A redshift determination for XRF 020903: First spectroscopic observations of an X-ray flash

A. M. Soderberg; S. R. Kulkarni; E. Berger; D. B. Fox; P. A. Price; S. A. Yost; M. P. Hunt; D. A. Frail; R. C. Walker; M. Hamuy; S. A. Shectman; J. P. Halpern; N. Mirabal

doi:10.1086/383082

A redshift determination for XRF 020903: First spectroscopic observations of an X-ray flash

A. M. Soderberg, S. R. Kulkarni, E. Berger, D. B. Fox, P. A. Price, S. A. Yost, M. P. Hunt, D. A. Frail, R. C. Walker, M. Hamuy, S. A. Shectman, J. P. Halpern, N. Mirabal

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Abstract

We report the discovery of optical and radio afterglow emission from the extremely soft X-ray flash XRF 020903. Our spectroscopic observations provide the first redshift for an X-ray flash, thereby setting the distance scale for these events. At z = 0.251, XRF 020903 is one of the nearest cosmic explosions ever detected, second only to the recent GRB 030329 and the unusual GRB 980425/SN 1998bw. Moreover, XRF 020903 is the first X-ray flash for which we detect an optical afterglow. The luminosity of the radio afterglow of XRF 020903 is 1000 times greater than that of Ibc supernovae but similar to those of GRB afterglows. From broadband afterglow modeling we show that the explosion energy of XRF 020903 is not dissimilar to values inferred for typical gamma-ray bursts, suggesting that these cosmological explosions may derive from a similar mechanism.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	994-999
Number of pages	6
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	606
Issue number	2 I
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/383082
State	Published - May 10 2004

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/383082

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title = "A redshift determination for XRF 020903: First spectroscopic observations of an X-ray flash",

abstract = "We report the discovery of optical and radio afterglow emission from the extremely soft X-ray flash XRF 020903. Our spectroscopic observations provide the first redshift for an X-ray flash, thereby setting the distance scale for these events. At z = 0.251, XRF 020903 is one of the nearest cosmic explosions ever detected, second only to the recent GRB 030329 and the unusual GRB 980425/SN 1998bw. Moreover, XRF 020903 is the first X-ray flash for which we detect an optical afterglow. The luminosity of the radio afterglow of XRF 020903 is 1000 times greater than that of Ibc supernovae but similar to those of GRB afterglows. From broadband afterglow modeling we show that the explosion energy of XRF 020903 is not dissimilar to values inferred for typical gamma-ray bursts, suggesting that these cosmological explosions may derive from a similar mechanism.",

author = "Soderberg, {A. M.} and Kulkarni, {S. R.} and E. Berger and Fox, {D. B.} and Price, {P. A.} and Yost, {S. A.} and Hunt, {M. P.} and Frail, {D. A.} and Walker, {R. C.} and M. Hamuy and Shectman, {S. A.} and Halpern, {J. P.} and N. Mirabal",

year = "2004",

month = may,

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doi = "10.1086/383082",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "606",

pages = "994--999",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

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T1 - A redshift determination for XRF 020903

T2 - First spectroscopic observations of an X-ray flash

AU - Soderberg, A. M.

AU - Kulkarni, S. R.

AU - Berger, E.

AU - Fox, D. B.

AU - Price, P. A.

AU - Yost, S. A.

AU - Hunt, M. P.

AU - Frail, D. A.

AU - Walker, R. C.

AU - Hamuy, M.

AU - Shectman, S. A.

AU - Halpern, J. P.

AU - Mirabal, N.

PY - 2004/5/10

Y1 - 2004/5/10

N2 - We report the discovery of optical and radio afterglow emission from the extremely soft X-ray flash XRF 020903. Our spectroscopic observations provide the first redshift for an X-ray flash, thereby setting the distance scale for these events. At z = 0.251, XRF 020903 is one of the nearest cosmic explosions ever detected, second only to the recent GRB 030329 and the unusual GRB 980425/SN 1998bw. Moreover, XRF 020903 is the first X-ray flash for which we detect an optical afterglow. The luminosity of the radio afterglow of XRF 020903 is 1000 times greater than that of Ibc supernovae but similar to those of GRB afterglows. From broadband afterglow modeling we show that the explosion energy of XRF 020903 is not dissimilar to values inferred for typical gamma-ray bursts, suggesting that these cosmological explosions may derive from a similar mechanism.

AB - We report the discovery of optical and radio afterglow emission from the extremely soft X-ray flash XRF 020903. Our spectroscopic observations provide the first redshift for an X-ray flash, thereby setting the distance scale for these events. At z = 0.251, XRF 020903 is one of the nearest cosmic explosions ever detected, second only to the recent GRB 030329 and the unusual GRB 980425/SN 1998bw. Moreover, XRF 020903 is the first X-ray flash for which we detect an optical afterglow. The luminosity of the radio afterglow of XRF 020903 is 1000 times greater than that of Ibc supernovae but similar to those of GRB afterglows. From broadband afterglow modeling we show that the explosion energy of XRF 020903 is not dissimilar to values inferred for typical gamma-ray bursts, suggesting that these cosmological explosions may derive from a similar mechanism.

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JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 I

ER -

A redshift determination for XRF 020903: First spectroscopic observations of an X-ray flash

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