Null Result in Gamma-Ray Burst Lensed Echo Search

Abstract

We have searched for gravitational-lens induced echoes between gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in NASA's orbiting {\it Compton} Gamma Ray Observatory's Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) data. The search was conducted in two phases. In the first phase we compared all GRBs in a brightness complete sample of the first 260 GRBs with recorded angular positions having at least 5 \% chance of being coincident from their combined positional error. In the second phase, we compared all GRB light curves of the first 611 GRBs with recorded angular positions having at least 55 \% chance of being coincident from their combined positional error. No unambiguous gravitational lens candidate pairs were found in either phase, although a ``library of close calls" was accumulated for future reference. This result neither excludes nor significantly constrains a cosmological origin for GRBs.

in press: ApJ, Plain TeX, 14 pages, 17 figures (available by FAX)

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