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Investigation of Early Plasma Evolution Induced by Ultrashort Laser Pulses
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An origin for short gamma-ray bursts unassociated with current star formation
S D Barthelmy1, G Chincarini, D N Burrows
1NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA. scott@lheamail.gsfc.nasa.gov
Nature
|December 16, 2005
Summary
Short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are not from supernovae. New evidence suggests these cosmic explosions likely originate from merging neutron stars or black hole-neutron star binaries.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Cosmic explosions
- High-energy astronomy
Background:
- Two short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with detected afterglows had unclear host galaxy origins.
- One short GRB occurred in a star-forming dwarf galaxy, another in a likely elliptical galaxy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the origin of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).
- To investigate the host galaxy properties and progenitor systems of short GRBs.
Main Methods:
- X-ray localization of the short GRB 050724.
- Analysis of gamma-ray and X-ray afterglow properties.
- Comparison with previous GRB observations and theoretical models.
Main Results:
- GRB 050724's X-ray afterglow was localized off-center in an elliptical galaxy at redshift z = 0.258.
- The low star formation rate of elliptical galaxies makes a supernova origin unlikely for GRB 050724.
- Short GRBs exhibit significantly lower isotropic energy than long GRBs.
Conclusions:
- Short GRBs are unlikely to originate from supernova explosions.
- The coalescence of binary neutron stars or a neutron star-black hole pair is the likely progenitor of short GRBs.
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