Gamma-ray Burst 020409

(All information courtesy of the instrument teams.)

Previous IAU Circulars

• none

• GCN/BACODINE POSITION NOTICE
  

  
  TITLE:           GCN/SAX_WFC BURST POSITION NOTICE
  NOTICE_DATE:     Wed 10 Apr 02 12:03:42 UT
  NOTICE_TYPE:     SAX-WFC Final
  GRB_DATE:        12373 TJD;    99 DOY;   02/04/09
  GRB_TIME:        76285.00 SOD {21:11:25.00} UT
  GRB_SAX_RA:      131.310d {+08h 45m 14s} (J2000),
                   131.361d {+08h 45m 27s} (current),
                   130.178d {+08h 40m 43s} (1950)
  GRB_SAX_DEC:     +66.688d {+66d 41' 16"} (J2000),
                   +66.679d {+66d 40' 46"} (current),
                   +66.869d {+66d 52' 10"} (1950)
  GRB_SAX_ERROR:   0.053 [deg radius (stat+sys), 1-sigma]
  GRB_SAX_INTEN:   1700.00 [mCrab]
  SUN_POSTN:        18.32d {+01h 13m 17s}   +7.76d {+07d 45' 36"}
  SUN_DIST:         91.69 [deg]
  MOON_POSTN:      350.74d {+23h 22m 57s}   -9.46d {-09d 27' 50"}
  MOON_DIST:       116.93 [deg]
  COMMENTS:        SAX-WFC GRB Coordinates.  
  COMMENTS:        GRB020409 detected by BeppoSAX GRBM & WFC1  
   
  
  

• red DSS finding chart ps-file
  
  
• GCN notice #1347 = BeppoSAX mail n. 02/06
  On Apr. 9, 21:11:25 UT a faint GRB has been detected in BeppoSAX GRBM and WFC1
  Refined coordinates are:

   R.A.(2000)= 131.3097
   DEC.(2000)= +66.6878
  

  The error radius is 3.2'
  A follow-up with BeppoSAX NFI will not be carried out, because we have already started a TOO on the ms pulsar XTEJ1908+094.
• GCN notice #1352
  J. P. Halpern, S. Gezari, N. Mirabal (Columbia U.) report for the MDM Observatory GRB follow-up team:
  "Using the MDM 1.3m, we started a series of R-band exposures covering the error circle of BeppoSAX GRB 020409 (GCN #1347) on April 11 02:57 UT, or 30 hours after the burst. While these images are deeper than the POSS II limit, no new object brighter than those on the POSS II is seen. Observations are continuing."
• GCN notice #1353
  B. Stecklum, S. Klose, A. Zeh (Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg), D. H. Hartmann, M. Leising (Clemson University), A. A. Henden, F. J. Vrba (USNO/USRA, Flagstaff), J. Greiner (AIP Potsdam/MPE Garching)
  report:
  The error circle of GRB 020409 (Piro et al., GCN #1347) was imaged in the I band on April 10/11 with the Tautenburg Schmidt telescope equipped with the prime focus CCD camera (2k x 2k; fov about 35 x 35 arcmin), covering the full BeppoSAX error region.
  Altogether 6 images were taken, 10 min exposure time each. The combined image goes considerably deeper than the DSS2 infrared survey. We detect no obvious new point source brighter than I = (20 +/- 0.5) mag within the GRB error circle.
  Further observations are planned.
  This message can be quoted.
• GCN notice #1357
  E. O. Ofek, A. Gal-Yam, S. Kaspi, J. Dann, P. Ibbetson (Wise observatory, TAU) report:
  We have observed the error box of GRB 020409 (Piro, GCN 1347) using the Wise observatory 1m telescope equipped with the FOSC instrument. We obtained 4 exposures of 360 s in R-band on 2002 Apr 10.717 UTC, 20.0 hours after the burst. Comparison of the combined image with the POSS-II E plate reveals no candidate optical transients, to a limiting magnitude of R=19, within the 4' BeppoSAX error circle.
• GCN notice #1359
  S. T. Holland (Notre Dame), J. Gorosabel (IAA, Grenada), K. Augustensen, B. L. Jensen, J. Hjorth (Copenhagen) report:
  We have obtained R-band images of the error box of GRB 020409 (Piro 2002, GCN 1347) using the Danish 0.5m Brorfelde Schmidt telescope. The first epoch images were taken on 2002 April 10 at 20:25 UT and had a total exposure time of 1200 seconds. The second epoch images were taken on 2002 April 10 at 22:35 and had a total exposure time of 2400 seconds. We subtracted the combined exposures from each epoch using the methods described in Schmidt et al. (1998, ApJ, 507, 46). We find no evidence that any object in the BeppoSAX error box varies by more than approximately 0.1 mag in the two hours between the centres of the two epochs. The limiting magnitude of this search is approximately R = 20. We also combined all of the images from both epochs to obtain an image with a limiting magnitude of approximately R = 21. We compared this image with the Digital Sky Survey (DSS) and found no new sources to the detection limit of the DSS.
  The combined images will be made available at http://www.nd.edu/~sholland/grb/grb020409/index.html.
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1361
  D. H. Hartmann, M. Leising (Clemson University) S. Klose, A. Zeh (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg) P. Mack (ACE) K. Rumstay (VSU)
  report on behalf of the SARA consortium:
  We imaged the error-circle of GRB020409 (Piro et al. GCN1347) with the SARA 0.9m telescope (KPNO 02/04/11) in the I band.
  Comparison with the DSS did not reveal a new source at limiting magnitude of I ~ 20, consistent with our earlier reports (GCN1353) based on observations with the Tautenburg Schmidt Telescope.
• GCN notice #1362
  James Rhoads, Brad Whitmore, Abhijit Saha, Andy Dolphin, Andy Fruchter, and Chryssa Kouveliotou report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
  We observed the error circle of GRB 020409 with the 3.5m WIYN telescope + Mini Mosaic imager at Kitt Peak from 02:51 to 04:25 UT on 2002 April 11, obtaining a total of 2000 seconds integration in R band and 1000 seconds each in B and I. Comparison with the POSS plates shows no new objects brighter than the POSS plate limit.
  Preliminary application of the color-color search method (Rhoads 2001, ApJ 557, 943) in the (B-R) vs (R-I) plane shows no convincing afterglow candidates down to the limit of the B and I images.
  The 5 sigma detection limit in the R band image is estimated to be in the range R = 23.5 to R=24, based on comparison with USNO-A2 photometry.
  A second epoch of R band observations is underway.
• GCN notice #1364
  B. Stecklum, A. Zeh, S. Klose (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg), D. H. Hartmann, M. Leising (Clemson University), A. A. Henden, F. J. Vrba (USNO/USRA, Flagstaff), J. Greiner (AIP Potsdam/MPE Garching)
  report:
  The error circle of GRB 020409 (Piro et al., GCN #1347) was imaged for the second time in the I band on April 11/12 with the Tautenburg Schmidt telescope equipped with the prime focus CCD camera (2k x 2k; fov about 35 x 35 arcmin), covering the full BeppoSAX error region.
  Six images with 10 min exposure time each were obtained. The second epoch observations are deeper than the first epoch observations. We detect no source which varied by more than approximately 0.5 mag within the GRB error circle. Any potential afterglow must have been fainter than about I=(21 +/- 0.5) mag during the first epoch observations (Stecklum et al., GCN #1353), which began on April 10, 21:44 UT.
  This message can be quoted.
• GCN notice #1365
  S. T. Holland, P. M. Garnavich (Notre Dame), J. A. Munoz (IAC), K. Z. Stanek (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), K. Augustesen, B. L. Jensen, J. Hjorth (Copenhagen), J. Gorosabel (IAA, Granada), and M. Giavalisco (STScI) report:
  We have obtained additional R-band images of the error box of GRB 020409 (Piro 2002, GCN 1347) using the 4Shooter on the 1.2-meter telescope at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO). The first images were taken on 2002 April 11 at 03:50 UT and had a total exposure time of 1020 seconds. The second set of images was taken on April 12 at 03:55 and had a total exposure time of 1200 seconds. These data were combined to form two deep images of the field which were subtracted from each other using the methods described in Schmidt et al. (1998, ApJ, 507, 46). We find no evidence for variability greater than 0.1 mag in 24 hours in any object in the BeppoSAX error box down to a limiting magnitude of approximately R = 21.5.
  To obtain a longer time baseline (31.5 hours) we compared the FLWO images to the combined exposures taken on April 11 at the Brorfelde Observatory (Holland et al. 2002, GCN 1359). Again, we found no evidence for an optical afterglow.
  Images are available at http://www.nd.edu/~sholland/grb/grb020409/index.html.
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1367
  A.Sergeev (IC AMER, Terskol), S.Karpov (BNO), V.Petkov (BNO), S.Barabanov (INASAN, Moskow), N.Karpov (IC AMER, Terskol) report:
  We have obtained R-band images of the error box of GRB 020409 (Piro 2002, GCN 1347) using the IC AMER 2m telescope at peak Terskol and MPAE two-channel focal reducer. Twelve 600s images were taken on 2002 April 10 at 19:33 UT. The second epoch three 600s images were taken on 2002 April. We find no evidence that any object in the BeppoSAX error box varies by more than approximately 0.5 mag The limiting magnitude of this search is approximately R = 22.
  This message may be cited.

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• GCN notice #1368
  P.A. Price, M.P. Hunt and D.W. Fox (Caltech) report on behalf of the REACT GRB collaboration:
  We have observed the error-circle of GRB 020409 (GCN #1347) with the Palomar 200-inch telescope + LFC at 2002 Apr 11.15 UT and Apr 12.14 UT (30.5 and 54.5 hours after the GRB, respectively) in Steidel R. Our images cover the entire error-circle down to a limiting magnitude of R ~ 24 mag, with a small region with slightly less sensitivity. We do not find any afterglow counterpart upon visual inspection of the subtracted images.
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1370
  A.Sergeev (IC AMER, Terskol), S.Karpov (BNO), V.Petkov (BNO), S.Barabanov (INASAN, Moscow), N.Karpov (IC AMER, Terskol) report:
  We have obtained R-band images of the error box of GRB 020409 (Piro 2002, GCN 1347) using the IC AMER 2m telescope at peak Terskol and MPAE two-channel focal reducer. Twelve 600s images were taken on 2002 April 10 at 19:33 UT. The second epoch three 600s images were taken on 2002 April 12 at 00:51 UT. We find no evidence that any object in the BeppoSAX error box varies by more than approximately 0.5 mag. The limiting magnitude of this search is approximately R = 22.
  This message may be cited.
• GCN notice #1373
  M. Nysewander (U. North Carolina), F. Mullally, S. Salviander, D. Winget (U. Texas), D. Reichart (Caltech), J. C. Clemens, J. Rose (U. North Carolina), J. C. Wheeler, B. Schaefer, and P. Kumar (U. Texas) report:
  We observed the central 3.5 arcmin x 3.5 arcmin of the 6.4 arcmin diameter error circle of GRB 020409 (GCN 1347) with the 2.1 m Otto Struve telescope at McDonald Observatory for 2280 seconds on April 10 (beginning 29.3 hours after the burst), and for 1860 seconds on April 11 (beginning 53.1 hours after the burst). No filter was used.
  Visual comparison of the images reveals no transients down to our limiting magnitude, which we estimate to be V ~ 23 mag. This is consistent with the deeper search of Price et al. (GCN 1368).