Microsecond flares in gamma-ray bursts

Authors

Bradley E. Schaefer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Justin Cohen, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Bonnard J. Teegarden, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Thomas L. Cline, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Gerald J. Fishman, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Charles A. Meegan, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Robert B. Wilson, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
William S. Paciesas, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Geoffrey N. Pendleton, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
James L. Matteson, University of California, San Diego
David L. Band, University of California, San Diego
John P. Lestrade, Mississippi State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-20-1993

Abstract

It has been suggested that gamma-ray burst light curves may consist of many superposed flares with a duration shorter than 30 μs. If true, the implications for the interpretation of burst data are enormous. With the launch of the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory, four predictions of Mitrofanov's suggestion can be tested. Our results which contradict this suggestion are (1) the photon arrival times are not correlated between independent detectors, (2) the spectral hardness and intensity does not depend on the detector area, (3) the bursts seen by detectors which measure photon positions do not see microsecond flares, and (4) burst positions deduced from detectors with different projected areas are close to the positions deduced from time-of-flight differences between separated spacecraft. We conclude, therefore, that gamma-ray bursts are not composed of microsecond flares.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Astrophysical Journal

First Page

673

Last Page

677

Recommended Citation

Schaefer, B., Cohen, J., Teegarden, B., Cline, T., Fishman, G., Meegan, C., Wilson, R., Paciesas, W., Pendleton, G., Matteson, J., Band, D., & Lestrade, J. (1993). Microsecond flares in gamma-ray bursts. Astrophysical Journal, 404 (2), 673-677. https://doi.org/10.1086/172320