A Search for Sub-TeV Gammas in Coincidence with Gamma Ray Bursts

Poirier, J.; D'Andrea, C.; Fragile, P. C.; Gress, J.; Mathews, G. J.; Race, D.

A Search for Sub-TeV Gammas in Coincidence with Gamma Ray Bursts

Authors

Description

We report on a study of sub-TeV ($E_γ> 10$ GeV) gamma-ray-induced muon secondaries in coincidence with BATSE gamma ray bursts (GRBs). Each TeV gamma ray striking the atmosphere produces $\approx$0.2 muons whose identity and angle can be measured by the Project GRAND array. Eight GRB candidates were studied; seven were selected based upon the optimum product of (detected BATSE fluence) $\times$ (GRAND's acceptance). One candidate was added because it was reported as a detection by the Milagrito collaboration. Seven candidates show a positive, though not statistically significant, muon excess. The most significant possible coincidence shows an excess of $466 \pm 171$ muons during the BATSE T90 time interval. It is also of interest that the event with the second most significant signal to noise (1.2$σ$) is the Milagrito event. If our most significant event is real, the implied fluence of energetic ($> 10$ GeV) gammas necessary to account for the observed muon excess would require that most of the GRB fluence arrived in the form of energetic gammas.
7 pages, including 3 figures and 1 table. Revised as per Referees' suggestions. Accepted for publication in Physical Review D