Discovery of the short γ-ray burst GRB 050709

J. S. Villasenor (), D. Q. Lamb, G. R. Ricker (), J.-L. Atteia, N. Kawai, N. Butler, Y. Nakagawa, J. G. Jernigan, M. Boer, G. B. Crew, T. Q. Donaghy, J. Doty, E. E. Fenimore, M. Galassi, C. Graziani, K. Hurley, A. Levine, F. Martel, M. Matsuoka, J.-F. Olive, G. Prigozhin, T. Sakamoto, Y. Shirasaki, M. Suzuki, T. Tamagawa, R. Vanderspek, S. E. Woosley, A. Yoshida, J. Braga, R. Manchanda, G. Pizzichini, K. Takagishi and M. Yamauchi
Additional contact information
J. S. Villasenor: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
D. Q. Lamb: University of Chicago
G. R. Ricker: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
J.-L. Atteia: Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
N. Kawai: Tokyo Insititute of Technology
N. Butler: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Y. Nakagawa: Aoyama Gakuin University
J. G. Jernigan: University of California at Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory
M. Boer: Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
G. B. Crew: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
T. Q. Donaghy: University of Chicago
J. Doty: Noqsi Aerospace Ltd
E. E. Fenimore: Los Alamos National Laboratory
M. Galassi: Los Alamos National Laboratory
C. Graziani: University of Chicago
K. Hurley: University of California at Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory
A. Levine: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
F. Martel: Espace Inc.
M. Matsuoka: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
J.-F. Olive: Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées
G. Prigozhin: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
T. Sakamoto: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Y. Shirasaki: National Astronomical Observatory
M. Suzuki: RIKEN (Institute of Physical and Chemical Research)
T. Tamagawa: Aoyama Gakuin University
R. Vanderspek: MIT Kavli Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
S. E. Woosley: University of California at Santa Cruz
A. Yoshida: University of California at Berkeley, Space Sciences Laboratory
J. Braga: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais
R. Manchanda: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
G. Pizzichini: INAF/IASF Bologna
K. Takagishi: Miyazaki University, Gakuen Kibanadai Nishi
M. Yamauchi: Miyazaki University, Gakuen Kibanadai Nishi

Nature, 2005, vol. 437, issue 7060, 855-858

Abstract: Short gamma-ray bursts Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are either ‘long and soft’, or ‘short and hard’. The long-duration type leave a strong afterglow and have been extensively studied. So we have a good idea of what causes them: explosions of massive stars in distant star-forming galaxies. Short GRBs, with no strong afterglow, were harder to pin down. The Swift satellite, launched last November, is designed to study bursts as soon as they happen. Having shown its worth with long GRBs (reported in the 18 August issue of Nature), Swift has now bagged a short burst, GRB 050509B, precisely measured its location and detected the X-ray afterglow. Four papers this week report on this and another recent short burst. Now, over 20 years after they were first recognized, the likely origin of the short GRBs is revealed as a merger between neutron stars of a binary system and the instantaneous production of a black hole.

Date: 2005
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DOI: 10.1038/nature04213

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