Evolution of the polarization of the optical afterglow of the γ-ray burst GRB030329

Jochen Greiner (), Sylvio Klose, Klaus Reinsch, Hans Martin Schmid, Re'em Sari, Dieter H. Hartmann, Chryssa Kouveliotou, Arne Rau, Eliana Palazzi, Christian Straubmeier, Bringfried Stecklum, Sergej Zharikov, Gaghik Tovmassian, Otto Bärnbantner, Christoph Ries, Emmanuel Jehin, Arne Henden, Anlaug A. Kaas, Tommy Grav, Jens Hjorth, Holger Pedersen, Ralph A. M. J. Wijers, Andreas Kaufer, Hye-Sook Park, Grant Williams and Olaf Reimer
Additional contact information
Jochen Greiner: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
Sylvio Klose: Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg
Klaus Reinsch: Universitäts-Sternwarte Göttingen
Hans Martin Schmid: Institut für Astronomie, ETH Zürich
Re'em Sari: California Institute of Technology, Theoretical Astrophysics 130-33
Dieter H. Hartmann: Clemson University
Chryssa Kouveliotou: NSSTC, SD-50
Arne Rau: Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik
Eliana Palazzi: Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica, CNR, Sezione di Bologna
Christian Straubmeier: Universität Köln
Bringfried Stecklum: Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg
Sergej Zharikov: Instituto de Astronomia, UNAM
Gaghik Tovmassian: Instituto de Astronomia, UNAM
Otto Bärnbantner: Universitätssternwarte
Christoph Ries: Universitätssternwarte
Emmanuel Jehin: European Southern Observatory
Arne Henden: Universities Space Research Association, US Naval Observatory
Anlaug A. Kaas: Nordic Optical Telescope
Tommy Grav: University of Oslo, Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
Jens Hjorth: University of Copenhagen
Holger Pedersen: University of Copenhagen
Ralph A. M. J. Wijers: Astronomical Institute Anton Pannekoek
Andreas Kaufer: European Southern Observatory
Hye-Sook Park: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, University of California
Grant Williams: University of Arizona
Olaf Reimer: Theoretische Weltraum- und Astrophysik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

Nature, 2003, vol. 426, issue 6963, 157-159

Abstract: Abstract The association of a supernova with GRB0303291,2 strongly supports the ‘collapsar’ model3 of γ-ray bursts, where a relativistic jet4 forms after the progenitor star collapses. Such jets cannot be spatially resolved because γ-ray bursts lie at cosmological distances; their existence is instead inferred from ‘breaks’ in the light curves of the afterglows, and from the theoretical desire to reduce the estimated total energy of the burst by proposing that most of it comes out in narrow beams. Temporal evolution of the polarization of the afterglows5,6,7 may provide independent evidence for the jet structure of the relativistic outflow. Small-level polarization (∼1–3 per cent)8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 has been reported for a few bursts, but its temporal evolution has yet to be established. Here we report polarimetric observations of the afterglow of GRB030329. We establish the polarization light curve, detect sustained polarization at the per cent level, and find significant variability. The data imply that the afterglow magnetic field has a small coherence length and is mostly random, probably generated by turbulence, in contrast with the picture arising from the high polarization detected in the prompt γ-rays from GRB021206 (ref. 18).

Date: 2003
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02077

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