Optical follow up of the GRB 990123 source from UPSO, Nainital

Abstract

The CCD magnitudes in Johnson $BV$ and Cousins $R$ photometric passbands are determined for the optical transient of GRB 990123. These observations have been taken approximately 12 hours after trigger of the gamma-ray burst. BVR photometric light curves are obtained by combining the published data with the present measurements. They indicate that the flux decay constants in $BV$ and $R$ passbands are almost the same. Its value is $1.1\pm 0.06$. Such decay is quite consistent with the fireball models for the optical transient.

LaTex file, 5 pages with 1 figure. Bull. Astron. Society India, Vol. 27 (accepted)