One of the most exciting near-term prospects in physics is the potential discovery of gravitational waves by the advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors. To maximise both the confidence of the detection and the science return, it is essential to identify a
n electromagnetic counterpart. This is not trivial, as the events are expected to be poorly localised, particularly in the near-term, with error regions covering hundreds or even thousands of square degrees. In this paper we discuss the prospects for finding an X-ray counterpart to a gravitational wave trigger with the Swift X-ray Telescope, using the assumption that the trigger is caused by a binary neutron star merger which also produces a short gamma-ray burst. We show that it is beneficial to target galaxies within the GW error region, highlighting the need for substantially complete galaxy catalogues out to distances of 300 Mpc. We also show that nearby, on-axis short GRBs are either extremely rare, or are systematically less luminous than those detected to date. We consider the prospects for detecting afterglow emission from an an off-axis GRB which triggered the GW facilities, finding that the detectability, and the best time to look, are strongly dependent on the characteristics of the burst such as circumburst density and our viewing angle.
Between 2011 March and 2014 August Swift responded to 20 triggers from the IceCube neutrino observatory, observing the IceCube 50% confidence error circle in X-rays, typically within 5 hours of the trigger. No confirmed counterpart has been detected.
We describe the Swift follow up strategy and data analysis and present the results of the campaign. We discuss the challenges of distinguishing the X-ray counterpart to a neutrino trigger from serendipitous uncatalogued X-ray sources in the error circle, and consider the implications of our results for future strategies for multi-messenger astronomy, with particular reference to the follow up of gravitational wave triggers from the advanced-era detectors.
GRB 130925A was an unusual GRB, consisting of 3 distinct episodes of high-energy emission spanning $sim$20 ks, making it a member of the proposed category of `ultra-long bursts. It was also unusual in that its late-time X-ray emission observed by Swi
ft was very soft, and showed a strong hard-to-soft spectral evolution with time. This evolution, rarely seen in GRB afterglows, can be well modelled as the dust-scattered echo of the prompt emission, with stringent limits on the contribution from the normal afterglow (i.e. external shock) emission. We consider and reject the possibility that GRB 130925A was some form of tidal disruption event, and instead show that if the circumburst density around GRB 130925A is low, the long duration of the burst and faint external shock emission are naturally explained. Indeed, we suggest that the ultra-long GRBs as a class can be explained as those with low circumburst densities, such that the deceleration time (at which point the material ejected from the nascent black hole is decelerated by the circumburst medium) is $sim$20 ks, as opposed to a few hundred seconds for the normal long GRBs. The increased deceleration radius means that more of the ejected shells can interact before reaching the external shock, naturally explaining both the increased duration of GRB 130925A, the duration of its prompt pulses, and the fainter-than-normal afterglow.
We present the 1SXPS (Swift-XRT Point Source) catalog of 151,524 X-ray point-sources detected by the Swift-XRT in 8 years of operation. The catalog covers 1905 square degrees distributed approximately uniformly on the sky. We analyze the data in two
ways. First we consider all observations individually, for which we have a typical sensitivity of ~3e-13 erg/cm2/s (0.3--10 keV). Then we co-add all data covering the same location on the sky: these images have a typical sensitivity of ~9e-14 erg/cm2/s (0.3--10 keV). Our sky coverage is nearly 2.5 times that of 3XMM-DR4, although the catalog is a factor of ~1.5 less sensitive. The median position error is 5.5 (90% confidence), including systematics. Our source detection method improves on that used in previous XRT catalogs and we report >68,000 new X-ray sources. The goals and observing strategy of the Swift satellite allow us to probe source variability on multiple timescales, and we find ~30,000 variable objects in our catalog. For every source we give positions, fluxes, time series (in four energy bands and two hardness ratios), estimates of the spectral properties, spectra and spectral fits for the brightest sources, and variability probabilities in multiple energy bands and timescales.
We present deep Swift follow-up observations of a sample of 94 unidentified X-ray sources from the XMM-Newton Slew Survey. The X-ray Telescope on-board Swift detected 29% of the sample sources; the flux limits for undetected sources suggests the bulk
of the Slew Survey sources are drawn from one or more transient populations. We report revised X-ray positions for the XRT-detected sources, with typical uncertainties of 2.9, reducing the number of catalogued optical matches to just a single source in most cases. We characterise the sources detected by Swift through their X-ray spectra and variability and via UVOT photometry and catalogued nIR, optical and radio observations. Six sources can be associated with known objects and 8 may be associated with unidentified ROSAT sources within the 3-sigma error radii of our revised X-ray positions. We find 10 of the 30 XRT-detected sources are clearly stellar in nature, including one periodic variable star and 2 high proper motion stars. For 11 sources we propose an AGN classification, among which 4 are detected with BAT and 3 have redshifts spanning z = 0.2 - 0.9 obtained from the literature or from optical spectroscopy presented here. The 67 Slew Survey sources we do not detect with Swift are studied via their characteristics in the Slew Survey and by comparison with the XRT and BAT detected population. We suggest that these are mostly if not all extragalactic, though unlikely to be highly absorbed sources in the X-rays such as Compton thick AGN. A large number of these are highly variable soft X-ray sources. A small fraction of mainly hard-band detections may be spurious. This follow-up programme brings us a step further to completing the identifications of a substantial sample of XMM-Newton Slew Survey sources, important for understanding the nature of the transient sky and allowing flux-limited samples to be constructed.
We present extensive, high-density Swift observations of V2491 Cyg (Nova Cyg 2008 No. 2). Observing the X-ray emission from only one day after the nova discovery, the source is followed through the initial brightening, the Super-Soft Source phase and
back to the pre-outburst flux level. The evolution of the spectrum throughout the outburst is demonstrated. The UV and X-ray light-curves follow very different paths, although changes occur in them around the same times, indicating a link between the bands. Flickering in the late-time X-ray data indicates the resumption of accretion. We show that if the white dwarf is magnetic, it would be among the most magnetic known; the lack of a periodic signal in our later data argues against a magnetic white dwarf, however. We also discuss the possibility that V2491 Cyg is a recurrent nova, providing recurrence timescale estimates.
The electron energy distribution index, p, is a fundamental parameter of the synchrotron emission from a range of astronomical sources. Here we examine one such source of synchrotron emission, Gamma-Ray Burst afterglows observed by the Swift satellit
e. Within the framework of the blast wave model, we examine the constraints placed on the distribution of p by the observed X-ray spectral indices and parametrise the distribution. We find that the observed distribution of spectral indices are inconsistent with an underlying distribution of p composed of a single discrete value but consistent with a Gaussian distribution centred at p = 2.36 and having a width of 0.59. Furthermore, accepting that the underlying distribution is a Gaussian, we find the majority (>94%) of GRB afterglows in our sample have cooling break frequencies less than the X-ray frequency.
Context. Swift data are revolutionising our understanding of Gamma Ray Bursts. Since bursts fade rapidly, it is desirable to create and disseminate accurate light curves rapidly. Aims. To provide the community with an online repository of X-ray lig
ht curves obtained with Swift. The light curves should be of the quality expected of published data, but automatically created and updated so as to be self-consistent and rapidly available. Methods. We have produced a suite of programs which automatically generates Swift/XRT light curves of GRBs. Effects of the damage to the CCD, automatic readout-mode switching and pile-up are appropriately handled, and the data are binned with variable bin durations, as necessary for a fading source. Results. The light curve repository website (http://www.swift.ac.uk/xrt_curves) contains light curves, hardness ratios and deep images for every GRB which Swifts XRT has observed. When new GRBs are detected, light curves are created and updated within minutes of the data arriving at the UK Swift Science Data Centre.
