English

Statistical Uncertainty in the Re-Analysis of Polarization in GRB021206

Astrophysics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

We recently reported the first detection of an astrophysical gamma-ray polarization from GRB021206 using the Reuven Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (RHESSI) spacecraft. Our analysis suggested gamma-ray polarization at an astoundingly high level, 80+/-20%. A recent manuscript re-analyzes this event in the RHESSI data, and sets an upper limit on potential polarization of 4.1% -- clearly inconsistent with our initial analysis. This manuscript raises a number of important concerns about the analysis, which are already being addressed in a separate methods paper under preparation. We note here, however, that the limit set on the potential polarization by this re-analysis is significantly underestimated using their novel statistical methods.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0310515,
  title  = {Statistical Uncertainty in the Re-Analysis of Polarization in GRB021206},
  author = {Steven E. Boggs and Wayne Coburn},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0310515},
  year   = {2007}
}

Comments

Submitted to MNRAS