Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs

P. A. Evans; A. P. Beardmore; K. L. Page; J. P. Osborne; P. T. O'Brien; R. Willingale; R. L.C. Starling; D. N. Burrows; O. Godet; L. Vetere; J. Racusin; M. R. Goad; K. Wiersema; L. Angelini; M. Capalbi; G. Chincarini; N. Gehrels; J. A. Kennea; R. Margutti; D. C. Morris; C. J. Mountford; C. Pagani; M. Perri; P. Romano; N. Tanvir

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs

P. A. Evans, A. P. Beardmore, K. L. Page, J. P. Osborne, P. T. O'Brien, R. Willingale, R. L.C. Starling, D. N. Burrows, O. Godet, L. Vetere, J. Racusin, M. R. Goad, K. Wiersema, L. Angelini, M. Capalbi, G. Chincarini, N. Gehrels, J. A. Kennea, R. Margutti, D. C. MorrisC. J. Mountford, C. Pagani, M. Perri, P. Romano, N. Tanvir

Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Abstract

We present a homogeneous X-ray analysis of all 318 gamma-ray bursts detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT) on the Swift satellite up to 2008 July 23; this represents the largest sample of X-ray GRB data published to date. In Sections 2-3, we detail the methods which the Swift-XRT team has developed to produce the enhanced positions, light curves, hardness ratios and spectra presented in this paper. Software using these methods continues to create such products for all new GRBs observed by the Swift-XRT. We also detail web-based tools allowing users to create these products for any object observed by the XRT, not just GRBs. In Sections 4-6, we present the results of our analysis of GRBs, including probability distribution functions of the temporal and spectral properties of the sample. We demonstrate evidence for a consistent underlying behaviour which can produce a range of light-curve morphologies, and attempt to interpret this behaviour in the framework of external forward shock emission. We find several difficulties, in particular that reconciliation of our data with the forward shock model requires energy injection to continue for days to weeks.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1177-1201
Number of pages	25
Journal	Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume	397
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x
State	Published - Aug 2009

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

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Evans, P. A., Beardmore, A. P., Page, K. L., Osborne, J. P., O'Brien, P. T., Willingale, R., Starling, R. L. C., Burrows, D. N., Godet, O., Vetere, L., Racusin, J., Goad, M. R., Wiersema, K., Angelini, L., Capalbi, M., Chincarini, G., Gehrels, N., Kennea, J. A., Margutti, R., ... Tanvir, N. (2009). Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 397(3), 1177-1201. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

@article{1c52a0d6dc59444ebc5a7c213d1a17b3,

title = "Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs",

abstract = "We present a homogeneous X-ray analysis of all 318 gamma-ray bursts detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT) on the Swift satellite up to 2008 July 23; this represents the largest sample of X-ray GRB data published to date. In Sections 2-3, we detail the methods which the Swift-XRT team has developed to produce the enhanced positions, light curves, hardness ratios and spectra presented in this paper. Software using these methods continues to create such products for all new GRBs observed by the Swift-XRT. We also detail web-based tools allowing users to create these products for any object observed by the XRT, not just GRBs. In Sections 4-6, we present the results of our analysis of GRBs, including probability distribution functions of the temporal and spectral properties of the sample. We demonstrate evidence for a consistent underlying behaviour which can produce a range of light-curve morphologies, and attempt to interpret this behaviour in the framework of external forward shock emission. We find several difficulties, in particular that reconciliation of our data with the forward shock model requires energy injection to continue for days to weeks.",

author = "Evans, {P. A.} and Beardmore, {A. P.} and Page, {K. L.} and Osborne, {J. P.} and O'Brien, {P. T.} and R. Willingale and Starling, {R. L.C.} and Burrows, {D. N.} and O. Godet and L. Vetere and J. Racusin and Goad, {M. R.} and K. Wiersema and L. Angelini and M. Capalbi and G. Chincarini and N. Gehrels and Kennea, {J. A.} and R. Margutti and Morris, {D. C.} and Mountford, {C. J.} and C. Pagani and M. Perri and P. Romano and N. Tanvir",

year = "2009",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "397",

pages = "1177--1201",

journal = "Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society",

issn = "0035-8711",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

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Evans, PA, Beardmore, AP, Page, KL, Osborne, JP, O'Brien, PT, Willingale, R, Starling, RLC, Burrows, DN, Godet, O, Vetere, L, Racusin, J, Goad, MR, Wiersema, K, Angelini, L, Capalbi, M, Chincarini, G, Gehrels, N, Kennea, JA, Margutti, R, Morris, DC, Mountford, CJ, Pagani, C, Perri, M, Romano, P & Tanvir, N 2009, 'Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs', Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, vol. 397, no. 3, pp. 1177-1201. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

TY - JOUR

T1 - Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs

AU - Evans, P. A.

AU - Beardmore, A. P.

AU - Page, K. L.

AU - Osborne, J. P.

AU - O'Brien, P. T.

AU - Willingale, R.

AU - Starling, R. L.C.

AU - Burrows, D. N.

AU - Godet, O.

AU - Vetere, L.

AU - Racusin, J.

AU - Goad, M. R.

AU - Wiersema, K.

AU - Angelini, L.

AU - Capalbi, M.

AU - Chincarini, G.

AU - Gehrels, N.

AU - Kennea, J. A.

AU - Margutti, R.

AU - Morris, D. C.

AU - Mountford, C. J.

AU - Pagani, C.

AU - Perri, M.

AU - Romano, P.

AU - Tanvir, N.

PY - 2009/8

Y1 - 2009/8

N2 - We present a homogeneous X-ray analysis of all 318 gamma-ray bursts detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT) on the Swift satellite up to 2008 July 23; this represents the largest sample of X-ray GRB data published to date. In Sections 2-3, we detail the methods which the Swift-XRT team has developed to produce the enhanced positions, light curves, hardness ratios and spectra presented in this paper. Software using these methods continues to create such products for all new GRBs observed by the Swift-XRT. We also detail web-based tools allowing users to create these products for any object observed by the XRT, not just GRBs. In Sections 4-6, we present the results of our analysis of GRBs, including probability distribution functions of the temporal and spectral properties of the sample. We demonstrate evidence for a consistent underlying behaviour which can produce a range of light-curve morphologies, and attempt to interpret this behaviour in the framework of external forward shock emission. We find several difficulties, in particular that reconciliation of our data with the forward shock model requires energy injection to continue for days to weeks.

AB - We present a homogeneous X-ray analysis of all 318 gamma-ray bursts detected by the X-ray telescope (XRT) on the Swift satellite up to 2008 July 23; this represents the largest sample of X-ray GRB data published to date. In Sections 2-3, we detail the methods which the Swift-XRT team has developed to produce the enhanced positions, light curves, hardness ratios and spectra presented in this paper. Software using these methods continues to create such products for all new GRBs observed by the Swift-XRT. We also detail web-based tools allowing users to create these products for any object observed by the XRT, not just GRBs. In Sections 4-6, we present the results of our analysis of GRBs, including probability distribution functions of the temporal and spectral properties of the sample. We demonstrate evidence for a consistent underlying behaviour which can produce a range of light-curve morphologies, and attempt to interpret this behaviour in the framework of external forward shock emission. We find several difficulties, in particular that reconciliation of our data with the forward shock model requires energy injection to continue for days to weeks.

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U2 - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x

M3 - Article

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JO - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

JF - Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

IS - 3

ER -

Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift-XRT observations of GRBs

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