Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow

A. Cucchiara; P. Veres; A. Corsi; S. B. Cenko; D. A. Perley; A. Lien; F. E. Marshall; C. Pagani; V. L. Toy; J. I. Capone; D. A. Frail; A. Horesh; M. Modjaz; N. R. Butler; O. M. Littlejohns; A. M. Watson; A. S. Kutyrev; W. H. Lee; M. G. Richer; C. R. Klein; O. D. Fox; J. X. Prochaska; J. S. Bloom; E. Troja; E. Ramirez-Ruiz; J. A. De Diego; L. Georgiev; J. González; C. G. Román-Zñiga; N. Gehrels; H. Moseley

doi:10.1088/0004-637X/812/2/122

Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow

A. Cucchiara, P. Veres, A. Corsi, S. B. Cenko, D. A. Perley, A. Lien, F. E. Marshall, C. Pagani, V. L. Toy, J. I. Capone, D. A. Frail, A. Horesh, M. Modjaz, N. R. Butler, O. M. Littlejohns, A. M. Watson, A. S. Kutyrev, W. H. Lee, M. G. Richer, C. R. KleinO. D. Fox, J. X. Prochaska, J. S. Bloom, E. Troja, E. Ramirez-Ruiz, J. A. De Diego, L. Georgiev, J. González, C. G. Román-Zñiga, N. Gehrels, H. Moseley

Earth and Space Exploration, School of (SESE)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present our extensive observational campaign on the Swift-discovered GRB 141121A, almost 10 years after its launch. Our observations cover radio through X-rays and extend for more than 30 days after discovery. The prompt phase of GRB 141121A lasted 1410 s and, at the derived redshift of z = 1.469, the isotropic energy is E_γ,iso = 8.0 10⁵² erg. Due to the long prompt duration, GRB 141121A falls into the recently discovered class of ultra-long GRBs (UL-GRBs). Peculiar features of this burst are (1) a flat early-time optical light curve and (2) a radio-to-X-ray rebrightening around three days after the burst. The latter is followed by a steep optical-to-X-ray decay and a much shallower radio fading. We analyze GRB 141121A in the context of the standard forward-reverse shock (FS, RS) scenario and we disentangle the FS and RS contributions. Finally, we comment on the puzzling early-time (t ≲ 3 days) behavior of GRB 141121A, and suggest that its interpretation may require a two-component jet model. Overall, our analysis confirms that the class of UL-GRBs represents our best opportunity to firmly establish the prominent emission mechanisms in action during powerful gamma-ray burst explosions, and future missions (like SVOM, XTiDE, or ISS-Lobster) will provide many more of such objects.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	122
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	812
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/812/2/122
State	Published - Oct 20 2015

Keywords

gamma-ray burst: general
gamma-ray burst: individual (GRB 141121A)

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Nuclear and High Energy Physics

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10.1088/0004-637X/812/2/122

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Cucchiara, A., Veres, P., Corsi, A., Cenko, S. B., Perley, D. A., Lien, A., Marshall, F. E., Pagani, C., Toy, V. L., Capone, J. I., Frail, D. A., Horesh, A., Modjaz, M., Butler, N. R., Littlejohns, O. M., Watson, A. M., Kutyrev, A. S., Lee, W. H., Richer, M. G., ... Moseley, H. (2015). Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow. Astrophysical Journal, 812(2), Article 122. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/812/2/122

Cucchiara, A, Veres, P, Corsi, A, Cenko, SB, Perley, DA, Lien, A, Marshall, FE, Pagani, C, Toy, VL, Capone, JI, Frail, DA, Horesh, A, Modjaz, M, Butler, NR, Littlejohns, OM, Watson, AM, Kutyrev, AS, Lee, WH, Richer, MG, Klein, CR, Fox, OD, Prochaska, JX, Bloom, JS, Troja, E, Ramirez-Ruiz, E, De Diego, JA, Georgiev, L, González, J, Román-Zñiga, CG, Gehrels, N & Moseley, H 2015, 'Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 812, no. 2, 122. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/812/2/122

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title = "Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow",

abstract = "We present our extensive observational campaign on the Swift-discovered GRB 141121A, almost 10 years after its launch. Our observations cover radio through X-rays and extend for more than 30 days after discovery. The prompt phase of GRB 141121A lasted 1410 s and, at the derived redshift of z = 1.469, the isotropic energy is Eγ,iso = 8.0 1052 erg. Due to the long prompt duration, GRB 141121A falls into the recently discovered class of ultra-long GRBs (UL-GRBs). Peculiar features of this burst are (1) a flat early-time optical light curve and (2) a radio-to-X-ray rebrightening around three days after the burst. The latter is followed by a steep optical-to-X-ray decay and a much shallower radio fading. We analyze GRB 141121A in the context of the standard forward-reverse shock (FS, RS) scenario and we disentangle the FS and RS contributions. Finally, we comment on the puzzling early-time (t ≲ 3 days) behavior of GRB 141121A, and suggest that its interpretation may require a two-component jet model. Overall, our analysis confirms that the class of UL-GRBs represents our best opportunity to firmly establish the prominent emission mechanisms in action during powerful gamma-ray burst explosions, and future missions (like SVOM, XTiDE, or ISS-Lobster) will provide many more of such objects.",

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author = "A. Cucchiara and P. Veres and A. Corsi and Cenko, {S. B.} and Perley, {D. A.} and A. Lien and Marshall, {F. E.} and C. Pagani and Toy, {V. L.} and Capone, {J. I.} and Frail, {D. A.} and A. Horesh and M. Modjaz and Butler, {N. R.} and Littlejohns, {O. M.} and Watson, {A. M.} and Kutyrev, {A. S.} and Lee, {W. H.} and Richer, {M. G.} and Klein, {C. R.} and Fox, {O. D.} and Prochaska, {J. X.} and Bloom, {J. S.} and E. Troja and E. Ramirez-Ruiz and {De Diego}, {J. A.} and L. Georgiev and J. Gonz{\'a}lez and Rom{\'a}n-Z{\~n}iga, {C. G.} and N. Gehrels and H. Moseley",

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T1 - Happy birthday swift

T2 - Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow

AU - Cucchiara, A.

AU - Veres, P.

AU - Corsi, A.

AU - Cenko, S. B.

AU - Perley, D. A.

AU - Lien, A.

AU - Marshall, F. E.

AU - Pagani, C.

AU - Toy, V. L.

AU - Capone, J. I.

AU - Frail, D. A.

AU - Horesh, A.

AU - Modjaz, M.

AU - Butler, N. R.

AU - Littlejohns, O. M.

AU - Watson, A. M.

AU - Kutyrev, A. S.

AU - Lee, W. H.

AU - Richer, M. G.

AU - Klein, C. R.

AU - Fox, O. D.

AU - Prochaska, J. X.

AU - Bloom, J. S.

AU - Troja, E.

AU - Ramirez-Ruiz, E.

AU - De Diego, J. A.

AU - Georgiev, L.

AU - González, J.

AU - Román-Zñiga, C. G.

AU - Gehrels, N.

AU - Moseley, H.

PY - 2015/10/20

Y1 - 2015/10/20

N2 - We present our extensive observational campaign on the Swift-discovered GRB 141121A, almost 10 years after its launch. Our observations cover radio through X-rays and extend for more than 30 days after discovery. The prompt phase of GRB 141121A lasted 1410 s and, at the derived redshift of z = 1.469, the isotropic energy is Eγ,iso = 8.0 1052 erg. Due to the long prompt duration, GRB 141121A falls into the recently discovered class of ultra-long GRBs (UL-GRBs). Peculiar features of this burst are (1) a flat early-time optical light curve and (2) a radio-to-X-ray rebrightening around three days after the burst. The latter is followed by a steep optical-to-X-ray decay and a much shallower radio fading. We analyze GRB 141121A in the context of the standard forward-reverse shock (FS, RS) scenario and we disentangle the FS and RS contributions. Finally, we comment on the puzzling early-time (t ≲ 3 days) behavior of GRB 141121A, and suggest that its interpretation may require a two-component jet model. Overall, our analysis confirms that the class of UL-GRBs represents our best opportunity to firmly establish the prominent emission mechanisms in action during powerful gamma-ray burst explosions, and future missions (like SVOM, XTiDE, or ISS-Lobster) will provide many more of such objects.

AB - We present our extensive observational campaign on the Swift-discovered GRB 141121A, almost 10 years after its launch. Our observations cover radio through X-rays and extend for more than 30 days after discovery. The prompt phase of GRB 141121A lasted 1410 s and, at the derived redshift of z = 1.469, the isotropic energy is Eγ,iso = 8.0 1052 erg. Due to the long prompt duration, GRB 141121A falls into the recently discovered class of ultra-long GRBs (UL-GRBs). Peculiar features of this burst are (1) a flat early-time optical light curve and (2) a radio-to-X-ray rebrightening around three days after the burst. The latter is followed by a steep optical-to-X-ray decay and a much shallower radio fading. We analyze GRB 141121A in the context of the standard forward-reverse shock (FS, RS) scenario and we disentangle the FS and RS contributions. Finally, we comment on the puzzling early-time (t ≲ 3 days) behavior of GRB 141121A, and suggest that its interpretation may require a two-component jet model. Overall, our analysis confirms that the class of UL-GRBs represents our best opportunity to firmly establish the prominent emission mechanisms in action during powerful gamma-ray burst explosions, and future missions (like SVOM, XTiDE, or ISS-Lobster) will provide many more of such objects.

KW - gamma-ray burst: general

KW - gamma-ray burst: individual (GRB 141121A)

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JF - Astrophysical Journal

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ER -

Happy birthday swift: Ultra-long GRB 141121A and its broadband afterglow

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Keywords

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