H.E.S.S. observations of gamma-ray bursts in 2003-2007

Abstract

Very-high-energy (VHE; >~100 GeV) gamma-rays are expected from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in some scenarios. Exploring this photon energy regime is necessary for understanding the energetics and properties of GRBs. GRBs have been one of the prime targets for the H.E.S.S. experiment, which makes use of four Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) to detect VHE gamma-rays. Dedicated observations of 32 GRB positions were made in the years 2003-2007 and a search for VHE gamma-ray counterparts of these GRBs was made. Depending on the visibility and observing conditions, the observations mostly start minutes to hours after the burst and typically last two hours. Results from observations of 22 GRB positions are presented and evidence of a VHE signal was found neither in observations of any individual GRBs, nor from stacking data from subsets of GRBs with higher expected VHE flux according to a model-independent ranking scheme. Upper limits for the VHE gamma-ray flux from the GRB positions were derived. For those GRBs with measured redshifts, differential upper limits at the energy threshold after correcting for absorption due to extra-galactic background light are also presented.

9 pages, 4 tables, 3 figures

References in corpus (47)

• A Unified Approach to the Classical Statistical Analysis of Small Signals
• Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Fireball Model
• Spectroscopic Discovery of the Supernova 2003dh Associated with GRB 030329
• Physical processes shaping GRB X-ray afterglow lightcurves: theoretical implications from the Swift XRT observations
• The extragalactic optical-infrared background radiations, their time evolution and the cosmic photon-photon opacity
• An online repository of Swift/XRT light curves of GRBs
• Evidence for a Canonical GRB Afterglow Light Curve in the Swift/XRT Data
• Observations of the Crab Nebula with H.E.S.S
• Gamma-Ray Bursts: Progress, Problems & Prospects
• A low level of extragalactic background light as revealed by gamma-rays from blazars
• Background Modelling in Very-High-Energy gamma-ray Astronomy
• A Complete Catalog of Swift GRB Spectra and Durations: Demise of a Physical Origin for Pre-Swift High-Energy Correlations
• A mean redshift of 2.8 for Swift gamma-ray bursts
• The First Survey of X-ray Flares from Gamma Ray Bursts Observed by Swift: Temporal Properties and Morphology
• High Energy Spectral Components in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows
• The sub-energetic GRB 031203 as a cosmic analogue to GRB 980425
• Neutrino afterglow from Gamma-Ray Bursts: ~10^{18} eV
• High-energy cosmic-ray nuclei from high- and low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts and implications for multi-messenger astronomy
• The First Swift BAT Gamma-Ray Burst Catalog
• Beaming, Baryon-Loading, and the Synchrotron Self-Compton Component in Gamma-Ray Burst Blast Waves Energized by External Shocks
• A New Population of High Redshift Short-Duration Gamma-Ray Bursts
• High Energy Afterglow from Gamma-ray Bursts
• High Energy Gamma Rays from Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays in Gamma Ray Bursts
• GeV and higher energy photon interactions in gamma-ray burst fireballs and surroundings
• The Trigger System of the H.E.S.S. Telescope Array
• GRB 060505: A possible short-duration gamma-ray burst in a star forming region at redshift of 0.09
• The Inverse Compton Emission Spectra in the Very Early Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts
• MAGIC upper limits on the very high energy emission from GRBs
• GeV-TeV and X-ray flares from gamma-ray bursts
• High energy gamma-ray emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts -- before GLAST
• Evidence for VHE Gamma-ray Emission from the Distant BL Lac PG 1553+113
• Performance of the Stereoscopic System of the HEGRA Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes: Monte Carlo Simulations & Observations
• An HST Study of the Supernovae Accompanying GRB 040924 and GRB 041006
• GRB 071003: Broadband Follow-up Observations of a Very Bright Gamma-Ray Burst in a Galactic Halo
• Discovery of VHE Gamma Rays from PKS 2005-489
• Temporal Evolution of Pair Attenuation Signatures in Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra
• Early afterglow detection in the Swift observations of GRB 050801
• High energy photon emission in the early afterglow of GRB's
• On the nature of late X-ray flares in Swift Gamma-ray Bursts
• H.E.S.S. Observations of the Prompt and Afterglow Phases of GRB 060602B
• Constraints on Very High Energy gamma-ray emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Rapid X-ray Declines and Plateaus in Swift GRB Light Curves Explained by A Highly Radiative Blast Wave
• High energy afterglows and flares from Gamma-Ray Burst by Inverse Compton emission
• Very High Energy Observations of Gamma-Ray Burst Locations with the Whipple Telescope
• Search for Sub-TeV Gamma Rays Coincident with BATSE Gamma Ray Bursts
• Multiple Component Analysis of Time Resolved Spectra of GRB041006: A Clue to the Nature of Underlying Soft Component of GRBs
• Prospects for detection of very high-energy emission from GRB in the context of the external shock model

Cited by in corpus (39)

• Teraelectronvolt emission from the $\gamma$-ray burst GRB 190114C
• Search for TeV Gamma-ray Emission from GRB 100621A, an extremely bright GRB in X-rays, with H.E.S.S
• Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts Prompt Emission
• Prompt High-Energy Emission from Proton-Dominated Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Gamma-Ray Burst Science in the Era of the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Constraints on the Synchrotron Emission Mechanism in GRBs
• Synchrotron self-Compton as a likely mechanism of photons beyond the synchrotron limit in GRB 190114C
• On the Implications of Late Internal Dissipation for Shallow-Decay Afterglow Emission and Associated High-Energy Gamma-Ray Signals
• On the origin of the multi-GeV photons from the closest burst with intermediate luminosity: GRB 190829A
• Capturing the electromagnetic counterparts of binary neutron star mergers through low latency gravitational wave triggers
• High energy emission of GRB 130427A: evidence for inverse Compton radiation
• The physical conditions of the afterglow implied by MAGIC's sub-TeV observations of GRB 190114C
• High-energy emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts
• A comprehensive statistical study on gamma-ray bursts
• TeV Gamma-ray Astronomy: A Summary
• Search for gamma-rays from the unusually bright GRB 130427A with the HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory
• Prospects for Detecting Gamma-Ray Bursts at Very High Energies with the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Constraints on Very High Energy Emission from GRB 130427A
• The High Energy Budget Allocations in Shocks and GRB
• The H.E.S.S. central data acquisition system
• High-energy emission as a test of the prior emission model for gamma-ray burst afterglows
• IACT observations of gamma-ray bursts: prospects for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• ARGO-YBJ constraints on very high energy emission from GRBs
• Very High Energy Gamma-ray Afterglow Emission of Nearby Gamma-ray Bursts
• On the prospects of gamma-ray burst detection in the TeV band
• Cherenkov Telescopes as Optical Telescopes for Bright Sources: Today's Specialised Thirty Metre Telescopes?
• Search for very-high-energy emission from Gamma-ray Bursts using the first 18 months of data from the HAWC Gamma-ray Observatory
• The H.E.S.S. transients follow-up system
• Modeling gamma-ray burst observations by Fermi and MAGIC including attenuation due to diffuse background light
• Hunting Gravitational Waves with Multi-Messenger Counterparts: Australia's Role
• A strong limit on the very-high-energy emission from GRB 150323A
• The Fermi view of gamma-ray bursts
• Constraints on the very high energy gamma-ray emission from short GRBs with HAWC
• Probing Massive Stars Around Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors
• The Very Bright and Nearby GRB 130427A: The Extra Hard Spectral Component and Implications for Very High-energy Gamma-ray Observations of Gamma-ray Bursts
• The H.E.S.S. extragalactic sky survey with the first decade of observations
• H.E.S.S.: The High Energy Stereoscopic System
• Chasing Gamma-Ray Signals from Binary Neutron Star Coalescences with the Cherenkov Telescope Array: Prospects and Observing Strategies
• The second H.E.S.S. gamma-ray burst catalogue: 15 years of observations with the H.E.S.S. telescopes