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GRB 130427A: a nearby ordinary monster
A Maselli1, A Melandri, L Nava
1Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF)-Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica (IASF) Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153 I-90146 Palermo, Italy.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 23, 2013
Summary
Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are rare stellar collapse events. GRB 130427A, a nearby and luminous example, offers insights into the engines powering these cosmic explosions across the universe.
Area of Science:
- Astrophysics
- Cosmic explosions
- Stellar evolution
Background:
- Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are rare, powerful explosions from collapsing massive stars.
- They are typically observed in the distant universe, making detailed study challenging.
- GRB 130427A is an exceptionally luminous and relatively nearby event (z = 0.34).
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive multiwavelength analysis of GRB 130427A.
- To understand the emission evolution from the prompt to the afterglow phase.
- To investigate the central engine responsible for GRBs across cosmic time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Swift observatory.
- Incorporated observations from the Liverpool and Faulkes telescopes.
- Integrated data from various other ground-based facilities.
Main Results:
- GRB 130427A exhibited the highest observed fluence in the gamma-ray band.
- Detailed multiwavelength observations covered the prompt and afterglow phases.
- The burst's properties align with those of highly luminous, high-redshift GRBs.
Conclusions:
- GRB 130427A provides a unique nearby laboratory for studying GRB physics.
- A common central engine likely powers GRBs across cosmic epochs and energy ranges.
- This finding suggests a unified model for the origin of long-duration GRBs.
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