Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A. / Wiersema, K.; Covino, S.; Toma, K.; Horst, A. J. van der; Varela, K.; Min, M.; Greiner, J.; Starling, R. L. C.; Tanvir, N. R.; Wijers, R. A. M. J.; Campana, S.; Curran, P. A.; Fan, Y.; Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall; Gorosabel, J.; Gomboc, A.; Gotz, D.; Hjorth, J.; Jin, Z. P.; Kobayashi, S.; Kouveliotou, C.; Mundell, C.; O'Brien, P. T.; Pian, E.; Rowlinson, A.; Russell, D. M.; Salvaterra, R.; Alighieri, S. di Serego; Tagliaferri, G.; Vergani, S. D.; Elliott, J.; Farina, C.; Hartoog, O. E.; Karjalainen, R.; Klose, S.; Knust, F.; Levan, A. J.; Schady, P.; Sudilovski, V.; Willingale, R.

In: Nature, Vol. 509, 02.10.2014, p. 201-204.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Wiersema, K, Covino, S, Toma, K, Horst, AJVD, Varela, K, Min, M, Greiner, J, Starling, RLC, Tanvir, NR, Wijers, RAMJ, Campana, S, Curran, PA, Fan, Y, Fynbo, JPU, Gorosabel, J, Gomboc, A, Gotz, D, Hjorth, J, Jin, ZP, Kobayashi, S, Kouveliotou, C, Mundell, C, O'Brien, PT, Pian, E, Rowlinson, A, Russell, DM, Salvaterra, R, Alighieri, SDS, Tagliaferri, G, Vergani, SD, Elliott, J, Farina, C, Hartoog, OE, Karjalainen, R, Klose, S, Knust, F, Levan, AJ, Schady, P, Sudilovski, V & Willingale, R 2014, 'Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A', Nature, vol. 509, pp. 201-204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13237

APA

Wiersema, K., Covino, S., Toma, K., Horst, A. J. V. D., Varela, K., Min, M., Greiner, J., Starling, R. L. C., Tanvir, N. R., Wijers, R. A. M. J., Campana, S., Curran, P. A., Fan, Y., Fynbo, J. P. U., Gorosabel, J., Gomboc, A., Gotz, D., Hjorth, J., Jin, Z. P., ... Willingale, R. (2014). Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A. Nature, 509, 201-204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13237

Vancouver

Wiersema K, Covino S, Toma K, Horst AJVD, Varela K, Min M et al. Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A. Nature. 2014 Oct 2;509:201-204. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13237

Author

Wiersema, K. ; Covino, S. ; Toma, K. ; Horst, A. J. van der ; Varela, K. ; Min, M. ; Greiner, J. ; Starling, R. L. C. ; Tanvir, N. R. ; Wijers, R. A. M. J. ; Campana, S. ; Curran, P. A. ; Fan, Y. ; Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall ; Gorosabel, J. ; Gomboc, A. ; Gotz, D. ; Hjorth, J. ; Jin, Z. P. ; Kobayashi, S. ; Kouveliotou, C. ; Mundell, C. ; O'Brien, P. T. ; Pian, E. ; Rowlinson, A. ; Russell, D. M. ; Salvaterra, R. ; Alighieri, S. di Serego ; Tagliaferri, G. ; Vergani, S. D. ; Elliott, J. ; Farina, C. ; Hartoog, O. E. ; Karjalainen, R. ; Klose, S. ; Knust, F. ; Levan, A. J. ; Schady, P. ; Sudilovski, V. ; Willingale, R. / Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A. In: Nature. 2014 ; Vol. 509. pp. 201-204.

Bibtex

@article{bdd307de44f948d9a0aa7759cbf6d4be,
title = "Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A",
abstract = "Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the jet, when measured minutes after the burst, and the geometric properties of the jet and the ambient medium when measured hours to days after the burst. High values of optical polarization detected minutes after burst in GRB 120308A indicate the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields originating from the central engine (the power source of the GRB). Theoretical models predict low degrees of linear polarization and negligable circular polarization at late times, when the energy in the original ejecta is quickly transferred to the ambient medium and propagates farther into the medium as a blastwave. Here we report the detection of circularly polarized optical light in the afterglow of GRB 121024A, measured 0.15 days after the burst. We show that the circular polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow and unlikely to be produced by dust scattering or plasma propagation effects. A possible explanation is to invoke anisotropic (rather than the commonly assumed isotropic) electron pitch angle distributions, and we suggest that new models are required to produce the complex microphysics of realistic shocks in relativistic jets.",
keywords = "astro-ph.HE",
author = "K. Wiersema and S. Covino and K. Toma and Horst, {A. J. van der} and K. Varela and M. Min and J. Greiner and Starling, {R. L. C.} and Tanvir, {N. R.} and Wijers, {R. A. M. J.} and S. Campana and Curran, {P. A.} and Y. Fan and Fynbo, {Johan Peter Uldall} and J. Gorosabel and A. Gomboc and D. Gotz and J. Hjorth and Jin, {Z. P.} and S. Kobayashi and C. Kouveliotou and C. Mundell and O'Brien, {P. T.} and E. Pian and A. Rowlinson and Russell, {D. M.} and R. Salvaterra and Alighieri, {S. di Serego} and G. Tagliaferri and Vergani, {S. D.} and J. Elliott and C. Farina and Hartoog, {O. E.} and R. Karjalainen and S. Klose and F. Knust and Levan, {A. J.} and P. Schady and V. Sudilovski and R. Willingale",
year = "2014",
month = oct,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1038/nature13237",
language = "English",
volume = "509",
pages = "201--204",
journal = "Nature",
issn = "0028-0836",
publisher = "nature publishing group",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Circular polarization in the optical afterglow of GRB 121024A

AU - Wiersema, K.

AU - Covino, S.

AU - Toma, K.

AU - Horst, A. J. van der

AU - Varela, K.

AU - Min, M.

AU - Greiner, J.

AU - Starling, R. L. C.

AU - Tanvir, N. R.

AU - Wijers, R. A. M. J.

AU - Campana, S.

AU - Curran, P. A.

AU - Fan, Y.

AU - Fynbo, Johan Peter Uldall

AU - Gorosabel, J.

AU - Gomboc, A.

AU - Gotz, D.

AU - Hjorth, J.

AU - Jin, Z. P.

AU - Kobayashi, S.

AU - Kouveliotou, C.

AU - Mundell, C.

AU - O'Brien, P. T.

AU - Pian, E.

AU - Rowlinson, A.

AU - Russell, D. M.

AU - Salvaterra, R.

AU - Alighieri, S. di Serego

AU - Tagliaferri, G.

AU - Vergani, S. D.

AU - Elliott, J.

AU - Farina, C.

AU - Hartoog, O. E.

AU - Karjalainen, R.

AU - Klose, S.

AU - Knust, F.

AU - Levan, A. J.

AU - Schady, P.

AU - Sudilovski, V.

AU - Willingale, R.

PY - 2014/10/2

Y1 - 2014/10/2

N2 - Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the jet, when measured minutes after the burst, and the geometric properties of the jet and the ambient medium when measured hours to days after the burst. High values of optical polarization detected minutes after burst in GRB 120308A indicate the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields originating from the central engine (the power source of the GRB). Theoretical models predict low degrees of linear polarization and negligable circular polarization at late times, when the energy in the original ejecta is quickly transferred to the ambient medium and propagates farther into the medium as a blastwave. Here we report the detection of circularly polarized optical light in the afterglow of GRB 121024A, measured 0.15 days after the burst. We show that the circular polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow and unlikely to be produced by dust scattering or plasma propagation effects. A possible explanation is to invoke anisotropic (rather than the commonly assumed isotropic) electron pitch angle distributions, and we suggest that new models are required to produce the complex microphysics of realistic shocks in relativistic jets.

AB - Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are most probably powered by collimated relativistic outflows (jets) from accreting black holes at cosmological distances. Bright afterglows are produced when the outflow collides with the ambient medium. Afterglow polarization directly probes the magnetic properties of the jet, when measured minutes after the burst, and the geometric properties of the jet and the ambient medium when measured hours to days after the burst. High values of optical polarization detected minutes after burst in GRB 120308A indicate the presence of large-scale ordered magnetic fields originating from the central engine (the power source of the GRB). Theoretical models predict low degrees of linear polarization and negligable circular polarization at late times, when the energy in the original ejecta is quickly transferred to the ambient medium and propagates farther into the medium as a blastwave. Here we report the detection of circularly polarized optical light in the afterglow of GRB 121024A, measured 0.15 days after the burst. We show that the circular polarization is intrinsic to the afterglow and unlikely to be produced by dust scattering or plasma propagation effects. A possible explanation is to invoke anisotropic (rather than the commonly assumed isotropic) electron pitch angle distributions, and we suggest that new models are required to produce the complex microphysics of realistic shocks in relativistic jets.

KW - astro-ph.HE

U2 - 10.1038/nature13237

DO - 10.1038/nature13237

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24776800

VL - 509

SP - 201

EP - 204

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

SN - 0028-0836

ER -

ID: 128853404