Abstract
Universities Space Research Association Strong delayed X-ray line emission is detected in the afterglow of gamma-ray burst GRB 030227, appearing near the end of the XMM-Newton observation, nearly 20 hr after the burst. The observed flux in the lines, not simply the equivalent width, sharply increases from an undetectable level (<1.7 × 10-14 ergs cm-2 s -1, 3 σ) to 4.1-1.0+0.9 × 10 -14 ergs cm-2 s-1 in the final 9.7 ks. The line emission alone has nearly twice as many detected photons as any previous detection of X-ray lines. The lines correspond well to hydrogen- and/or helium-like emission from Mg, Si, S, Ar, and Ca at a redshift z = 1.39 -0.06+0.03. There is no evidence for Fe, Co, or Ni - the ultimate iron abundance must be less than a tenth that of the lighter metals. If the supernova and GRB events are nearly simultaneous, there must be continuing sporadic power output after the GRB of a luminosity ≳5 × 1046 ergs s-1, exceeding all but the most powerful quasars.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | L29-L32 |
| Journal | Astrophysical Journal |
| Volume | 595 |
| Issue number | 1 II |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 20 Sept 2003 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank F. Jansen for the allocation of discretionary time, the XMM-Newton–SOC team for performing the rapid follow-up observation, and L. Hanlon, D. Lazzati, B. McBreen, and E. Ramirez-Ruiz for discussions. We acknowledge benefits from collaboration within the EU FP5 Research Training Network, “Gamma-Ray Bursts: An Enigma and a Tool.” This work was also supported by the Danish Natural Science Research Council (SNF).
Other keywords
- Gamma rays: bursts
- Supernovae: general
- X-rays: general