paper

The unusual X-ray light-curve of GRB 080307: the onset of the afterglow?

arXiv:0901.2219 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14509.x

Abstract

Swift-detected GRB 080307 showed an unusual smooth rise in its X-ray light-curve around 100 seconds after the burst, at the start of which the emission briefly softened. This `hump' has a longer duration than is normal for a flare at early times and does not demonstrate a typical flare profile. Using a two component power-law-to-exponential model, the rising emission can be modelled as the onset of the afterglow, something which is very rarely seen in Swift-X-ray light-curves. We cannot, however, rule out that the hump is a particularly slow early-time flare, or that it is caused by upscattered reverse shock electrons.

8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

References in corpus (16)