3rd Potsdam Thinkshop Robotic Astronomy Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic telescopes M.I. Andersen Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with

3rd Potsdam Thinkshop3rd Potsdam ThinkshopRobotic AstronomyRobotic Astronomy

Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic telescopesM.I. Andersen

Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic telescopes

Michael I. AndersenMichael I. Andersen

AstrophysikalischesAstrophysikalisches InstitutInstitut PotsdamPotsdam


Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic telescopes telescopes M.I. AndersenM.I. Andersen

IntroductionIntroduction

GRB intro, BATSE, a Gamma-ray viewGRB intro, BATSE, a Gamma-ray view The Beppo-SAX revolutionThe Beppo-SAX revolution GRB science with robotic telescopesGRB science with robotic telescopes



First robotic GRB First robotic GRB observationobservation





BATSE light curvesBATSE light curves



Hardness vs. durationHardness vs. duration



GRB durationsGRB durations



The BATSE skyThe BATSE sky



Beppo-SAX Beppo-SAX



GRB970228 in X-rayGRB970228 in X-ray



The first optical The first optical afterglowafterglow



GRB990123 with ROTSEGRB990123 with ROTSE



Redshift = 1.60Redshift = 1.60



Brightest object ever Brightest object ever observedobserved



GRB990123 brightnessGRB990123 brightness

If in M31 – brighter than the moon!If in M31 – brighter than the moon!

If in Orion Nebula – brighter than the If in Orion Nebula – brighter than the sun!sun!

What about four orders of magnitudeWhat about four orders of magnitude

more energy in Gamma-rays..... more energy in Gamma-rays.....

(its a planet-blaster!)(its a planet-blaster!)







GRB990705 host galaxyGRB990705 host galaxy



GRB000926: spectrum GRB000926: spectrum (z=2.0338)(z=2.0338)



GRBs on the galactic planeGRBs on the galactic plane



GRBs – where are we GRBs – where are we now?now?

GRBs can be observed anywhere in the GRBs can be observed anywhere in the Universe (even if highly obscured!)Universe (even if highly obscured!)

The energy is released through the The energy is released through the interaction of an ultra-relativistic blast-interaction of an ultra-relativistic blast-wave with circum-burst mediumwave with circum-burst medium

Caused by the core-collaps of a massive Caused by the core-collaps of a massive star (i.e. a star formation tracer)star (i.e. a star formation tracer)

Extremely broad optical luminosity functionExtremely broad optical luminosity function



Science with GRBsScience with GRBs

Extreme physicsExtreme physics The star formation history of the UniverseThe star formation history of the Universe The chemical enrichment of the UniverseThe chemical enrichment of the Universe Tracing galaxy formation and evolutionTracing galaxy formation and evolution Finding the first starsFinding the first stars Stellar evolutionStellar evolution And much more...........And much more...........



Robotic telescopes and Robotic telescopes and GRBs:GRBs:

triggering larger telescopestriggering larger telescopes You don’t need large apertureYou don’t need large aperture Front-line instrumentation not Front-line instrumentation not

requiredrequired

Better be fast!Better be fast! Software for fast reduction criticalSoftware for fast reduction critical



Robotic GRB scienceRobotic GRB science

Monitoring light curvesMonitoring light curves Early spectroscopy, witness the Early spectroscopy, witness the

interaction of the blast wave with the interaction of the blast wave with the circum-burst medium (VLT Rapid circum-burst medium (VLT Rapid Response Mode not fast enough)Response Mode not fast enough)

Early polarization monitoringEarly polarization monitoring



The SWIFT missionThe SWIFT mission

Provides about 100 localisations/yearProvides about 100 localisations/year Accurate to about 4 arcminAccurate to about 4 arcmin Delay less than one minuteDelay less than one minute Launch fall 2004Launch fall 2004



Robotic telescopes in theRobotic telescopes in theSWIFT eraSWIFT era

RT’s crusial for prompt follow-up and RT’s crusial for prompt follow-up and afterglow identificationafterglow identification

Can aid observations at larger Can aid observations at larger telescopes by providing magnitude telescopes by providing magnitude predictionspredictions

Testing achromatic evolution through Testing achromatic evolution through high precision multi-color photometry high precision multi-color photometry



SWIFT GRB load on RT’sSWIFT GRB load on RT’s

Two in three goes off during telescope-Two in three goes off during telescope-closed timeclosed time

Two in three are not in the visible skyTwo in three are not in the visible sky One in three goes off during bad One in three goes off during bad

weatherweather Any site will at most have 10 rapid Any site will at most have 10 rapid

responses annuallyresponses annually GRBs can’t occupy more than 5-10% of GRBs can’t occupy more than 5-10% of

the telescope timethe telescope time



A need for coordinationA need for coordination

We should in general avoid We should in general avoid duplicating efforts on monitoring light duplicating efforts on monitoring light curvescurves

However – we should also avoid that However – we should also avoid that no data are takenno data are taken

Pooling data in joint publications Pooling data in joint publications becomes ever more important with becomes ever more important with SWIFTSWIFT

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3rd Potsdam Thinkshop Robotic Astronomy Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with robotic telescopes M.I. Andersen Gamma-ray burst optical follow-ups with