GRB 990510: linearly polarized radiation from a fireball

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dc.creatorCovino, S.
dc.creatorLazzati, D.
dc.creatorGhisellini, G.
dc.creatorSaracco, P.
dc.creatorCampana, S.
dc.creatorChincarini, G.
dc.creatorDi Serego, S.
dc.creatorCimatti, A.
dc.creatorVanzi, L.
dc.creatorPasquini, L.
dc.creatorHaardt, F.
dc.creatorIsrael, G. L.
dc.creatorStella, L.
dc.creatorVietri, M.
dc.creator.
dc.date1999-06-18
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T02:32:06Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T02:32:06Z
dc.descriptionModels for gamma-ray burst afterglows envisage an hyper-relativistic fireball that is decelerated in the ambient medium around the explosion site. This interaction produces a shock wave which amplifies the magnetic field and accelerates electrons to relativistic energies, setting the conditions for an efficient production of synchrotron photons. If produced in a region of large-scale ordered magnetic field, synchrotron radiation can be highly polarized. The optical transient associated with GRB 990510 was observed ~18.5 hr after the event and linear polarization in the R band was measured at a level of 1.7 +/- 0.2 %. This is the first detection of linear polarization in the optical afterglow of a gamma-ray burst. We exclude that this polarization is due to dust in the interstellar material, either in our Galaxy or in the host galaxy of the gamma-ray burst. These results provide important new evidence in favor of the synchrotron origin of the afterglow emission, and constrains the geometry of the fireball and/or magnetic field lines.
dc.description4 pages, 3 postscript figures, accepted for publication in A&A Letters Raw data available upon request
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9906319
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9906319
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/14389
dc.subjectAstrophysics
dc.titleGRB 990510: linearly polarized radiation from a fireball
dc.typetext

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