Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the Australia Telescope Compact Array
We introduce the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) rapid-response mode by presenting the first successful trigger on the short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 181123B. Early-time radio observations of short GRBs may provide vital insights into the radio afterglow properties of Advanced LIGO...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90306 |
| _version_ | 1848765366048653312 |
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| author | Anderson, Gemma Bell, M.E. Stevens, J. Aksulu, M.D. Miller-Jones, James Horst, AJ van der Wijers, R.A.M.J. Rowlinson, A. Bahramian, Arash Hancock, Paul Macquart, Jean-Pierre Ryder, S.D. Plotkin, Richard |
| author_facet | Anderson, Gemma Bell, M.E. Stevens, J. Aksulu, M.D. Miller-Jones, James Horst, AJ van der Wijers, R.A.M.J. Rowlinson, A. Bahramian, Arash Hancock, Paul Macquart, Jean-Pierre Ryder, S.D. Plotkin, Richard |
| author_sort | Anderson, Gemma |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | We introduce the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) rapid-response mode
by presenting the first successful trigger on the short-duration gamma-ray
burst (GRB) 181123B. Early-time radio observations of short GRBs may provide
vital insights into the radio afterglow properties of Advanced LIGO- and
Virgo-detected gravitational wave events, which will in turn inform follow-up
strategies to search for counterparts within their large positional
uncertainties. The ATCA was on target within 12.6 hr post-burst, when the
source had risen above the horizon. While no radio afterglow was detected
during the 8.3 hr observation, we obtained force-fitted flux densities of $7
\pm 12$ and $15 \pm 11~\mu$Jy at 5.5 and 9 GHz, respectively. Afterglow
modelling of GRB 181123B showed that the addition of the ATCA force-fitted
radio flux densities to the Swift X-ray Telescope detections provided more
stringent constraints on the fraction of thermal energy in the electrons
(log$\epsilon_e = -0.75^{+0.39}_{-0.40}$ rather than log$\epsilon_e =
-1.13^{+0.82}_{-1.2}$ derived without the inclusion of the ATCA values), which
is consistent with the range of typical $\epsilon_e$ derived from GRB afterglow
modelling. This allowed us to predict that the forward shock may have peaked in
the radio band $\sim10$ days post-burst, producing detectable radio emission
$\gtrsim3-4$ days post-burst. Overall, we demonstrate the potential for
extremely rapid radio follow-up of transients and the importance of triggered
radio observations for constraining GRB blast wave properties, regardless of
whether there is a detection, via the inclusion of force-fitted radio flux
densities in afterglow modelling efforts. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:34:06Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-90306 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:34:06Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-903062023-02-10T03:58:39Z Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the Australia Telescope Compact Array Anderson, Gemma Bell, M.E. Stevens, J. Aksulu, M.D. Miller-Jones, James Horst, AJ van der Wijers, R.A.M.J. Rowlinson, A. Bahramian, Arash Hancock, Paul Macquart, Jean-Pierre Ryder, S.D. Plotkin, Richard astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE We introduce the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) rapid-response mode by presenting the first successful trigger on the short-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 181123B. Early-time radio observations of short GRBs may provide vital insights into the radio afterglow properties of Advanced LIGO- and Virgo-detected gravitational wave events, which will in turn inform follow-up strategies to search for counterparts within their large positional uncertainties. The ATCA was on target within 12.6 hr post-burst, when the source had risen above the horizon. While no radio afterglow was detected during the 8.3 hr observation, we obtained force-fitted flux densities of $7 \pm 12$ and $15 \pm 11~\mu$Jy at 5.5 and 9 GHz, respectively. Afterglow modelling of GRB 181123B showed that the addition of the ATCA force-fitted radio flux densities to the Swift X-ray Telescope detections provided more stringent constraints on the fraction of thermal energy in the electrons (log$\epsilon_e = -0.75^{+0.39}_{-0.40}$ rather than log$\epsilon_e = -1.13^{+0.82}_{-1.2}$ derived without the inclusion of the ATCA values), which is consistent with the range of typical $\epsilon_e$ derived from GRB afterglow modelling. This allowed us to predict that the forward shock may have peaked in the radio band $\sim10$ days post-burst, producing detectable radio emission $\gtrsim3-4$ days post-burst. Overall, we demonstrate the potential for extremely rapid radio follow-up of transients and the importance of triggered radio observations for constraining GRB blast wave properties, regardless of whether there is a detection, via the inclusion of force-fitted radio flux densities in afterglow modelling efforts. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90306 10.1093/mnras/stab727 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 Oxford University Press fulltext |
| spellingShingle | astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE Anderson, Gemma Bell, M.E. Stevens, J. Aksulu, M.D. Miller-Jones, James Horst, AJ van der Wijers, R.A.M.J. Rowlinson, A. Bahramian, Arash Hancock, Paul Macquart, Jean-Pierre Ryder, S.D. Plotkin, Richard Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title | Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title_full | Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title_fullStr | Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title_short | Rapid-response radio observations of short GRB 181123B with the
Australia Telescope Compact Array |
| title_sort | rapid-response radio observations of short grb 181123b with the
australia telescope compact array |
| topic | astro-ph.HE astro-ph.HE |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FT140101082 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90306 |