GRB 200415A: A Short Gamma-Ray Burst from a Magnetar Giant Flare?
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-18-2020
Publication Title
The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume
899
Issue
2
First page number:
1
Last page number:
11
Abstract
The giant flares of soft gamma-ray repeaters (SGRs) have long been proposed to contribute to at least a subsample of the observed short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In this paper, we perform a comprehensive analysis of the highenergy data of the recent bright short GRB 200415A, which was located close to the Sculptor galaxy. Our results suggest that a magnetar giant flare provides the most natural explanation for most observational properties of GRB 200415A, including its location, temporal and spectral features, energy, statistical correlations, and high-energy emissions. On the other hand, the compact star merger GRB model is found to have difficulty reproducing such an event in a nearby distance. Future detections and follow-up observations of similar events are essential to firmly establish the connection between SGR giant flares and a subsample of nearby short GRBs.
Keywords
Gamma-Ray Bursts; Soft Gamma-Ray Repeaters; Magnetars; Gamma-Ray Transient Sources
Disciplines
Astrophysics and Astronomy | Physical Sciences and Mathematics | Stars, Interstellar Medium and the Galaxy
Language
English
Repository Citation
Yang, J.,
Chand, V.,
Zhang, B.,
Yang, Y.,
Zou, J.,
Yang, Y.,
Zhao, X.,
Shao, L.,
Xiong, S.,
Luo, Q.,
Li, X.,
Xiao, S.,
Li, C.,
Liu, C.,
Joshi, J. C.,
Sharma, V.,
Chakraborty, M.,
Li, Y.,
Zhang, B.
(2020).
GRB 200415A: A Short Gamma-Ray Burst from a Magnetar Giant Flare?.
The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 899(2),
1-11.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aba745