A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A

A. U. Abeysekara; A. Archer; W. Benbow; R. Bird; R. Brose; M. Buchovecky; V. Bugaev; M. P. Connolly; W. Cui; M. Errando; A. D. Falcone; Q. Feng; J. P. Finley; A. Flinders; L. F. Fortson; A. Furniss; G. H. Gillanders; M. Hütten; D. Hanna; O. Hervet; J. Holder; G. Hughes; T. B. Humensky; C. A. Johnson; P. Kaaret; P. Kar; N. Kelley-Hoskins; M. Kertzman; D. Kieda; M. Krause; F. Krennrich; M. J. Lang; T. T. Y. Lin; G. Maier; S. McArthur; P. Moriarty; R. Mukherjee; S. O'Brien; R. A. Ong; N. Park; J. S. Perkins; A. Petrashyk; M. Pohl; A. Popkow; E. Pueschel; J. Quinn; K. Ragan; P. T. Reynolds; G. T. Richards; E. Roache; C. B. Rulten; I. Sadeh; M. Santander; G. H. Sembroski; K. Shahinyan; J. Tyler; S. P. Wakely; O. M. Weiner; A. Weinstein; R. M. Wells; P. Wilcox; A. Wilhelm; D. A. Williams; B. Zitzer; Indrek Vurm; Andrei Beloborodov

doi:10.13025/28723

A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A

A. U. Abeysekara
, A. Archer
, W. Benbow
, R. Bird
, R. Brose
, M. Buchovecky
, V. Bugaev
, M. P. Connolly
, W. Cui
, M. Errando
, A. D. Falcone
, Q. Feng
, J. P. Finley
, A. Flinders
, L. F. Fortson
, A. Furniss
, G. H. Gillanders
, M. Hütten
, D. Hanna
, O. Hervet

J. Holder, G. Hughes, T. B. Humensky, C. A. Johnson, P. Kaaret, P. Kar, N. Kelley-Hoskins, M. Kertzman, D. Kieda, M. Krause, F. Krennrich, M. J. Lang, T. T. Y. Lin, G. Maier, S. McArthur, P. Moriarty, R. Mukherjee, S. O'Brien, R. A. Ong, N. Park, J. S. Perkins, A. Petrashyk, M. Pohl, A. Popkow, E. Pueschel, J. Quinn, K. Ragan, P. T. Reynolds, G. T. Richards, E. Roache, C. B. Rulten, I. Sadeh, M. Santander, G. H. Sembroski, K. Shahinyan, J. Tyler, S. P. Wakely, O. M. Weiner, A. Weinstein, R. M. Wells, P. Wilcox, A. Wilhelm, D. A. Williams, B. Zitzer, Indrek Vurm, Andrei Beloborodov

Research output: Contribution to a Journal (Peer & Non Peer) › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

On 2015 March 23, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) responded to a Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) detection of a gamma-ray burst, with observations beginning 270 s after the onset of BAT emission, and only 135 s after the main BAT emission peak. No statistically significant signal is detected above 140 GeV. The VERITAS upper limit on the fluence in a 40-minute integration corresponds to about 1% of the prompt fluence. Our limit is particularly significant because the very-high-energy (VHE) observation started only ∼2 minutes after the prompt emission peaked, and Fermi-Large Area Telescope observations of numerous other bursts have revealed that the high-energy emission is typically delayed relative to the prompt radiation and lasts significantly longer. Also, the proximity of GRB 150323A (z = 0.593) limits the attenuation by the extragalactic background light to ∼50% at 100-200 GeV. We conclude that GRB 150323A had an intrinsically very weak high-energy afterglow, or that the GeV spectrum had a turnover below ∼100 GeV. If the GRB exploded into the stellar wind of a massive progenitor, the VHE non-detection constrains the wind density parameter to be A ≳ 3 × 10¹¹ g cm^-1, consistent with a standard Wolf-Rayet progenitor. Alternatively, the VHE emission from the blast wave would be weak in a very tenuous medium such as the interstellar medium, which therefore cannot be ruled out as the environment of GRB 150323A....

Original language	English
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.13025/28723 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aab371
Publication status	Published - Apr 2018

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10.13025/28723Licence: CC BY-NC-ND
10.3847/1538-4357/aab371

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Abeysekara, A. U., Archer, A., Benbow, W., Bird, R., Brose, R., Buchovecky, M., Bugaev, V., Connolly, M. P., Cui, W., Errando, M., Falcone, A. D., Feng, Q., Finley, J. P., Flinders, A., Fortson, L. F., Furniss, A., Gillanders, G. H., Hütten, M., Hanna, D., ... Beloborodov, A. (2018). A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A. The Astrophysical Journal. https://doi.org/10.13025/28723, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aab371

@article{57d378470c2f4e808cd26ea506728d6c,

title = "A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A",

abstract = "On 2015 March 23, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) responded to a Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) detection of a gamma-ray burst, with observations beginning 270 s after the onset of BAT emission, and only 135 s after the main BAT emission peak. No statistically significant signal is detected above 140 GeV. The VERITAS upper limit on the fluence in a 40-minute integration corresponds to about 1\% of the prompt fluence. Our limit is particularly significant because the very-high-energy (VHE) observation started only ∼2 minutes after the prompt emission peaked, and Fermi-Large Area Telescope observations of numerous other bursts have revealed that the high-energy emission is typically delayed relative to the prompt radiation and lasts significantly longer. Also, the proximity of GRB 150323A (z = 0.593) limits the attenuation by the extragalactic background light to ∼50\% at 100-200 GeV. We conclude that GRB 150323A had an intrinsically very weak high-energy afterglow, or that the GeV spectrum had a turnover below ∼100 GeV. If the GRB exploded into the stellar wind of a massive progenitor, the VHE non-detection constrains the wind density parameter to be A ≳ 3 × 1011 g cm-1, consistent with a standard Wolf-Rayet progenitor. Alternatively, the VHE emission from the blast wave would be weak in a very tenuous medium such as the interstellar medium, which therefore cannot be ruled out as the environment of GRB 150323A....",

author = "Abeysekara, \{A. U.\} and A. Archer and W. Benbow and R. Bird and R. Brose and M. Buchovecky and V. Bugaev and Connolly, \{M. P.\} and W. Cui and M. Errando and Falcone, \{A. D.\} and Q. Feng and Finley, \{J. P.\} and A. Flinders and Fortson, \{L. F.\} and A. Furniss and Gillanders, \{G. H.\} and M. H{\"u}tten and D. Hanna and O. Hervet and J. Holder and G. Hughes and Humensky, \{T. B.\} and Johnson, \{C. A.\} and P. Kaaret and P. Kar and N. Kelley-Hoskins and M. Kertzman and D. Kieda and M. Krause and F. Krennrich and Lang, \{M. J.\} and Lin, \{T. T. Y.\} and G. Maier and S. McArthur and P. Moriarty and R. Mukherjee and S. O'Brien and Ong, \{R. A.\} and N. Park and Perkins, \{J. S.\} and A. Petrashyk and M. Pohl and A. Popkow and E. Pueschel and J. Quinn and K. Ragan and Reynolds, \{P. T.\} and Richards, \{G. T.\} and E. Roache and Rulten, \{C. B.\} and I. Sadeh and M. Santander and Sembroski, \{G. H.\} and K. Shahinyan and J. Tyler and Wakely, \{S. P.\} and Weiner, \{O. M.\} and A. Weinstein and Wells, \{R. M.\} and P. Wilcox and A. Wilhelm and Williams, \{D. A.\} and B. Zitzer and Indrek Vurm and Andrei Beloborodov",

year = "2018",

month = apr,

doi = "10.13025/28723",

language = "English",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal",

}

Abeysekara, AU, Archer, A, Benbow, W, Bird, R, Brose, R, Buchovecky, M, Bugaev, V, Connolly, MP, Cui, W, Errando, M, Falcone, AD, Feng, Q, Finley, JP, Flinders, A, Fortson, LF, Furniss, A, Gillanders, GH, Hütten, M, Hanna, D, Hervet, O, Holder, J, Hughes, G, Humensky, TB, Johnson, CA, Kaaret, P, Kar, P, Kelley-Hoskins, N, Kertzman, M, Kieda, D, Krause, M, Krennrich, F, Lang, MJ, Lin, TTY, Maier, G, McArthur, S, Moriarty, P, Mukherjee, R, O'Brien, S, Ong, RA, Park, N, Perkins, JS, Petrashyk, A, Pohl, M, Popkow, A, Pueschel, E, Quinn, J, Ragan, K, Reynolds, PT, Richards, GT, Roache, E, Rulten, CB, Sadeh, I, Santander, M, Sembroski, GH, Shahinyan, K, Tyler, J, Wakely, SP, Weiner, OM, Weinstein, A, Wells, RM, Wilcox, P, Wilhelm, A, Williams, DA, Zitzer, B, Vurm, I & Beloborodov, A 2018, 'A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A', The Astrophysical Journal. https://doi.org/10.13025/28723, https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aab371

TY - JOUR

T1 - A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A

AU - Abeysekara, A. U.

AU - Archer, A.

AU - Benbow, W.

AU - Bird, R.

AU - Brose, R.

AU - Buchovecky, M.

AU - Bugaev, V.

AU - Connolly, M. P.

AU - Cui, W.

AU - Errando, M.

AU - Falcone, A. D.

AU - Feng, Q.

AU - Finley, J. P.

AU - Flinders, A.

AU - Fortson, L. F.

AU - Furniss, A.

AU - Gillanders, G. H.

AU - Hütten, M.

AU - Hanna, D.

AU - Hervet, O.

AU - Holder, J.

AU - Hughes, G.

AU - Humensky, T. B.

AU - Johnson, C. A.

AU - Kaaret, P.

AU - Kar, P.

AU - Kelley-Hoskins, N.

AU - Kertzman, M.

AU - Kieda, D.

AU - Krause, M.

AU - Krennrich, F.

AU - Lang, M. J.

AU - Lin, T. T. Y.

AU - Maier, G.

AU - McArthur, S.

AU - Moriarty, P.

AU - Mukherjee, R.

AU - O'Brien, S.

AU - Ong, R. A.

AU - Park, N.

AU - Perkins, J. S.

AU - Petrashyk, A.

AU - Pohl, M.

AU - Popkow, A.

AU - Pueschel, E.

AU - Quinn, J.

AU - Ragan, K.

AU - Reynolds, P. T.

AU - Richards, G. T.

AU - Roache, E.

AU - Rulten, C. B.

AU - Sadeh, I.

AU - Santander, M.

AU - Sembroski, G. H.

AU - Shahinyan, K.

AU - Tyler, J.

AU - Wakely, S. P.

AU - Weiner, O. M.

AU - Weinstein, A.

AU - Wells, R. M.

AU - Wilcox, P.

AU - Wilhelm, A.

AU - Williams, D. A.

AU - Zitzer, B.

AU - Vurm, Indrek

AU - Beloborodov, Andrei

PY - 2018/4

Y1 - 2018/4

N2 - On 2015 March 23, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) responded to a Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) detection of a gamma-ray burst, with observations beginning 270 s after the onset of BAT emission, and only 135 s after the main BAT emission peak. No statistically significant signal is detected above 140 GeV. The VERITAS upper limit on the fluence in a 40-minute integration corresponds to about 1% of the prompt fluence. Our limit is particularly significant because the very-high-energy (VHE) observation started only ∼2 minutes after the prompt emission peaked, and Fermi-Large Area Telescope observations of numerous other bursts have revealed that the high-energy emission is typically delayed relative to the prompt radiation and lasts significantly longer. Also, the proximity of GRB 150323A (z = 0.593) limits the attenuation by the extragalactic background light to ∼50% at 100-200 GeV. We conclude that GRB 150323A had an intrinsically very weak high-energy afterglow, or that the GeV spectrum had a turnover below ∼100 GeV. If the GRB exploded into the stellar wind of a massive progenitor, the VHE non-detection constrains the wind density parameter to be A ≳ 3 × 1011 g cm-1, consistent with a standard Wolf-Rayet progenitor. Alternatively, the VHE emission from the blast wave would be weak in a very tenuous medium such as the interstellar medium, which therefore cannot be ruled out as the environment of GRB 150323A....

AB - On 2015 March 23, the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) responded to a Swift-Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) detection of a gamma-ray burst, with observations beginning 270 s after the onset of BAT emission, and only 135 s after the main BAT emission peak. No statistically significant signal is detected above 140 GeV. The VERITAS upper limit on the fluence in a 40-minute integration corresponds to about 1% of the prompt fluence. Our limit is particularly significant because the very-high-energy (VHE) observation started only ∼2 minutes after the prompt emission peaked, and Fermi-Large Area Telescope observations of numerous other bursts have revealed that the high-energy emission is typically delayed relative to the prompt radiation and lasts significantly longer. Also, the proximity of GRB 150323A (z = 0.593) limits the attenuation by the extragalactic background light to ∼50% at 100-200 GeV. We conclude that GRB 150323A had an intrinsically very weak high-energy afterglow, or that the GeV spectrum had a turnover below ∼100 GeV. If the GRB exploded into the stellar wind of a massive progenitor, the VHE non-detection constrains the wind density parameter to be A ≳ 3 × 1011 g cm-1, consistent with a standard Wolf-Rayet progenitor. Alternatively, the VHE emission from the blast wave would be weak in a very tenuous medium such as the interstellar medium, which therefore cannot be ruled out as the environment of GRB 150323A....

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10379/10077

U2 - 10.13025/28723

DO - 10.13025/28723

M3 - Article

JO - The Astrophysical Journal

JF - The Astrophysical Journal

ER -

A Strong Limit on the Very-high-energy Emission from GRB 150323A

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