Discovery of an X-ray afterglow associated with the γ-ray burst of 28 February 1997

E. Costa (), F. Frontera, J. Heise, M. Feroci, J. in 't Zand, F. Fiore, M. N. Cinti, D. Dal Fiume, L. Nicastro, M. Orlandini, E. Palazzi, M. Rapisarda#, G. Zavattini, R. Jager, A. Parmar, A. Owens, S. Molendi, G. Cusumano, M. C. Maccarone, S. Giarrusso, A. Coletta, L. A. Antonelli, P. Giommi, J. M. Muller, L. Piro and R. C. Butler
Additional contact information
E. Costa: Correspondence should be addressed to E.C.
F. Frontera: †Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR
J. Heise: §Space Research Organization in the Netherlands
M. Feroci: *Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR
J. in 't Zand: §Space Research Organization in the Netherlands
F. Fiore: ‖Beppo-SAX Scientific Data Center
M. N. Cinti: *Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR
D. Dal Fiume: †Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR
L. Nicastro: †Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR
M. Orlandini: †Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR
E. Palazzi: †Istituto Tecnologie e Studio Radiazioni Extraterrestri, CNR
M. Rapisarda#: *Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR
G. Zavattini: Università Ferrara
R. Jager: §Space Research Organization in the Netherlands
A. Parmar: ESTEC
A. Owens: ESTEC
S. Molendi: **Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Tecnologie Relative, CNR
G. Cusumano: ††Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Applicazioni Informatica, CNR
M. C. Maccarone: ††Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Applicazioni Informatica, CNR
S. Giarrusso: ††Istituto di Fisica Cosmica e Applicazioni Informatica, CNR
A. Coletta: ‡‡Beppo-SAX Science Operation Center
L. A. Antonelli: ‖Beppo-SAX Scientific Data Center
P. Giommi: ‖Beppo-SAX Scientific Data Center
J. M. Muller: §Space Research Organization in the Netherlands
L. Piro: *Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR
R. C. Butler: §§Agenzia Spaziale Italiana

Nature, 1997, vol. 387, issue 6635, 783-785

Abstract: Abstract Establishing the nature of γ-ray bursts is one of the greatest challenges in high-energy astrophysics. The distribution of these bursts is isotropic across the sky, but inhomogeneous in space, with a deficit of faint bursts1. It is currently unknown whether γ-ray bursts are produced in our Galaxy or at cosmological distances. The detection and identification of counterparts at other wavelengths are seen as crucial for resolving the origin of the events. Here we report the detection by the Beppo-SAX satellite2 of an X-ray ‘afterglow’, associated with the γ-ray burst of 28 February 1997 (GRB970228; ref. 3)—the first such detection for any γ-ray burst. The X-ray transient was found to contain a significant fraction of the total energy of the γ-ray burst and, following the initial detection4 eight hours after the main burst, faded within a few days with a power-law decay function. The rapid locating of this γ-ray burst instigated a multi-wavelength observational campaign that culminated in the identification5 of a fading optical transient in a position consistent6 with the X-ray transient reported here.

Date: 1997
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DOI: 10.1038/42885

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