GRB 051227
GCN Circular 5191
Subject
GRB 051227 : WIDGET simultaneous optical observations
Date
2006-05-31T11:50:03Z (19 years ago)
From
Toru Tamagawa at RIKEN <tamagawa@riken.jp>
N. Kodaka, Y. Urata, M. Tashiro, K. Abe, K. Onda, K. Masuno (Saitama-U),
F. Usui (ISAS/JAXA), M. Kuwahara (TUS/RIKEN), T. Tamagawa (RIKEN) report:
"We observed the error region of GRB 051227 (Barbier et al. GCN 4397)
with the very wide-field camera WIDGET located at Akeno, Japan. WIDGET
monitored the region continuously with repeat of unfiltered 5-second
exposures between 187 minutes before and 12 minutes after the burst
trigger. We did not find any optical emission at the Swift XRT source
position (Beardmore et al. GCN 4402). The 1-sigma limiting magnitude
of each frame derived by the Tycho-2 catalog was around V=10.9
magnitudes."
This message may be cited.
GCN Circular 4421
Subject
GRB051227: SARA Observations
Date
2005-12-30T22:50:51Z (20 years ago)
From
Autumn Homewood at Clemson U <ahomewo@clemson.edu>
K.V. Garimella, A.L. Homewood, D.H. Hartmann (Clemson University), and
G.D. Henson (ETSU) on behalf of the SARA Consortium and the Clemson GRB
Follow-Up Team:
We began observations of GRB 051227 (Barbier et al, GCN 4397) beginning
December 28th, 06:20:31UT and ending 07:36:35UT approximately 12 hours
after the Swift Trigger (trigger=174738). We obtained 15 300-second
exposures in R-band with the SARA 0.9m telescope on Kitt Peak. Coadding
all exposures and comparing with the USNO A2.0 catalog reveals no new
source down to a detection limit of R=21.55 +/- 0.20 mag.
The SARA website can be found at http://www.saraobservatory.org .
The Clemson University GRB Response Site can be found at
http://people.clemson.edu/~kgarime/burst/ .
This message may be cited.
GCN Circular 4419
Subject
GRB 051227: Likely host galaxy underlying afterglow position
Date
2005-12-30T20:12:59Z (20 years ago)
From
Edo Berger at Carnegie Obs <eberger@ociw.edu>
E. Berger (Carnegie Observatories) and A. M. Soderberg (Caltech) report:
"We re-observed the error circle of GRB 051227 with Gemini/GMOS starting
on 2005 Dec. 30.35 UT (62.6 hr after the burst) for a total of 30 min in
r-band. Source S1 is clearly detected in our summed image with
r=25.8+/-0.2 mag.
Digital subtraction performed on this image and the previous two Gemini
images obtained on nights 1 and 2 (13.9 and 38.6 hr after the burst,
respectively; GCN 4414) reveals that following a decline of about 1 mag
between nights 1 and 2 (CGNs 4412,4413,4414), there has been no change in
flux between nights 2 and 3. This suggests that unless there has been a
significant flatenning in the afterglow decay, our detection of source S1
on night 3 represents the host galaxy of GRB 051227 and that the galaxy at
z=0.714 located 4.7" to the NE (GCNs 4408,4409) is unrelated to the burst.
Thus, the offset of GRB 051227 relative to its host is negligible, and the
actual redshift of the burst is most likely higher than z=0.7.
Therefore, GRB 051227 is either one of the highest redshift short GRBs
detected to date, or given the similarity in brightness to the hosts of
long GRBs, and the ambiguity as to the nature of the burst (GCN 4401), it
is in fact a long GRB."
GCN Circular 4418
Subject
GRB 051227: optical observation
Date
2005-12-30T12:08:31Z (20 years ago)
From
Nobuyuki Kawai at Tokyo Tech <nkawai@hp.phys.titech.ac.jp>
Kenshi Yanagisawa, Tsuyoshi Sakamoto (OAO/NAOJ), and N. Kawai (Tokyo
Tech) report on behalf of the MITSUME Collaboration:
"The field of GRB051227 (Barbier et al., GCN 4397) was observed with
the 3-color Mitsume 50cm Telescope at Okayama, Japan from 19:13 UT to
19:21 UT (1.1 to 1.4 hours after the burst), until the observation was
terminated by the cloudy weather. Coadding the 14 frames of 60 sec
exposure, we did not detect a source at the position of the afterglow
candidate noted by Malesani et al. (GCN 4404, 4407, 4412), Bloom et
al. (GCN 4408), Berger et al. (GCN 4410) and Roming et al. (GCN 4411).
The 10-sigma upper limits are g'=18.5, Rc=17.7, and Ic=17.1, which
were calibrated using the pre-burst SDSS observations (stars in the
file GRB051227_sdss.objects_magnitudes.dat, Cool et al., GCN 4399),
where the Rc and Ic magnitudes were converted from the g', r', and i'
magnitudes using the formula by Smith et al. (2002)."
GCN Circular 4415
Subject
GRB051227: Radio Observations
Date
2005-12-29T22:37:11Z (20 years ago)
From
Dale A. Frail at NRAO <dfrail@nrao.edu>
Dale A. Frail (NRAO) reports on behalf of a larger collaboration:
"We used the Very Large Array to observe the Swift burst GRB051227
(GCN 4397) at a frequency of 8.46 GHz on 2005 December 28.57 UT and
December 29.22 UT. No radio emission is detected within the XRT error
circle (GCN 4402). At the position of the optical afterglow (GCN 4408)
the formal flux density values are -21 +/- 28 uJy and 18 +/- 25,
respectively.
No further observations are planned.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National
Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated
Universities, Inc."
GCN Circular 4414
Subject
GRB 051227: Confirmed fading from Gemini observations
Date
2005-12-29T18:42:02Z (20 years ago)
From
Alicia Soderberg at Caltech <ams@astro.caltech.edu>
A. M. Soderberg (Caltech) and E. Berger (Carnegie Observatories) report:
"We re-observed the error circle of GRB 051227 with Gemini/GMOS starting
on 2005 Dec. 29.36 UT (38.6 hr after the burst) for a total of 25 min in
r-band. Digital image subtraction performed on this image and the one
obtained on the previous night (13.9 hr after the burst; GCN 4410)
confirms that source S1 has faded, as indicated by Malesani et al. (GCN
4412) and D'Avanazo et al. (GCN 4413)."
GCN Circular 4413
Subject
GRB051227: further analysis of VLT images
Date
2005-12-29T18:30:10Z (20 years ago)
From
Paolo D'Avanzo at INAF-OAB <davanzo@merate.mi.astro.it>
P. D'Avanzo, S. Covino (INAF/OABr), D. Malesani (SISSA), S. Piranomonte,
L.A. Antonelli (INAF/OAR), S. Campana (INAF/OABr), report on behalf of
the MISTICI collaboration:
We further analyzed our VLT images (Malesani et al., GCN 4404, 4412) of
GRB 051227 (Barbier et al., GCN 4397; Hullinger et al., GCN 4400;
Barthelmy et al., GCN 4401). Optimal subtraction performed with the ISIS
package on our two set of images (taken on Dec 28.2 and 29.2 UT) clearly
shows a dimming of the source S1 (Malesani et al., GCN 4404). A figure
showing the result of the subtraction can be found at the following URL:
http://www.sissa.it/~malesani/GRB/051227/subtraction.jpg
This message can be cited.
GCN Circular 4412
Subject
GRB 051227: optical afterglow
Date
2005-12-29T05:45:00Z (20 years ago)
From
Daniele Malesani at SISSA-ISAS,Trieste,Italy <malesani@sissa.it>
D. Malesani (SISSA), S. Covino (INAF/OABr), E. Depagne, C. Lidman, C.
Melo (ESO), S. Piranomonte, L.A. Antonelli (INAF/OARm), S. Campana, G.
Tagliaferri (INAF/OABr), G. Chincarini (Univ. Milano-Bicocca), M. Della
Valle (INAF/OAA), F. Fiore and L. Stella (INAF/OAR), report on behalf of
the MISTICI collaboration:
We observed again the field of GRB 051227 (Barbier et al., GCN 4397;
Hullinger et al., GCN 4400; Barthelmy et al., GCN 4401) with the ESO
VLT-UT2 equipped with FORS1. Observations started on 2005 Dec 29.1899
(1.4 d after the GRB), and secured 1 hour of net exposure in the R band.
Analysis of the first 6 frames (30 min exposure) reveals that the source
S1 individuated in the previous VLT images (Malesani et al., GCN 4404,
4407; see also Bloom et al., GCN 4408; Berger et al., GCN 4410; Roming
et al., GCN 4411) has dimmed by 1.1 +- 0.3 mag in the R band. Assuming a
power law decay, the decay slope is alpha = 0.9 +- 0.3.
This suggests that very likely S1 is the optical afterglow of GRB 051227.
This message can be cited.
GCN Circular 4411
Subject
GRB 051227: Swift/UVOT Upper Limits (Possible U-band
Date
2005-12-28T19:40:53Z (20 years ago)
From
Pete Roming at PSU <roming@astro.psu.edu>
P. Roming (PSU), L. Barbier (GSFC), M. Trippico (GSFC-SSAI), J. Nousek
(PSU) on behalf of the Swift/UVOT team
We have created summed images from Swift UVOT exposures of GRB051227
(Barbier et al., GCN 4397) taken through each of the broadband filters. No
source was detected at the XRT position (Beardmore et al. GCN 4402) or the
R-band VLT position (Malesani, GCN 4404) down to the
following 5-sigma upper limits (no correction has been made for the
expected visual extinction of about 0.14 magnitudes):
Filter T_range(s) Tot Exp(s) 5sigUL(mag)
V 96-4092 496 19.0
B 462-10250 617 20.2
U 408-6370 502 19.6
UVW1 354-5904 950 19.6
UVM2 300-4996 950 19.7
UVW2 571-3988 113 18.5
White 516-565 100 19.2
We note that from the U-band summed image a source is detected by the Swift
analysis tool, uvotsource, at the 4.0-sigma confidence coincident with the
position reported by Malesani. The magnitude is 19.8+/-0.3.
GCN Circular 4410
Subject
GRB 051227: Gemini observations
Date
2005-12-28T17:56:26Z (20 years ago)
From
Edo Berger at Carnegie Obs <eberger@ociw.edu>
E. Berger (Carnegie Observatories) reports:
"We imaged the error circle of GRB 051227 (GCNs 4397,4401) with GMOS on
the Gemini-north telescope starting on 2005, Dec. 28.33 UT (13.88 hr after
the burst). A total of 25 min were obtained in r-band in good seeing
conditions (0.75"). Within the refined XRT position (GCN 4402) we detect
source S1 (GCNs 4404,4407,4408) at coordinates (J2000):
RA = 08:20:58.107
DEC= +31:55:32.01
We also detect an additional faint source about 0.7" outside of the XRT
error circle (S2) which is not clearly visible in the finders provided by
Malesani et al. (GCN 4407) and Bloom et al. (GCN 4408) at coordinates:
RA = 08:20:57.773
DEC= +31:55:26.67
Using several nearby stars with SDSS calibration (GCN 4399) we determine
that source S1 has r=24.8+/-0.15 mag, while source S2 has r=25.5+/-0.25
mag. Since previous GCNs do not provide photometry of source S1 we are
unable to determine whether it has varied in brightness compared to
earlier observations.
A finding chart showing objects S1 and S2 is available at:
http://www.ociw.edu/~eberger/grb051227-gemini.ps
Further Gemini observations are planned."
GCN Circular 4409
Subject
GRB 051227: Keck Spectroscopy
Date
2005-12-28T14:04:14Z (20 years ago)
From
Ryan Foley at UC Berkeley <rfoley@astro.berkeley.edu>
R. J. Foley, J. S. Bloom (UC Berkeley), J. X. Prochaska, G. D.
Illingworth, B. P. Holden, D. Magee (UCO/Lick), P. Challis, and A. Garg
(CfA) report:
"We obtained 2x1500 sec spectra of the object found inside, S1 (GCN 4404,
4407, 4408), and the galaxy north-east, G1 (GCN 4408), of the XRT error
box of GRB 051227 (GCN 4402) with Keck II (+ DEIMOS). We detect
absorption lines at the position of the galaxy which we identify as Ca II
H&K at z = 0.714. We also detect emission lines which we identify as
[O II] 3727 and H beta.
If the GRB afterglow is S1 and at this redshift, then the offset from G1
to S1 would amount to 33.7 kpc in projection."
GCN Circular 4408
Subject
GRB 051227: Magellan r'-band Imaging/Astrometry
Date
2005-12-28T10:30:02Z (20 years ago)
From
Josh Bloom at UC Berkeley <jbloom@astron.berkeley.edu>
J. S. Bloom (UC Berkeley), P. Challis (CfA), A. Garg (CfA), and R.
Foley (UC Berkeley) report:
"Starting at 2005-12-28 06:16:19 UT, we began imaging the field of
GRB 051227 (GCNs 4397, 4400, 4401, 4403) with the Magellan 6.5m +
LDSS3 instrument (*). At an airmass of 2.1 the effective seeing was
0.62 arcsec. In each five minute exposure we detect the faint VLT
sources noted by Malesani et al. (GCNs 4404, 4407) near the XRT
localization (Beardmore et al., GCN 4402). Photometric analysis is
ongoing. We fit an astrometric world coordinate system using more
than one hundred objects common between the LDSS3 imaging and SDSS
(Cool et al. 4399) with an rms of 85 mas in each coordinate. Our
location of the possibly transient source (Malesani et al.; GCN 4407)
is (J2000):
RA 08:20:58.109
DEC +31:55:31.89
with a statistical uncertainty of 210 mas in each coordinate from
centroiding uncertainty. The absolute uncertainty is ~250 mas,
assuming 100 mas error in the absolute SDSS WCS. This is 1.89" S and
4.28" W of an apparent galaxy (SDSS J082058.46+315533.4; r = 22.9
mag; 08:20:58.445 +31:55:33.78). If the galaxy and the apparent
counterpart are at the redshift of the cluster (NSC J082047+315700 as
noted by Barbier GCN# 4397; z = 0.1753; Gal et al. 2003), then this
offset would amount to 13.7 kpc in projection."
A comparison finding chart between tonight's imaging with SDSS can be
found at:
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~jbloom/grb051227-ldss.ps
This message may be cited.
(*) http://www.ociw.edu/lco/magellan/instruments/LDSS3/
GCN Circular 4407
Subject
GRB 051227: refined analysis of VLT images
Date
2005-12-28T09:49:46Z (20 years ago)
From
Daniele Malesani at SISSA-ISAS,Trieste,Italy <malesani@sissa.it>
D. Malesani (SISSA), S. Piranomonte, L.A. Antonelli (INAF/OARm), S.
Campana (INAF/OABr), G. Chincarini (Univ. Milano-Bicocca), and L. Stella
(INAF/OARm), report on behalf of the MISTICI collaboration:
The field of GRB 051227 (Barbier et al., GCN 4397; Barthelmy et al., GCN
4401; Sakamoto et al., GCN 4403) was observed at two epochs with the
ESO-VLT UT2, equipped with FORS1. Exposure was 20 minutes per epoch,
with mean times 10.4 and 12.5 h after the GRB trigger.
Coaddition of all images confirms the presence of a single, faint source
(Malesani et al., GCN 4404) at the edge of the revised XRT error circle
(Beardmore et al., GCN 4402). A finding chart is posted at the following
link:
http://www.sissa.it/~malesani/GRB/051227/GRB051227_finder.jpg
The source inside the XRT error circle (S1) shows a marginal dimming in
the R band between the two epochs, by 0.34 +- 0.20 mag. The error was
estimated by looking at the variations of several objects with
brightness comparable to that of S1. We note that the seeing slightly
worsened between the two epochs, passing from 1.3" to 1.6".
GCN Circular 4406
Subject
GRB 051227: P60 Observations
Date
2005-12-28T08:13:51Z (20 years ago)
From
S. Bradley Cenko at Caltech <cenko@srl.caltech.edu>
S. Bradley Cenko, Alicia M. Soderberg, Eran Ofek (Caltech) and Derek B.
Fox (Penn State) report on behalf of the Caltech-NRAO-Carnegie GRB
Collaboration:
We have imaged the field of GRB 051227 (Barbier et al., GCN 4397;
Hullinger et al., GCN 4400; Barthelmy et al., GCN 4401; Sakamoto et al.,
GCN 4403) with the automated Palomar 60-inch telescope. Observations
consisted of 30 x 180 s images in the Kron R filter taken at a mean epoch
of approximately UT 28 December 05:50 (11.7 hours after the burst).
In a coaddition of all our images, we find no sources inside the revised
XRT error circle (Beardmore et al., GCN 4402) to a limiting magnitude of R
> 22.5 (calculated with respect to several nearby sources in the Guide
Star Catalog). In particular we note the candidate afterglow/host
proposed by Malesani et al. (GCN 4404) is not detected in our images to
the above limit.
GCN Circular 4405
Subject
GRB 051227: MDM Observation
Date
2005-12-28T05:39:41Z (20 years ago)
From
Jules Halpern at Columbia U. <jules@astro.columbia.edu>
J. P. Halpern & S. Tyagi (Columbia U.) report on behalf of the
MDM Observatory GRB follow-up team:
"We are observing the Swift XRT position (Beardmore et al., GCN 4402)
of GRB 051227 in the SDSS r filter with RETROCAM on the MDM 2.4m,
a medium-sized telescope on Kitt Peak, Arizona. Beginning on
Dec. 28 03:55 UT, or 9.9 hours after the burst, our first 15 minutes
of exposure yields no detection to a limit R > 23, referenced to the
SDSS photometry in the field (Cool et al., GCN 4399)."
GCN Circular 4404
Subject
GRB 051227: R-band object in the XRT error circle
Date
2005-12-28T05:39:12Z (20 years ago)
From
Daniele Malesani at SISSA-ISAS,Trieste,Italy <malesani@sissa.it>
D. Malesani (SISSA), S. Piranomonte, L.A. Antonelli (INAF/OAR), E.
Depagne, C. Lidman, C. Melo (ESO), S. Campana, S. Covino, G. Tagliaferri
(INAF/OABr), G. Chincarini (Univ. Milano-Bicocca), M. Della Valle
(INAF/OAA), F. Fiore, and L. Stella (INAF/OARm), report on behalf of the
MISTICI collaboration:
We observed the field of the hard (and possibly short) GRB 051227
(Barbier et al., GCN 4397; Barthelmy et al., GCN 4401; Sakamoto et al.,
GCN 4403) using the ESO VLT-UT2 (Kueyen) equipped with the FORS1
instrument. Observations started on 2005 Dec 28, 04:22 UT (~10.3 h after
the GRB), in the R band. Observations were conducted at high airmass and
moderate seeing (1.5").
Coadding three 5-min images, we detect inside the revised XRT error
circle (Beardmore et al., GCN 4402) one single, faint source, at the
coordinates (J2000):
alpha = 08:20:58.14
delta = +31:55:31.7
The astrometric error is about 0.5". This object is not seen in the
r-band SDSS images provided by Cool et al. (GCN 4399