Researchers from the Purple Mountain Observatory (PMO) of the Chinese language Academy of Sciences and the Italian Nationwide Institute for Astrophysics have proposed a brand new methodology to measure reasonably saturated sources of the Extremely-Violet Optical Telescope onboard the Swift satellite (Swift/UVOT), and recognized GRB 220101A as probably the most energetic ultraviolet/optical flare ever detected. The examine was revealed in Nature Astronomy on June 26.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are probably the most violent explosions within the universe. Their immediate radiation is principally within the mushy gamma-ray band and final briefly (i.e., from milliseconds to at most hours). The immediate emission is then adopted by the X-ray, optical and radio afterglow emission, which lasts for weeks and even years.
The immediate optical emission of GRB 080319B set the universe-wide luminosity document for an ultraviolet/optical emission in 2008. It was so brilliant that an observer in a darkish location might see it with the bare eye. The optical flare radiation from GRB 080319B traced the gamma-ray gentle curve and therefore the exercise of the central engine. However now, GRB 220101A has damaged the sooner document.
On New 12 months’s Day 2022, the Swift satellite detected a brand new burst, GRB 220101A. The redshift of GRB 220101A was measured at 4.618. At such a excessive redshift, the noticed optical photons have been within the ultraviolet band and suffered from very critical absorption. Consequently, the intrinsic radiation flux was about 100 occasions larger than the noticed worth. Simply 79 seconds after the burst, Swift/UVOT carried out a fast 150-second commentary in occasion mode within the white band.
The researchers then carried out high-time-resolution photometric evaluation that exposed a speedy evolution of the flux. Particularly, on the peak time the UVOT telescope was already reasonably saturated.
“We proposed a processing methodology for UVOT information, primarily based on the telescope’s level unfold operate, and verified that it certainly supplies dependable flux measurements,” mentioned Prof. Fan Yizhong from PMO, the corresponding writer of the examine. After the right distance and absorption corrections, absolutely the magnitude of the ultraviolet/optical emission of GRB 220101A reached -39.4, making it the one supply up to now with an absolute magnitude brighter than -39.
“It’s also the primary time to detect a particularly energetic ultraviolet/optical flare with a space telescope,” Prof. Fan added.
The luminosity of GRB 220101A is roughly 400 quadrillion occasions that of the sun, which breaks the 14-year document held by GRB 080319B. It additionally suggests a brand new astrophysical course of, demonstrating the range of bodily origins of super-bright optical-ultraviolet bursts.
The China–France Area Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) satellite, scheduled to launch in early 2024, is anticipated to have the ability to detect extraordinarily energetic ultraviolet/optical flares at even larger redshifts.
Extra data:
Zhi-Ping Jin et al, An optical–ultraviolet flare with absolute AB magnitude of −39.4 detected in GRB 220101A, Nature Astronomy (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-023-02005-w
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