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GRB 051210: Swift detection of a short gamma ray burst

  • V. La Parola
  • , V. Mangano
  • , D. Fox
  • , B. Zhang
  • , H. A. Krimm
  • , G. Cusumano
  • , T. Mineo
  • , D. N. Burrows
  • , S. Barthelmy
  • , S. Campana
  • , M. Capalbi
  • , G. Chincarini
  • , N. Gehrels
  • , P. Giommi
  • , F. E. Marshall
  • , P. Mészáros
  • , A. Moretti
  • , P. T. O'Brien
  • , D. M. Palmer
  • , M. Perri
  • P. Romano, G. Tagliaferri

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Aims. The short/hard GRB 051210 was detected and located by the Swift-BAT instrument and rapidly pointed towards by the narrow field instruments. The XRT was able to observe a bright, rapidly fading X-ray emission. We present the analysis of the prompt and afterglow emission of this event. Methods. The BAT spectrum is a power-law with photon index 1.0 ± 0.3. The X-ray light curve decays with slope -2.58 ± 0.11 and shows a small flare in the early phases. The spectrum can be described with a power law with photon index 1.54 ± 0.16 and absorption (7.5-3.2+4.3) × 10 20 cm-2. Results. We find that the X-ray emission is consistent with the hypothesis that we are observing the curvature effect of a GRB that occurred in a low density medium, with no detectable afterglow attributable to an external shock. We estimate the density of the circumburst medium to be lower than 3 × 10-3 cm-3. We also discuss different hypothesis on the possible origin of the flare.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)753-757
Number of pages5
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume454
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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