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Transient optical emission from the error box of the γ-ray burst of 28 February 1997

Author

Listed:
  • J. van Paradijs

    (University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics
    University of Alabama in Huntsville)

  • P. J. Groot

    (University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics)

  • T. Galama

    (University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics)

  • C. Kouveliotou

    (Universities Space Research Association
    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)

  • R. G. Strom

    (University of Amsterdam, and Center for High Energy Astrophysics
    Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy)

  • J. Telting

    (Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
    Isaac Newton Group)

  • R. G. M. Rutten

    (Netherlands Foundation for Research in Astronomy
    Isaac Newton Group)

  • G. J. Fishman

    (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)

  • C. A. Meegan

    (NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, ES-84)

  • M. Pettini

    (Royal Greenwich Observatory)

  • N. Tanvir

    (Institute of Astronomy)

  • J. Bloom

    (Institute of Astronomy)

  • H. Pedersen

    (Copenhagen University Observatory)

  • H. U. Nørdgaard-Nielsen

    (Danish Space Research Institute)

  • M. Linden-Vørnle

    (Danish Space Research Institute)

  • J. Melnick

    (European Southern Observatory)

  • G. van der Steene

    (European Southern Observatory)

  • M. Bremer

    (Leiden Observatory)

  • R. Naber

    (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute)

  • J. Heise

    (SRON Laboratory for Space Research)

  • J. in't Zand

    (SRON Laboratory for Space Research)

  • E. Costa

    (Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)

  • M. Feroci

    (Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)

  • L. Piro

    (Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale CNR)

  • F. Frontera

    (Universita di Ferrara)

  • G. Zavattini

    (Universita di Ferrara)

  • L. Nicastro

    (Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazione Extraterrestrie CNR)

  • E. Palazzi

    (Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazione Extraterrestrie CNR)

  • K. Bennet

    (ESA/ESTEC, Space Science Department)

  • L. Hanlon

    (University College Dublin)

  • A. Parmar

    (ESA/ESTEC, Space Science Department)

Abstract

For almost a quarter of a century1, the origin of γ-ray bursts— brief, energetic bursts of high-energy photons—has remained unknown. The detection of a counterpart at another wavelength has long been thought to be a key to understanding the nature of these bursts (see, for example, ref. 2), but intensive searches have not revealed such a counterpart. The distribution and properties of the bursts3 are explained naturally if they lie at cosmological distances (a few Gpc)4, but there is a countervailing view that they are relatively local objects5, perhaps distributed in a very large halo around our Galaxy. Here we report the detection of a transient and fading optical source in the error box associated with the burst GRB970228, less than 21 hours after the burst6,7. The optical transient appears to be associated with a faint galaxy7,8, suggesting that the burst occurred in that galaxy and thus that γ-ray bursts in general lie at cosmological distance.

Suggested Citation

  • J. van Paradijs & P. J. Groot & T. Galama & C. Kouveliotou & R. G. Strom & J. Telting & R. G. M. Rutten & G. J. Fishman & C. A. Meegan & M. Pettini & N. Tanvir & J. Bloom & H. Pedersen & H. U. Nørdgaa, 1997. "Transient optical emission from the error box of the γ-ray burst of 28 February 1997," Nature, Nature, vol. 386(6626), pages 686-689, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:386:y:1997:i:6626:d:10.1038_386686a0
    DOI: 10.1038/386686a0
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