Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. I. The Fields of GRBs 050709, 050724, 050911, and 051221a

Berger, E.; Shin, Min‐Su; Mulchaey, John S.; Jeltema, T.

doi:10.1086/512664

Cited by 35 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…However, the correlation between short bursts and clusters is not yet confirmed. The observations presented here are consistent with recent evidence that suggests that not all short bursts are limited to local clusters ( Berger et al 2007a( Berger et al , 2007b). …”

Section: Comparing Short-and Long-duration Grb Fieldssupporting

confidence: 92%

Connecting Gamma‐Ray Bursts and Galaxies: The Probability of Chance Coincidence1

Cobb

Bailyn

2008

ApJ

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Studies of gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies are crucial to understanding GRBs. However, since they are identified by the superposition in the plane of the sky of a GRB afterglow and a galaxy, there is always a possibility that an association represents a chance alignment, rather than a physical connection. We examine a uniform sample of 72 GRB fields to explore the probability of chance superpositions. There is typically a $1% chance that an optical afterglow will coincide with a galaxy by chance. While spurious host galaxy detections will, therefore, be rare, the possibility must be considered when examining individual GRB/host galaxy examples. It is also tempting to use the large and uniform collection of X-ray afterglow positions to search for GRB-associated galaxies. However, we find that approximately half of the 14 superpositions in our sample are likely to occur by chance, so in the case of GRBs localized only by an X-ray afterglow, even statistical studies are suspect.

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Section: Comparing Short-and Long-duration Grb Fieldssupporting

confidence: 92%

Connecting Gamma‐Ray Bursts and Galaxies: The Probability of Chance Coincidence1

Cobb

Bailyn

2008

ApJ

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“…Lewis et al 2003;Berger et al 2007). This suggests a spiraling out binary nature of their progenitor systems (Kramer 2006) made of neutron stars and/or white dwarfs leading to a black hole formation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

GRB 970228 and a class of GRBs with an initial spikelike emission

Bernardini¹,

Bianco²,

Caito³

et al. 2007

A&A

148

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Context. The discovery by Swift and HETE-2 of an afterglow emission associated possibly with short GRBs opened the new problematic of their nature and classification. This issue has been further enhanced by the observation of GRB 060614 and by a new analysis of the BATSE catalog which led to the identification of a new class of GRBs with "an occasional softer extended emission lasting tenths of seconds after an initial spikelike emission". Aims. We plan a twofold task: a) to fit this new class of "hybrid" sources within our "canonical GRB" scenario, where all GRBs are generated by a "common engine" (i.e. the gravitational collapse to a black hole); b) to propose GRB 970228 as the prototype of the above mentioned class, since it shares the same morphology and observational features. Methods. We analyze BeppoSAX data on GRB 970228 within the "fireshell" model and we determine the parameters describing the source and the CircumBurst Medium (CBM) needed to reproduce its light curves in the 40-700 keV and 2-26 keV energy bands. Results. We find that GRB 970228 is a "canonical GRB", like e.g. GRB 050315, with the main peculiarity of a particularly low average density of the CBM n cbm ∼ 10 −3 particles/cm 3 . We also simulate the light curve corresponding to a rescaled CBM density profile with n cbm = 1 particle/cm 3 . From such a comparison it follows that the total time-integrated luminosity is a faithful indicator of the nature of GRBs, contrary to the peak luminosity which is merely a function of the CBM density. Conclusions. We call attention on discriminating the short GRBs between the "genuine" and the "fake" ones. The "genuine" ones are intrinsically short, with baryon loading B < ∼ 10 −5 , as stated in our original classification. The "fake" ones, characterized by an initial spikelike emission followed by an extended emission lasting tenths of seconds, have a baryon loading 10 −4 < ∼ B ≤ 10 −2 . They are observed as such only due to an underdense CBM consistent with a galactic halo environment which deflates the afterglow intensity.

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“…To date two short bursts have been localized to clusters at z $ 0:2: GRB 050509b (Gehrels et al 2005;Bloom et al 2006) and GRB 050911 (Paper I). We note that in the latter case the large error circle prevents an association with a specific cluster galaxy, but the large early-type fraction of 80% (Berger et al 2007a) suggests that the burst was likely hosted by an earlytype galaxy. On the other hand, only one short GRB has been localized to a field early-type galaxy, GRB 050724 ( Berger et al 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

“…A complementary way to constrain the progenitor age distribution is to use the rates of short GRBs in clusters and the field (Berger et al 2007a;hereafter Paper I). This approach takes advantage of the following differences between cluster and field environments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. II. Predictions for the Rate of Short GRBs in Field and Cluster Early‐Type Galaxies

Shin

Berger

2007

ApJ

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We determine the relative rates of short GRBs in cluster and field early-type galaxies as a function of the age probability distribution of their progenitors, P() / n . This analysis takes advantage of the difference in the growth of stellar mass in clusters and in the field, which arises from the combined effects of the galaxy stellar mass function, the early-type fraction, and the dependence of star formation history on mass and environment. This approach complements the use of the early-to late-type host galaxy ratio, with the added benefit that the star formation histories of early-type galaxies are simpler than those of late-type galaxies, and any systematic differences between progenitors in early-and late-type galaxies are removed. We find that the ratio varies from R cluster /R Beld $ 0:5 for n ¼ À2 to $3 for n ¼ 2. Current observations indicate a ratio of about 2, corresponding to n $ 0 Y1. This is similar to the value inferred from the ratio of short GRBs in early-and late-type hosts, but it differs from the value of n % À1 for neutron star (NS) binaries in the Milky Way. We stress that this general approach can be easily modified with improved knowledge of the effects of environment and mass on the build-up of stellar mass, as well as the effect of globular clusters on the short GRB rate. It can also be used to assess the age distribution of Type Ia supernova progenitors.

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Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. I. The Fields of GRBs 050709, 050724, 050911, and 051221a

Cited by 35 publications

References 48 publications

Connecting Gamma‐Ray Bursts and Galaxies: The Probability of Chance Coincidence1

Connecting Gamma‐Ray Bursts and Galaxies: The Probability of Chance Coincidence1

GRB 970228 and a class of GRBs with an initial spikelike emission

Galaxy Clusters Associated with Short GRBs. II. Predictions for the Rate of Short GRBs in Field and Cluster Early‐Type Galaxies

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