Optical observations of gamma-ray bursts, the discovery of supernovae 2005bv, 2005ee, and 2006ak, and searches for transients using the “MASTER” robotic telescope

Abstract

We present the results of observations obtained using the MASTER robotic telescope in 2005 -2006, including the earliest observations of the optical emission of the gamma-ray bursts GRB 050824 and GRB 060926. Together with later observations, these data yield the brightness-variation law t −0.55±0.05 for GRB 050824. An optical flare was detected in GRB 060926 -a brightness enhancement that repeated the behavior observed in the X-ray variations. The spectrum of GRB 060926 is found to be F E ≈ E −β , where β = 1.0 ± 0.2. Limits on the optical brightnesses of 26 gamma-ray bursts have been derived, 9 of these for the first time. Data for more than 90% of the accessible sky down to 19 m were taken and reduced in real time during the survey. A database has been composed based on these data. Limits have been placed on the rate of optical flares that are not associated with detected gamma-ray bursts, and on the opening angle for the beams of gamma-ray bursts. Three new supernovae have been discovered: SN 2005bv (type Ia) -the first to be discovered on Russian territory, SN 2005ee -one of the most powerful type II supernovae known, and SN 2006ak (type Ia). We have obtained an image of SN 2006X during the growth stage and a light curve that fully describes the brightness maximum and exponential decay. A new method for searching for optical transients of gamma-ray bursts detected using triangulation from various spacecraft is proposed and tested.

The MASTER-II network of robotic optical telescopes. First results

“…In this section, we present a detailed history of GRB observations with our telescopes between September 2006 and February 2012. Earlier observational results have been published, for example, in [1,12], and analyzed theoretically in [13][14][15]. Results obtained using the VWF cameras are described in [16].…”

“…The search for supernovae with the MASTER network which was begun in Vostryakovo [1] We adopted the following method for searching for supernovae. One of the robotic telescopes acquires a frame, reduces this frame, and generates a list of unidentified objects, which can be inspected over the internet using a specially designed, interactive web interface.…”

“…The first Russian robotic MASTER telescope, located near Moscow, was designed in 2002-2006 at the Sternberg Astronomical Institute of Lomonosov Moscow State University (SAI) [1,2]. Over several * E-mail: pruzhinskaya@gmail.com years, the main principles for constructing an automated photometric system capable of addressing a wide range of tasks was developed on the basis of this instrument.…”

“…1 Both of the optical tubes are installed on a high-speed mount with position feedback, which does not require additional guide instruments for exposures not exceeding three to ten minutes. The setup also has an additional degree of freedom-the variable angle between the optical axes of the two tubes.…”

Discovery of an unusual bright eclipsing binary with the longest known period: TYC 2505-672-1/MASTER OT J095310.04+335352.8

“…During the usual night sky survey, the MASTER-Amur auto-detection system (Lipunov et al , 2007Gorbovskoy et al 2010) originally discovered the deep fading (the depth is greater than 4.5 mag) of the bright star TYC 2505-672-1, whose variability was previously unknown. MASTER-Amur is a node of MASTER (Mobile Astronomical System of the TElescope Robots) Global Robotic Net.…”