학술논문
An infrared flash contemporaneous with the γ-rays of GRB 041219a
Document Type
Academic Journal
Author
Blake, C. H.; Bloom, J. S.; Starr, D. L.; Falco, E. E.; Skrutskie, M.; Fenimore, E. E.; Duchêne, G.; Szentgyorgyi, A.; Hornstein, S.; Prochaska, J. X.; McCabe, C.; Ghez, A.; Konopacky, Q.; Stapelfeldt, K.; Hurley, K.; Campbell, R.; Kassis, M.; Chaffee, F.; Gehrels, N.; Barthelmy, S.; Cummings, J. R.; Hullinger, D.; Krimm, H. A.; Markwardt, C. B.; Palmer, D.; Parsons, A.; McLean, K.; Tueller, J.
Source
Nature. May 12, 2005 435(7039):181-184
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
0028-0836
Abstract
The explosion that results in a cosmic γ-ray burst (GRB) is thought to produce emission from two physical processes: the central engine gives rise to the high-energy emission of the burst through internal shocking, and the subsequent interaction of the flow with the external environment produces long-wavelength afterglows. Although observations of afterglows continue to refine our understanding of GRB progenitors and relativistic shocks, γ-ray observations alone have not yielded a clear picture of the origin of the prompt emission nor details of the central engine. Only one concurrent visible-light transient has been found and it was associated with emission from an external shock. Here we report the discovery of infrared emission contemporaneous with a GRB, beginning 7.2 minutes after the onset of GRB 041219a (ref. ). We acquired 21 images during the active phase of the burst, yielding early multi-colour observations. Our analysis of the initial infrared pulse suggests an origin consistent with internal shocks.