Gamma-ray Burst 010324

(All information courtesy of the instrument teams.)

Previous IAU Circulars

• none

• GCN/BACODINE POSITION NOTICE
  

  
  TITLE:                    GCN/RXTE_ASM BURST POSITION NOTICE
  NOTICE_DATE:              Sat 24 Mar 01 22:23:23 UT
  NOTICE_TYPE:              RXTE-ASM Initial
  TRIGGER_NUM:              No correlation with BATSE is possible.
  GRB_DATE:                 11992 TJD;    83 DOY;   01/03/24
  GRB_TIME:                 41851.99 SOD {11:37:31.99} UT
  POSITION_TYPE:            Box
  GRB_RXTE_RA:              107.774d {+07h 11m 06s} (J2000),
                            107.792d {+07h 11m 10s} (current),
                            107.036d {+07h 08m 09s} (1950)
  GRB_RXTE_DEC:             +20.091d {+20d 05' 28"} (J2000),
                            +20.089d {+20d 05' 20"} (current),
                            +20.174d {+20d 10' 27"} (1950)
  GRB_ERROR_RA1:            107.778d {+07h 11m 07s} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_DEC1:            20.151d {+20d 09' 04"} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_RA2:            107.653d {+07h 10m 37s} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_DEC2:            20.241d {+20d 14' 28"} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_RA3:            107.794d {+07h 11m 11s} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_DEC3:            19.996d {+19d 59' 46"} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_RA4:            107.919d {+07h 11m 41s} (J2000)
  GRB_ERROR_DEC4:            19.906d {+19d 54' 22"} (J2000)
  GRB_RXTE_ERROR:           0.130 [deg radius (stat+sys), 90%]
  GRB_RXTE_INTEN:           330.00 [mCrab]
  SUN_POSTN:                  3.58d {+00h 14m 20s}   +1.55d {+01d 33' 04"}
  SUN_DIST:                 102.78 [deg]
  MOON_POSTN:               359.54d {+23h 58m 10s}   -5.44d {-05d 26' 25"}
  MOON_DIST:                108.99 [deg]
  COMMENTS:                 RXTE-ASM GRB Coordinates.  
  COMMENTS:                 A sky map and time-series data plots are available at  
  COMMENTS:                 http://xte.mit.edu/crossbox/xbox_022/main.html  
  COMMENTS:                 Although the time-series data show no obvious peak  
  COMMENTS:                 of emission, the transmission function to the  
  COMMENTS:                 source location was such that we cannot exclude  
  COMMENTS:                 the presence of a peak.  Significant detections  
  COMMENTS:                 were made in three subsequent observations over three  
  COMMENTS:                 minutes, indicating fading behavior.  No significant  
  COMMENTS:                 detections have been made since then.  Without  
  COMMENTS:                 confirmation from the IPN, we cannot be certain  
  COMMENTS:                 that this is a GRB, but we are certain that it is real.  
  COMMENTS:                   
  COMMENTS:                 Please contact Al Levine (aml@space.mit.edu) or Ron  
  COMMENTS:                 Remillard (rr@space.mit.edu) if you have any questions  
  COMMENTS:                 concerning this alert.  
  COMMENTS:                   
   
  

  See http://xte.mit.edu/crossbox/xbox_022/main.html for more details.
• ASM chart
  
• GCN notice #1011
  K. Hurley, on behalf of the Ulysses GRB team, and C. Guidorzi, E. Montanari, and F. Frontera, on behalf of the BeppoSAX GRBM team, report:
  Ulysses and the BeppoSAX GRBM observed GRB010324, reported in the GCN/RXTE ASM BURST POSITION NOTICE. The triangulation annulus is 8' wide, and is almost parallel to the long side of the RXTE ASM error box. The error box is fully contained within the annulus, though, so the annulus does not reduce its area. However, these two observations confirm that the event observed by RXTE is indeed a GRB. The annulus probably cannot be refined substantially.
• GCN notice #1012
  Optical Observations of GRB 010324
  J. S. Bloom, D. W. Fox (CIT), J. M. Schombert (U. Oregon), S. G. Djorgovski, A. Mahabal, D. E. Reichart, and P. A. Price (CIT) report on behalf of the larger Caltech-NRAO-CARA GRB Collaboration:
  "On 25.27 March 2001 UT, James Schombert observed the field of GRB 010324 (GCN/RXTE ASM; Hurley et al., GCN #1011) using COSMIC on the Palomar 200-inch atop Mt. Palomar. The entire XTE error box was observed in V-band in two pointings with a total of 1800 sec per pointing. We found no new candidate source when compared visually with the J, F, N-plates of DPOSS-II. Further optical monitoring is encouraged."
  Original DPOSS images of the field are available at:
  http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/GRB/grb010324/
  We thank Rick Burruss at Palomar for his assistance.
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1013
  K. Hurley, on behalf of the Ulysses GRB team, and C. Guidorzi, E. Montanari, and F. Frontera, on behalf of the BeppoSAX GRBM team, report:
  This burst (RXTE/ASM and GCN 1011) had a duration of approximately 15 seconds in 25-150 keV gamma-rays. Its Earth-crossing time was ~41558 s, and its 25-100 keV fluence was ~1.8x10^-6 erg/cm^2; over 0.25 s, its peak flux was ~4.3x10^-7 erg/cm^2 s. The latter numbers are uncertain by about a factor of 2 at present, but can probably be refined with further processing.
• GCN notice #1019
  A. Oksanen, H. Hyvonen (Nyrola Observatory); A. Price, D. West, G. Lubcke, D. Kaiser, D. Hurdis (AAVSO); M. O'Conner, D. Marcus, R. Pason, F. Chalupka, D. Hohman, W. Aquino (Buffalo Astronomical Association) report on behalf of the AAVSO International GRB network:
  We have observed the error box for the RXTE ASM GRB010324 (Hurley et al., GCN 1011) with a variety of telescopes and image scales. Based on comparison with the POSS-II red plate as digitized at USNO, we find no new object within the error box. A log of observations is given below. For the Filter field, C=unfiltered, R=Cousins R, I=Cousins I. The Delay field is the time since burst (010324.484 UTD). Several of these composite images are available at ftp://ftp.aavso.org/grb/

  Observer/      UTD      Delay   Tel  Totexp Field Filt Limit
  Observatory   (mid)     (hr)          (min) ('x')      (mag)
  Nyrola      010324.938  10.9   0.40m    9   18x12  C    18.8
  Price       010325.04   13.2   0.25m   10    9x12  R    18.2
  West        010325.075  14.2   0.25m    5   48x32  C    17.5
  Lubcke      010325.076  14.2   0.28m   12   13x13  R    18.2
  Kaiser      010325.095  14.7   0.35m   60   18x18  R    18.5
  Hurdis      010325.132  15.6   0.40m   10   19x12  I    17.0
  BAA         010325.212  17.5   0.30m   30    7x11  R    19.4
  

• GCN notice #1021
  C. Guidorzi, E. Montanari and F. Frontera, Physics Dept. University of Ferrara; F. Calura, Dept of Physics University of Trieste; L. Amati, Istituto TESRE, CNR, Bologna; and M. Feroci, Istituto Astrofisica Spaziale, CNR, Roma; on behalf of the BeppoSAX/GRBM Team, and K. Hurley on behalf of the Ulysses GRB Team, report:
  GRB010324 (GCN/RXTE ASM Burst Position Notice of Sat. 24 Mar 01 and GCN 1011) triggered the BeppoSAX/GRBM at 11h32m46s UT, 285.4 s before the ASM trigger. From the GRBM 40-700 keV light curve, the actual onset time is about 80 s before the GRBM trigger time. The event shows a multi-peak behavior with an outstanding peak occurring 10 s after the GRBM trigger time and a peak flux of 1100 cts/s, corresponding to ~1x10^-6 erg/cm^2 s. The trigger time of ASM occurs in correspondence of the tail of the last peak of the burst, whose centroid is ~360 s after the onset time and its peak flux is a factor 8 lower than that of the main peak.
  This message can be cited.
• GCN notice #1024
  Further Optical Observations of GRB 010324
  J. S. Bloom, P. A. Price, D. W. Fox, S. G. Djorgovski (CIT), and J. M. Schombert (U. Oregon) report on behalf of the larger Caltech-NRAO-CARA GRB Collaboration:
  "On 26.27 March 2001, we obtained a second night of exposures of the field of GRB 010324 (GCN/RXTE ASM; Hurley et al., GCN #1011) using COSMIC on the Palomar 200-inch atop Mt. Palomar. Using the same pattern as in the first epoch of imaging (GCN #1012), the entire XTE error box was observed in V-band in two pointings with a total of 1800 sec per pointing.
  Both image differencing and differential aperture photometry between the two epochs revealed no obviously varying source. No absolute photometry for the field is available at this time. However, adopting V = 19.1 mag for a USNO A2.0 star at RA: 07:11:26.301, DEC: +19:58:30.32 (J2000) we estimate the absence of variation by more than 0.3 mag down to V = 22.3 mag.
  Sources brighter than V~18.5 mag were saturated however all such sources were previously observed in DPOSS (see GCN #1012); therefore any GRB afterglow is now likely to be faint (V > 22.3 mag). One caveat to this conclusion is that the GRB field has a high stellar density and so it is possible to have missed a varying source near a bright star."
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1028
  A. Henden (USRA/USNO) reports on behalf of the USNO GRB team:
  We have acquired preliminary BVRcIc all-sky photometry for an 11x11 arcmin field centered at the RXTE ASM localization (GCN/RXTE ASM; Hurley et al., GCN #1011) for GRB010324 with the USNOFS 1.0-m telescope on one marginally photometric night. Stars brighter than V=15 are saturated and should be used with care. We have placed the photometric data on our anonymous ftp site: ftp://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/grb/grb010324.dat The astrometry in this file is based on linear plate solutions with respect to USNO-A2.0. The internal errors are less than 100mas. We have less confidence than usual in the quality of this photometry. The all-sky reduction of standards had an RMS error of 1.4 percent, but a high-airmass standard observation that immediately followed the GRB field observation deviated from the mean by 4 percent. We will attempt to reobserve this field on the next photometric night.
• GCN notice #1031
  A. Henden (USRA/USNO) reports on behalf of the USNO GRB team:
  We have obtained a second night of photometry with the NOFS 1.0m telescope for the field of GRB010324. The revised BVRcIc photometry file can be found at ftp://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/grb/grb010324.dat The quality of this file is still below our normal standards, but is good to about 0.03mag for all magnitudes and colors. No further revisions are anticipated unless an optical transient is discovered in this field. The USNO-A2.0 star mentioned in Bloom et al. (GCN1024) lies just to the south of this calibration field and so is not included in the file.