Behind the dust curtain: the spectacular case of GRB 160623A

Pintore, F.; Tiengo, A.; Mereghetti, S.; Vianello, G.; Salvaterra, R.; Esposito, P.; Costantini, E.; Giuliani, A.; Bosnjak, Z.

doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2062

Behind the dust curtain: the spectacular case of GRB 160623A

Journal Article · Mon Aug 14 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx2062· OSTI ID:1419258

^[1]; Tiengo, A. ^[2]; ^[1]; Vianello, G. ^[3]; Salvaterra, R. ^[1]; ^[4]; Costantini, E. ^[5]; Giuliani, A. ^[1]; Bosnjak, Z. ^[6]

INAF â IASF Milano, Milano (Italy)
INAF â IASF Milano, Milano (Italy); Scuola Univ. Superiore IUSS Pavia, Pavia (Italy); Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Pavia (Italy)
Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States). SLAC National Accelerator Lab.
Univ. of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Univ. of Zagreb, Zagreb (Croatia)

Here, we report on the X-ray dust-scattering features observed around the afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB 160623A. With an XMM–Newton observation carried out ~2 d after the burst, we found evidence of at least six rings, with angular size expanding between ~2 and 9 arcmin, as expected for X-ray scattering of the prompt gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission by dust clouds in our Galaxy. From the expansion rate of the rings, we measured the distances of the dust layers with extraordinary precision: 528.1 ± 1.2, 679.2 ± 1.9, 789.0 ± 2.8, 952 ± 5, 1539 ± 20 and 5079 ± 64 pc. A spectral analysis of the ring spectra, based on an appropriate dust-scattering model (BARE-GR-B) and the estimated burst fluence, allowed us to derive the column density of the individual dust layers, which are in the range 7 × 10²⁰–1.5 × 10²² cm^–2. The farthest dust layer (i.e. the one responsible for the smallest ring) is also the one with the lowest column density and it is possibly very extended, indicating a diffuse dust region. The properties derived for the six dust layers (distance, thickness and optical depth) are generally in good agreement with independent information on the reddening along this line of sight and on the distribution of molecular and atomic gas.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1419258

Journal Information:: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Journal Name: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 472; ISSN 0035-8711

Publisher:: Royal Astronomical SocietyCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (34)

A new comprehensive 2D model of the point spread functions of the XMM-Newton EPIC telescopes: spurious source suppression and improved positional accuracy Read, A. M.; Rosen, S. R.; Saxton, R. D. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 534 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201117525	journal	September 2011
Gas absorption and dust extinction towards the Orion Nebula Cluster Hasenberger, Birgit; Forbrich, Jan; Alves, João Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 593 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201628517	journal	August 2016
The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The pn-CCD camera Strüder, L.; Briel, U.; Dennerl, K. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 365, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20000066	journal	January 2001
The European Photon Imaging Camera on XMM-Newton: The MOS cameras Turner, M. J. L.; Abbey, A.; Arnaud, M. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 365, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20000087	journal	January 2001
Determination of the gas-to-dust ratio in nearby dense clouds using X-ray absorption measurements Vuong, M. H.; Montmerle, T.; Grosso, N. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 408, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030942	journal	September 2003
The Leiden/Argentine/Bonn (LAB) Survey of Galactic HI: Final data release of the combined LDS and IAR surveys with improved stray-radiation corrections Kalberla, P. M. W.; Burton, W. B.; Hartmann, Dap Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 440, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20041864	journal	September 2005
Absorption and scattering by interstellar dust: an XMM-Newton observation of Cyg X-2 Costantini, E.; Freyberg, M. J.; Predehl, P. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 444, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20042562	journal	November 2005
Dust-scattered X-ray halos around gamma-ray bursts: GRB 031203 revisited and the new case of GRB 050713A Tiengo, A.; Mereghetti, S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 449, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20054162	journal	March 2006
Dust-scattered X-ray halos around two Swift gamma-ray bursts: GRB 061019 and GRB 070129 Vianello, G.; Tiengo, A.; Mereghetti, S. Astronomy & Astrophysics, Vol. 473, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20077968	journal	August 2007
The size distribution of interstellar grains Mathis, J. S.; Rumpl, W.; Nordsieck, K. H. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 217 https://doi.org/10.1086/155591	journal	October 1977
X-ray halos as diagnostics of interstellar grains Mathis, John S.; Lee, C. -W. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 376 https://doi.org/10.1086/170297	journal	August 1991
Soft X‐Ray Scattering and Halos from Dust Smith, Randall K.; Dwek, Eli The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 503, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/306018	journal	August 1998
Small‐Angle Scattering of X‐Rays from Extragalactic Sources by Dust in Intervening Galaxies Miralda‐Escude, Jordi The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 512, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1086/306767	journal	February 1999
On the Absorption of X‐Rays in the Interstellar Medium Wilms, J.; Allen, A.; McCray, R. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 542, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/317016	journal	October 2000
The Milky Way in Molecular Clouds: A New Complete CO Survey Dame, T. M.; Hartmann, Dap; Thaddeus, P. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 547, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/318388	journal	February 2001
Scattering by Interstellar Dust Grains. II. X‐Rays Draine, B. T. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 598, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/379123	journal	December 2003
Interstellar Dust Models Consistent with Extinction, Emission, and Abundance Constraints Zubko, Viktor; Dwek, Eli; Arendt, Richard G. The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, Vol. 152, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/382351	journal	June 2004
The Discovery of an Evolving Dust-scattered X-Ray Halo around GRB 031203 Vaughan, S.; Willingale, R.; O'Brien, P. T. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 603, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1086/382785	journal	February 2004
Behavior of X‐Ray Dust Scattering and Implications for X‐Ray Afterglows of Gamma‐Ray Bursts Shao, L.; Dai, Z. G. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 660, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/513139	journal	May 2007
The Dust-Scattering X-Ray Rings of the Anomalous X-Ray Pulsar 1e 1547.0-5408 Tiengo, A.; Vianello, G.; Esposito, P. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 710, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/710/1/227	journal	January 2010
Spectral Softening in the X-Ray Afterglow of grb 130925a as Predicted by the dust Scattering Model Zhao, Yi-Nan; Shao, Lang The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 789, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/789/1/74	journal	June 2014
Lord of the Rings: a Kinematic Distance to Circinus x-1 from a Giant X-Ray Light echo Heinz, S.; Burton, M.; Braiding, C. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 806, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/806/2/265	journal	June 2015
A Three-Dimensional map of Milky way dust Green, Gregory M.; Schlafly, Edward F.; Finkbeiner, Douglas P. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 810, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/810/1/25	journal	August 2015
Calibration of X-ray absorption in our Galaxy Willingale, R.; Starling, R. L. C.; Beardmore, A. P. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 431, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stt175	journal	March 2013
GRB 130925A: an ultralong gamma ray burst with a dust-echo afterglow, and implications for the origin of the ultralong GRBs Evans, P. A.; Willingale, R.; Osborne, J. P. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 444, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stu1459	journal	August 2014
The X-ray dust-scattered rings of the black hole low-mass binary V404 Cyg Vasilopoulos, G.; Petropoulou, M. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 455, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stv2605	journal	December 2015
Lord of the Rings – Return of the King: Swift -XRT observations of dust scattering rings around V404 Cygni Beardmore, A. P.; Willingale, R.; Kuulkers, E. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 462, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stw1753	journal	July 2016
The effect of X-ray dust scattering on a bright burst from the magnetar 1E 1547.0−5408 Pintore, Fabio; Mereghetti, Sandro; Tiengo, Andrea Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 467, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stx368	journal	February 2017
Methods and results of an automatic analysis of a complete sample of Swift -XRT observations of GRBs Evans, P. A.; Beardmore, A. P.; Page, K. L. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 397, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14913.x	journal	August 2009
SGR 1806−20 distance and dust properties in molecular clouds by analysis of flare X-ray echoes: SGR 1806−20 distance and dust properties Svirski, Gilad; Nakar, Ehud; Ofek, Eran O. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 415, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18872.x	journal	May 2011
H I in the Galaxy Dickey, John M.; Lockman, Felix J. Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Vol. 28, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.aa.28.090190.001243	journal	September 1990
On the Late-Time Spectral Softening Found in X-Ray Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts Wang, Yuan-Zhu; Zhao, Yinan; Shao, Lang The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 818, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/818/2/167	journal	February 2016
A Uniform Catalog of Molecular Clouds in the Milky way Rice, Thomas S.; Goodman, Alyssa A.; Bergin, Edwin A. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 822, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/822/1/52	journal	May 2016
A JOINT CHANDRA AND SWIFT VIEW OF THE 2015 X-RAY DUST-SCATTERING ECHO OF V404 CYGNI Heinz, S.; Corrales, L.; Smith, R. The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 825, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.3847/0004-637X/825/1/15	journal	June 2016

Cited By (1)

The X-Ray Variable Sky as Seen by MAXI: The Future of Dust-echo Tomography with Bright Galactic X-Ray Bursts Corrales, Lia; Mills, Brianna S.; Heinz, Sebastian The Astrophysical Journal, Vol. 874, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab0c9b	journal	April 2019

Similar Records

The Sub-Energetic GRB 031203 as a Cosmic Analogue to GRB 980425

Technical Report · Thu Aug 26 20:00:00 EDT 2004 · OSTI ID:829715

GRB 221009A: Discovery of an Exceptionally Rare Nearby and Energetic Gamma-Ray Burst

Journal Article · Mon Mar 27 20:00:00 EDT 2023 · The Astrophysical Journal. Letters · OSTI ID:1970305

The spectacular X-ray echo of a magnetar burst

Journal Article · Thu Jul 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · AIP Conference Proceedings · OSTI ID:21410529

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
X-rays: ISM
dust
extinction
galaxies: haloes – X-rays: bursts
gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 160623A
scattering

Behind the dust curtain: the spectacular case of GRB 160623A

Citation Formats

References (34)

Cited By (1)

Similar Records

Related Subjects