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Register a new userALMA Detection of a Linearly Polarized Reverse Shock in GRB 190114C
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We present ALMA 97.5 GHz total intensity and linear polarization observations of the mm-band afterglow of GRB 190114C spanning 2.2 to 5.2 hours after the burst. We detect linear polarization at the $approx 5,sigma$ level, decreasing from $Pi=(0.87pm0.13)%$ to $(0.60pm0.19)%$, and evolving in polarization position angle from $(10pm5)^circ$ to $(-44pm12)^circ$ during the course of the observations. This represents the first detection of polarized millimeter emission in a $gamma$-ray burst. We show that the optical and X-ray observations between $0.03$ days and $sim0.3$ days are consistent with a fast cooling forward shock expanding into a wind environment. However, the optical observations at $lesssim0.03$ days, as well as the radio and millimeter observations arise from a separate component, which we interpret as emission from the reverse-shocked ejecta. Using the measured linear polarization, we constrain the coherence scale of tangled magnetic fields in the ejecta to an angular size of $theta_{rm B} approx10^{-3}$ radian, while the rotation of the polarization angle rules out the presence of large scale, ordered axisymmetric magnetic fields, and in particular a large scale toroidal field, in the jet.
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We present extensive radio and millimeter observations of the unusually bright GRB 130427A at z=0.340, spanning 0.67 to 12 days after the burst. Taken in conjunction with detailed multi-band UV, optical, NIR, and X-ray observations we find that the broad-band afterglow emission is composed of distinct reverse shock and forward shock contributions. The reverse shock emission dominates in the radio/millimeter and at <0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR, while the forward shock emission dominates in the X-rays and at >0.1 days in the UV/optical/NIR. We further find that the optical and X-ray data require a Wind circumburst environment, pointing to a massive star progenitor. Using the combined forward and reverse shock emission we find that the parameters of the burst are an isotropic kinetic energy of E_Kiso~2e53 erg, a mass loss rate of Mdot~3e-8 Msun/yr (for a wind velocity of 1,000 km/s), and a Lorentz factor at the deceleration time of Gamma(200s)~130. Due to the low density and large isotropic energy, the absence of a jet break to ~15 days places only a weak constraint on the opening angle of theta_j>2.5 deg, and therefore a total energy of E_gamma+E_K>1.2e51 erg, similar to other GRBs. The reverse shock emission is detectable in this burst due to the low circumburst density, which leads to a slow cooling shock. We speculate that this is a required property for the detectability of reverse shocks in the radio and millimeter bands. Following on GRB 130427A as a benchmark event, observations of future GRBs with the exquisite sensitivity of VLA and ALMA, coupled with detailed modeling of the reverse and forward shock contributions will test this hypothesis.
We present comprehensive multiwavelength radio to X-ray observations of GRB 181201A spanning from $approx150$ s to $approx163$ days after the burst, comprising the first joint ALMA-VLA-GMRT observations of a gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow. The radio and mm-band data reveal a distinct signature at $approx3.9$ days, which we interpret as reverse shock (RS) emission. Our observations present the first time that a single radio-frequency spectral energy distribution can be decomposed directly into RS and forward shock (FS) components. We perform detailed modeling of the full multiwavelength data set, using Markov Chain Monte Carlo sampling to construct the joint posterior density function of the underlying physical parameters describing the RS and FS synchrotron emission. We uncover and account for all degeneracies in the model parameters. The joint RS-FS modeling reveals a weakly magnetized ($sigmaapprox3times10^{-3}$), mildly relativistic RS, from which we derive an initial bulk Lorentz factor of $Gamma_0approx103$ for the GRB jet. Our results support the hypothesis that low-density environments are conducive to the observability of RS emission. We compare our observations to other events with strong RS detections, and find a likely observational bias selecting for longer lasting, non-relativistic reverse shocks. We present and begin to address new challenges in modeling posed by the present generation of comprehensive, multi-frequency data sets.
We present multi-wavelength observations and modeling of the exceptionally bright long $gamma$-ray burst GRB 160625B. The optical and X-ray data are well-fit by synchrotron emission from a collimated blastwave with an opening angle of $theta_japprox 3.6^circ$ and kinetic energy of $E_Kapprox 2times10^{51}$ erg, propagating into a low density ($napprox 5times10^{-5}$ cm$^{-3}$) medium with a uniform profile. The forward shock is sub-dominant in the radio band; instead, the radio emission is dominated by two additional components. The first component is consistent with emission from a reverse shock, indicating an initial Lorentz factor of $Gamma_0gtrsim 100$ and an ejecta magnetization of $R_Bapprox 1-100$. The second component exhibits peculiar spectral and temporal evolution and is most likely the result of scattering of the radio emission by the turbulent Milky Way interstellar medium (ISM). Such scattering is expected in any sufficiently compact extragalactic source and has been seen in GRBs before, but the large amplitude and long duration of the variability seen here are qualitatively more similar to extreme scattering events previously observed in quasars, rather than normal interstellar scintillation effects. High-cadence, broadband radio observations of future GRBs are needed to fully characterize such effects, which can sensitively probe the properties of the ISM and must be taken into account before variability intrinsic to the GRB can be interpreted correctly.
We report our identification of the optical afterglow and host galaxy of the short-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 160821B. The spectroscopic redshift of the host is $z=0.162$, making it one of the lowest redshift sGRBs identified by Swift. Our intensive follow-up campaign using a range of ground-based facilities as well as HST, XMM and Swift, shows evidence for a late-time excess of optical and near-infrared emission in addition to a complex afterglow. The afterglow light-curve at X-ray frequencies reveals a narrow jet, $theta_jsim1.9^{+0.10}_{-0.03}$ deg, that is refreshed at $>1$ day post-burst by a slower outflow with significantly more energy than the initial outflow that produced the main GRB. Observations of the 5 GHz radio afterglow shows a reverse shock into a mildly magnetised shell. The optical and near-infrared excess is fainter than AT2017gfo associated with GW170817, and is well explained by a kilonova with dynamic ejecta mass $M_{rm dyn}=(1.0pm0.6)times10^{-3}$ M$_{odot}$ and a secular (postmerger) ejecta mass with $M_{rm pm}=(1.0pm0.6)times10^{-2}$ M$_odot$, consistent with a binary neutron star merger resulting in a short-lived massive neutron star. This optical and near-infrared dataset provides the best-sampled kilonova light-curve without a gravitational wave trigger to date.
We present radio and optical afterglow observations of the TeV-bright long Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) 190114C at a redshift of $z=0.425$, which was detected by the MAGIC telescope. Our observations with ALMA, ATCA, and uGMRT were obtained by our low frequency observing campaign and range from $sim1$ to $sim140$ days after the burst and the optical observations were done with three optical telescopes spanning up to $sim25$ days after the burst. Long term radio/mm observations reveal the complex nature of the afterglow, which does not follow the spectral and temporal closure relations expected from the standard afterglow model. We find that the microphysical parameters of the external forward shock, representing the share of shock-created energy in the non-thermal electron population and magnetic field, are evolving with time. The inferred kinetic energy in the blast-wave depends strongly on the assumed ambient medium density profile, with a constant density medium demanding almost an order of magnitude higher energy than in the prompt emission, while a stellar wind-driven medium requires approximately the same amount energy as in prompt emission.
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