Observations of GRB optical afterglows

REM/ROSS activities
@IASF-BO
Nicola Masetti
IASF/CNR, Sezione di Bologna, Italy
REM, THE ROBOTIC TELESCOPE
• Diameter: 60 cm
• Location: La Silla (Chile)
• first light: 25 June 2003
• IR camera (J, H, K, z filters)
• ROSS optical camera (V, R, I
filters; 3700-9000 Å slitless
spectroscopy)
• fast repointing (< 10 s for 90°
slew)
• Limiting mags. (1 s, 3σ):
V  17.5; R  17.5; I  16.5;
J  15; H  14; K  13.5
THE REM NOTRE DÔME
THE OPTICAL SPECTROGRAPH
ROSS
PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ROSS
CORE GROUP:
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Eliana Palazzi (PS; IASF-BO)
Gino Tosti (PI; UniPG)
Nicola Masetti (IASF-BO)
Alessandro Monfardini (CARSO)
Luciano Nicastro (IASF-PA)
Elena Pian (INAF-OATs)
Carlo Bagaglia (UniPG)
Carlo Campeggi (UniPG)
Carlo Ferrigno (UniPA)
Giorgio Sciuto (UniPG)
SCIENCE TEAM:
• Lorenzo Amati, Filippo Frontera, Mauro Orlandini (IASF-BO)
• Marco Tavani (IASF-RM)
• John Danziger (INAF-OATs)
REM SCIENCE DRIVERS
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are powerful and fast-decaying
flashes of high-energy emission.
While the dataset of multiwavelength observations of their
emission as observed from hours to days (the “afterglow”) after
the GRB proper is now growing larger, the knowledge about their
early behaviour at optical/infrared energies is lacking.
This information, due to the unpredictability of GRB location in
the sky, can be achieved only by means of fast slewing (robotic)
small telescopes. Early optical/infrared detections will also serve
to trigger fast GRB followup at larger telescopes.
Besides, spectral coverage of the whole optical/infrared band
will allow characterizing the emission mechanisms at work in the
early GRB phases and to pinpoint the presence of high-z bursts
(or the lack thereof).
CAN REM/ROSS DO THIS?
Yes.
GRB990123
HOW ROSS CAN SEE DLA-GRBs
z = 3.37
mR = 10
texp = 1 sec
GRB030323 with VLT
Vreeswijk et al. (2003)
WHAT IS ROSS FOR?
Primary science (GRBs):
• fast detection of the GRB optical transient (OT);
• monitoring the OT overall spectral shape;
• finding the GRB redshift if 2.0 < z < 8.9
Secondary science:
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monitoring of AGNs;
detection of transient X-ray binaries;
monitoring of persistent X-ray binaries;
monitoring of flare stars.
INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT
Other robotic (or robotized) telescopes:
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Tarot
BOOTES
BART
ROTSE-III
RAPTOR
SuperLOTIS
KAIT
NEAT
(F)
(E)
(CZ)
(USA)
(USA)
(USA)
(USA)
(USA)
MoU for creation of REM-Nord
REM is however the only one capable to observe simultaneously from
3700 to 22500 Å within seconds after the GRB trigger.
FUNDING & GRANTS
• ASI grant 2001
• COFIN 2002 (grant for 2003-2004)
• Descartes prize 2002 (a fraction of)
GRB COLLABORATIONS
GRACE (GRB Afterglow Collaboration at ESO):
• Denmark
• Germany
• Italy (IASF + OATs)
• Netherlands
• Spain
• UK (+ USA)
Telescopes of Paranal
and La Silla plus
national telescopes
(barring TNG for
Italians)
CIBO (Consorzio Italiano Burst Ottici)
• INAF – Brera (Merate)
• INAF – Roma (Monteporzio)
• IASF – CNR (Bologna)
• INAF - Trieste
Asiago, Loiano, REM,
Campo Imperatore,
TNG
HOW CAN WE DO THIS BETTER?
A good idea would be having the Italian National Telescope to
continue the GRB program…
No TNG-AOT9 time allocated for GRB followup because:
1. too much time was requested;
2. too many instruments were requested.
But:
• Swift will fly in June 2004. It is fundamental to have TNG
ready for the opportunities this satellite will offer;
• TNG is one of the (very) few telescopes which can afford nearinfrared spectropolarimetry;
• REM can boost TNG activities.
In 4 years (2000 – 2003), we produced 16% of TNG-based
refereed papers with <3% of TNG time.
AMATEUR ACTIVITIES…
Cen A
Eagle
Dumbbell
NGC 6652
Trifid
Ring