Kocevski, D, Thöne, CC, Ramirez-Ruiz, E, Bloom, JS, Granot, J, Butler, NR, Perley, DA, Modjaz, M, Lee, WH, Cobb, BE, Levan, AJ, Tanvir, N and Covino, S (2010) Limits on radioactive powered emission associated with a short-hard GRB 070724A in a star-forming galaxy. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 404 (2). pp. 963-974. ISSN 0035-8711

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Abstract

We present results of an extensive observing campaign of the short-duration, hard spectrum gamma-ray burst (GRB) 070724A, aimed at detecting the radioactively powered emission that might follow from a binary merger or collapse involving compact objects. Our multiband observations span the range in time over which this so-called Li-Paczyński mini-supernova (mini-SN) could be active, beginning within 3 h of the GRB trigger and represent some of the deepest and most comprehensive searches for such emission. We find no evidence for such activity and place limits on the abundances and the lifetimes of the possible radioactive nuclides that could form in the rapid decompression of nuclear density matter. Furthermore, our limits are significantly fainter than the peak magnitude of any previously detected broad-lined Type Ic SN associated with other GRBs, effectively ruling out a long GRB-like SN for this event. Given the unambiguous redshift of the host galaxy (z= 0.456), GRB 070724A represents one of a small, but growing, number of short-hard GRBs for which firm physical/rest-frame quantities currently exist. The host of GRB 070724A is a moderately star-forming galaxy with an older stellar population component and a relatively high metallicity of 12 + log(O/H)KD02= 9.1. We find no significant evidence for large amounts of extinction along the line of sight that could mask the presence of an SN explosion and estimate a small probability for chance alignment with the putative host. We discuss how our derived constraints fit into the evolving picture of short-hard GRBs, their potential progenitors and the host environments in which they are thought to be produced. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 RAS.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article has been accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ©: 2010 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	0201 Astronomical And Space Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QB Astronomy Q Science > QC Physics Q Science > QD Chemistry
Divisions:	Astrophysics Research Institute
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Date Deposited:	24 May 2017 11:29
Last Modified:	20 Apr 2022 09:34
DOI or ID number:	10.1111/j.1365-2966.2010.16327.x
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/6574

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