[Previous] | [Session 132] | [Next]
K. Z. Stanek (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA), D. Bersier (Space Telescope Science Institute), P. M. Garnavich (University of Notre Dame), S. T. Holland (Goddard Space Flight Center), T. Matheson (Harvard-Smithsonian CfA)
We present extensive optical photometry of the afterglow of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 030329 and its associated supernova (SN) 2003dh starting 50 days after detection. The light curve is shown to closely resemble those of SN 1998bw, a peculiar Type Ic SN associated with GRB 980425. We observed a striking feature (``Jitter Episode'') in the late R-band light curve starting about 50 days after the burst. The light curve is seen to vary on timescales of about 2 days by more than 0.3 mag. Such variations more than 50 days after the burst (>40 days in the rest frame) are unlikely to be in the supernova component, as such variations have never been observed in any other supernova. It is much more likely that the afterglow of the GRB has exhibited another episode of re-brightening, possibly due to interaction with SN1987A-like rings ejected long ago from the progenitor. Alternatively, the early afterglow had a complicated light curve, possibly due to refreshed shocks, and this late ``Jitter Episode'' could be somehow related to that earlier behavior. We continue observing GRB 030329/SN 2003dh and will report preliminary results at the meeting.
If you would like more information about this abstract, please follow the link to http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/oir/Research/GRB/. This link was provided by the author. When you follow it, you will leave the Web site for this meeting; to return, you should use the Back comand on your browser.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: kstanek@cfa.harvard.edu
[Previous] | [Session 132] | [Next]
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.