Related papers: Polarization and light curve variability: the "pat…
We present the recent discovery of linear polarization of the optical afterglow of GRB 990510. Effects that could introduce spurious polarization are discussed, showing that they do not apply to the case of GRB 990510, which is then…
We present a model for the early optical afterglow of GRB 021004. This burst had one of the earliest detected optical afterglows, allowing a dense optical sampling. The lightcurve was peculiar, since bright bumps were superimposed to the…
As we further our studies on Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), both on theoretical models and observational tools, more and more options begin to open for exploration of its physical properties. As transient events primarily dominated by synchrotron…
We examine a sample of 21 gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow light curves at radio frequencies, and compare them to the X-ray and/or optical properties of the afterglows and to the predictions of the standard jet/fireball model. Our sample…
The shock model has successfully explained the observed behaviors of afterglows from long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Here we use it to investigate the so-called early afterglows from short GRBs, which arises from blast waves that are not…
We present the results of the photometric multicolor observations of GRB 060526 optical afterglow obtained with Russian-Turkish 1.5-m Telescope (RTT150, Mt. Bakirlitepe, Turkey). The detailed measurements of afterglow light curve, starting…
The simplest model of the afterglows of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) envisions a spherical blast wave with a power-law distribution of electron energy above some cutoff running into a constant density medium. A refinement involves a narrow…
We present a detailed multi-wavelength afterglow study of the short GRB 250704B, extensively monitored in optical and near-infrared bands. Its afterglow displays an unusually long-duration plateau followed by an achromatic break and a steep…
The recently detected linear polarization in the optical lightcurve of GRB 990510 renewed the interest on how polarization can be produced in gamma-ray burst fireballs. Here we present a model based on the assumption that we are seeing a…
The variation mechanism of blazars is a long standing open question. The polarization observation can provide us with more information to constrain models. In this work, we collect the long term multi-wavelength data of AO 0235+164, and…
We present a densely sampled R-band light curve of the optical afterglow of GRB 030329 obtained during the period 15.5-23 hours after the burst. This dataset allows us to search for short time-scale fluctuations that must be present at some…
Gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows are well described by synchrotron emission originating from the interaction between a relativistic blast wave and the external medium surrounding the GRB progenitor. We introduce a code to reconstruct…
We report that the optical polarization in the afterglow of GRB 091208B is measured at t = 149 - 706 s after the burst trigger, and the polarization degree is P = 10.4% +/- 2.5%. The optical light curve at this time shows a power-law decay…
Polarization measurements from relativistic outflows are a valuable tool to probe the geometry of the emission region and the microphysics of the particle distribution. Indeed, the polarization level depends on: (i) the local magnetic field…
Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the strongest explosions in the Universe, and are powered by initially ultra-relativistic jets. The angular profile of GRB jets encodes important information about their launching and propagation near the central…
Gamma-ray bursts and their afterglows are thought to be produced by an ultrarelativistic jet. One of the most important open questions is the outflow composition: the energy may be carried out from the central source either as kinetic…
We extend the standard fireball model, widely used to interpret gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow light curves, to include energy injections, and apply the model to the afterglow light curves of GRB 990510, GRB 000301C and GRB 010222. We show…
The optical light curve of the afterglow following the gamma-ray burst GRB990712 is re-examined. Recently published polarization measurements of that source require a collimated outflow geometry that in turn predicts a break in the light…
A new procedure for smoothing a gamma-ray burst (GRB) lightcurve and calculating its variability is presented. Applying the procedure to a sample of 25 long GRBs, we have obtained a very tight correlation between the variability and the…
The afterglow of GRBs is believed to originate from the synchrotron emission of shock-accelerated electrons produced by the interaction between the outflow and the external medium. The accelerated electrons are usually assumed to follow a…