Related papers: Swift X-ray Afterglows: Where are the X-ray Jet Br…

The X-ray light-curves of the GRB afterglows monitored by Swift display one to four phases of power-law decay. In chronological order they are: the burst tail, the "hump", the standard decay, and the post jet-break decay. The large-angle…

We present an analysis of early BAT and XRT data for 107 gamma--ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Swift satellite. We use these data to examine the behaviour of the X-ray light curve and propose a classification scheme for GRBs based on…

We present a comprehensive statistical analysis of Swift X-ray light-curves of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) collecting data from more than 650 GRBs discovered by Swift and other facilities. The unprecedented sample size allows us to constrain…

We present a catalogue of refined positions of 68 gamma ray burst (GRB) afterglows observed by the Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) from the launch up to 2005 Oct 16. This is a result of the refinement of the XRT boresight calibration. We tested…

With its rapid response, {\it Swift} has revealed plenty of unexpected properties of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). With an abundance of observations, our current understanding is only limited by complexity of early X-ray light curves. In this…

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) X-ray light curves exhibit a variety of complex temporal structures, such as flares and plateaus. The origin of flares seen in many GRB early afterglows is still uncertain. Here, we analyze a sample of 89 GRBs, 61 of…

GRB afterglow jets have been notoriously difficult to resolve numerically using 2D hydrodynamical simulations due to high outflow Lorentz factors. By performing simulations in a boosted frame, it is possible to calculate light curves from…

The ROTSE-IIIc telescope at the H.E.S.S. site, Namibia, obtained the earliest detection of optical emission from a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB), beginning only 21.8 s from the onset of Swift GRB 050801. The optical lightcurve does not fade or…

Context: Thirteen years after the discovery of the first afterglows, the nature of dark gamma-ray bursts (GRB) still eludes explanation: while each ng-duration GRB typically has an X-ray afterglow, optical/NIR emission is only seen for…

We present a multiwavelength analysis of 63 Gamma-Ray Bursts observed with the world's three largest robotic optical telescopes, the Liverpool and Faulkes Telescopes (North and South). Optical emission was detected for 24 GRBs with…

Due to some refinements in the dynamics, we can follow the overall evolution of a realistic jet numerically till its bulk velocity being as small as $\beta c \sim 10^{-3} c$. We find no obvious break in the optical light curve during the…

Most X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the Swift satellite have a shallow decay phase t^{-1/2} in the first few hours. This is not predicted by the standard afterglow model and needs an explanation. We discuss that the…

The afterglow emission from a spreading jet expanding in a circumstellar cloud is discussed. Prompt X-ray radiation and a strong UV flash from the reverse shock produced by the interaction of the jet with the cloud may destroy and clear the…

We propose that the flat decay phase in the first 100-10,000 seconds of the X-ray light curve of Gamma Ray Bursts can be interpreted as prolonged activity of the central engine, producing shells of decreasing bulk Lorentz factors Gamma. The…

Short duration (<2 s) Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been a mystery since their discovery. Until May 2005 very little was known about short GRBs, but this situation has changed rapidly in the last few months since the Swift and HETE-2…

The cannonball (CB) model of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) predicts that the asymptotic behaviour of the spectral energy density of the X-ray afterglow of GRBs is a power-law in time and in frequency where the difference between the temporal and…

The steepening (break) of the power-law fall-off observed in the optical emission of some GRB afterglows at epoch ~1 day is often attributed to a collimated outflow (jet), undergoing lateral spreading. Wider opening GRB ejecta with a…

The Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT) at Lick Observatory observed GRB 021211 starting 105 s after the burst, among the earliest observations of an optical afterglow to date. Our well-sampled light curve, consisting of 18 points in…

Multi-wavelength B, V, R, I observations of the optical afterglow of GRB 050319 were performed by the 1.05-m telescope at Kiso Observatory and the 1.0-m telescope at Lulin Observatory from 1.31 hours to 9.92 hours after the burst. Our R…

We have conducted a thorough and blind search for emission lines in >70 Swift X-ray afterglows of total exposure ~10^7s. We find that most afterglows are consistent with pure power-laws plus extinction. Significant outliers to the…