remain consistent with the standard model if such a decline began after the observations. The radio behavior alone does not, however, indicate whether a GRB can be fit by our modeling code. Indeed, several of the well-fit GRBs may only appear so due to a lack of multi-wavelength data. While a second source of emission can account for some of the anomalous radio behavior, our tests indicate this is often not the case unless the main jet component is simultaneously suppressed.
The early optical emission of gamma-ray bursts gives an opportunity to understand the central engine and first stages of these events. About 30% of GRBs present flares whose origin is still a subject of discussion. We present optical photometry of GRB 180620A with the COATLI telescope and RATIR instrument. COATLI started to observe from the end of prompt emission at $T+39.3$~s and RATIR from $T+121.4$~s. We supplement the optical data with the X-ray light curve from emph{Swift}/XRT. %The optical and X-ray light curves show very unusual behavior with features clearly beyond the standard fireball model. We observe an optical flare from $T+110$ to $T+550$~s, with a temporal index decay $alpha_mathrm{O,decay}=1.32pm 0.01$, and a $Delta t/t=1.63$, which we interpret as the signature of a reverse shock component. After the initial normal decay the light curves show a long plateau from $T+500$ to $T+7800$~s both in X-rays and the optical before decaying again after an achromatic jet break at $T+7800$~s. Fluctuations are seen during the plateau phase in the optical. Adding to the complexity of GRB afterglows, the plateau phase (typically associated with the coasting phase of the jet) is seen in this object after the ``normal decay phase (emitted during the deceleration phase of the jet) and the jet break phase occurs directly after the plateau. We suggest that this sequence of events can be explained by a rapid deceleration of the jet with $t_dlesssim 40$ s due to the high density of the environment ($approx 100$ cm$^{-3}$) followed by reactivation of the central engine which causes the flare and powers the plateau phase.
We present post-jet-break textit{HST}, VLA and textit{Chandra} observations of the afterglow of the long $gamma$-ray bursts GRB 160625B (between 69 and 209 days) and GRB 160509A (between 35 and 80 days). We calculate the post-jet-break decline rates of the light curves, and find the afterglow of GRB 160625B inconsistent with a simple $t^{-3/4}$ steepening over the break, expected from the geometric effect of the jet edge entering our line of sight. However, the favored optical post-break decline ($f_{ u} propto t^{-1.96 pm 0.07}$) is also inconsistent with the $f_{ u} propto t^{-p}$ decline (where $p approx 2.3$ from the pre-break light curve), which is expected from exponential lateral expansion of the jet; perhaps suggesting lateral expansion that only affects a fraction of the jet. The post-break decline of GRB 160509A is consistent with both the $t^{-3/4}$ steepening and with $f_{ u} propto t^{-p}$. We also use {sc boxfit} to fit afterglow models to both light curves and find both to be energetically consistent with a millisecond magnetar central engine, although the magnetar parameters need to be extreme (i.e. $E sim 3 times 10^{52}$ erg). Finally, the late-time radio light curves of both afterglows are not reproduced well by {sc boxfit} and are inconsistent with predictions from the standard jet model; instead both are well represented by a single power law decline (roughly $f_{ u} propto t^{-1}$) with no breaks. This requires a highly chromatic jet break ($t_{j,mathrm{radio}} > 10 times t_{j,mathrm{optical}}$) and possibly a two-component jet for both bursts.
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