The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population

We present multiwavelength observations of the Swift short γ -ray burst GRB 231117A, localized to an underlying galaxy at redshift z = 0.257 at a small projected offset (∼2 kpc). We uncover long-lived X-ray Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio/millimeter (VLA, MeerKAT, and ALMA) afterglow emission, d...

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Main Authors: Genevieve Schroeder, Wen-fai Fong, Charles D. Kilpatrick, Alicia Rouco Escorial, Tanmoy Laskar, Anya E. Nugent, Jillian Rastinejad, Kate D. Alexander, Edo Berger, Thomas G. Brink, Ryan Chornock, Clecio R. de Bom, Yuxin Dong, Tarraneh Eftekhari, Alexei V. Filippenko, Celeste Fuentes-Carvajal, Wynn V. Jacobson-Galán, Matthew Malkan, Raffaella Margutti, Jeniveve Pearson, Lauren Rhodes, Ricardo Salinas, David J. Sand, Luidhy Santana-Silva, Andre Santos, Huei Sears, Manisha Shrestha, Nathan Smith, Wayne Webb, Simon de Wet, Yi Yang
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Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada9e5
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author Genevieve Schroeder
Wen-fai Fong
Charles D. Kilpatrick
Alicia Rouco Escorial
Tanmoy Laskar
Anya E. Nugent
Jillian Rastinejad
Kate D. Alexander
Edo Berger
Thomas G. Brink
Ryan Chornock
Clecio R. de Bom
Yuxin Dong
Tarraneh Eftekhari
Alexei V. Filippenko
Celeste Fuentes-Carvajal
Wynn V. Jacobson-Galán
Matthew Malkan
Raffaella Margutti
Jeniveve Pearson
Lauren Rhodes
Ricardo Salinas
David J. Sand
Luidhy Santana-Silva
Andre Santos
Huei Sears
Manisha Shrestha
Nathan Smith
Wayne Webb
Simon de Wet
Yi Yang
author_facet Genevieve Schroeder
Wen-fai Fong
Charles D. Kilpatrick
Alicia Rouco Escorial
Tanmoy Laskar
Anya E. Nugent
Jillian Rastinejad
Kate D. Alexander
Edo Berger
Thomas G. Brink
Ryan Chornock
Clecio R. de Bom
Yuxin Dong
Tarraneh Eftekhari
Alexei V. Filippenko
Celeste Fuentes-Carvajal
Wynn V. Jacobson-Galán
Matthew Malkan
Raffaella Margutti
Jeniveve Pearson
Lauren Rhodes
Ricardo Salinas
David J. Sand
Luidhy Santana-Silva
Andre Santos
Huei Sears
Manisha Shrestha
Nathan Smith
Wayne Webb
Simon de Wet
Yi Yang
author_sort Genevieve Schroeder
collection DOAJ
description We present multiwavelength observations of the Swift short γ -ray burst GRB 231117A, localized to an underlying galaxy at redshift z = 0.257 at a small projected offset (∼2 kpc). We uncover long-lived X-ray Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio/millimeter (VLA, MeerKAT, and ALMA) afterglow emission, detected to ∼37 days and ∼20 days (rest frame), respectively. We measure a wide jet (∼10 $\mathop{.}\limits^{\unicode{x000b0}}$ 4) and relatively high circumburst density (∼0.07 cm ^−3 ) compared to the short GRB population. Our data cannot be easily fit with a standard forward shock model, but they are generally well fit with the incorporation of a refreshed forward shock and a reverse shock at <1 day. We incorporate GRB 231117A into a larger sample of 132 X-ray detected events, 71 of which were radio-observed (17 cm-band detections), for a systematic study of the distributions of redshifts, jet and afterglow properties, galactocentric offsets, and local environments of events with and without detected radio afterglows. Compared to the entire short GRB population, the majority of radio-detected GRBs are at relatively low redshifts ( z  < 0.6) and have high circumburst densities (>10 ^−2 cm ^−3 ), consistent with their smaller (<8 kpc) projected galactocentric offsets. We additionally find that 70% of short GRBs with opening angle measurements were radio-detected, indicating the importance of radio afterglows in jet measurements, especially in the cases of wide (>10°) jets where observational evidence of collimation may only be detectable at radio wavelengths. Owing to improved observing strategies and the emergence of sensitive radio facilities, the number of radio-detected short GRBs has quadrupled in the past decade.
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spelling doaj-art-579c0aa97100405eb7fe8f7cda8ea61d2025-08-20T03:01:49ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198214210.3847/1538-4357/ada9e5The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst PopulationGenevieve Schroeder0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9915-8147Wen-fai Fong1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7374-935XCharles D. Kilpatrick2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5740-7747Alicia Rouco Escorial3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3937-0618Tanmoy Laskar4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1792-2338Anya E. Nugent5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2028-9329Jillian Rastinejad6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9267-6213Kate D. Alexander7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8297-2473Edo Berger8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9392-9681Thomas G. Brink9https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5955-2502Ryan Chornock10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7706-5668Clecio R. de Bom11Yuxin Dong12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9363-8606Tarraneh Eftekhari13https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0307-9984Alexei V. Filippenko14https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3460-0103Celeste Fuentes-Carvajal15https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7505-5707Wynn V. Jacobson-Galán16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3934-2644Matthew Malkan17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6919-1237Raffaella Margutti18https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4768-7586Jeniveve Pearson19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0744-0047Lauren Rhodes20https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2705-4941Ricardo Salinas21https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1206-1930David J. Sand22https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4102-380XLuidhy Santana-Silva23https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3402-6164Andre Santos24Huei Sears25https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8023-4912Manisha Shrestha26https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4022-1874Nathan Smith27https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5510-2424Wayne Webb28Simon de Wet29https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2449-1329Yi Yang30https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6535-8500Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USACenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USACenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USAEuropean Space Agency (ESA) , European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC), Camino Bajo del Castillo s/n, 28692 Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid, SpainDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of Utah , Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USACenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USACenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USACenter for Astrophysics—Harvard & Smithsonian , Cambridge, MA 02138, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USACentro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas , Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, CEP 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilCenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USACenter for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA) and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University , Evanston, IL 60208, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USADepartamento de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Catolíca de Chile , Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 782-0436 Macul, Santiago, ChileDepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA , Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USADepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA; Department of Physics, University of California , 366 Physics North MC 7300, Berkeley, CA 94720, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USADepartment of Physics, University of Oxford , Keble Road, Oxford, OX1 3RH, UKNicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences , Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warszawa, PolandSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USACentro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas , Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, CEP 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilCentro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas , Rua Dr. Xavier Sigaud 150, CEP 22290-180, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BrazilDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, T he State University of New Jersey, 136 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854-8019, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USAUCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy , Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547, USAUniversity of Cape Town Astronomy Department , Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South AfricaDepartment of Astronomy, University of California , Berkeley, CA 94720-3411, USA; Physics Department, Tsinghua University , Beijing, 100084, People's Republic of ChinaWe present multiwavelength observations of the Swift short γ -ray burst GRB 231117A, localized to an underlying galaxy at redshift z = 0.257 at a small projected offset (∼2 kpc). We uncover long-lived X-ray Chandra X-ray Observatory and radio/millimeter (VLA, MeerKAT, and ALMA) afterglow emission, detected to ∼37 days and ∼20 days (rest frame), respectively. We measure a wide jet (∼10 $\mathop{.}\limits^{\unicode{x000b0}}$ 4) and relatively high circumburst density (∼0.07 cm ^−3 ) compared to the short GRB population. Our data cannot be easily fit with a standard forward shock model, but they are generally well fit with the incorporation of a refreshed forward shock and a reverse shock at <1 day. We incorporate GRB 231117A into a larger sample of 132 X-ray detected events, 71 of which were radio-observed (17 cm-band detections), for a systematic study of the distributions of redshifts, jet and afterglow properties, galactocentric offsets, and local environments of events with and without detected radio afterglows. Compared to the entire short GRB population, the majority of radio-detected GRBs are at relatively low redshifts ( z  < 0.6) and have high circumburst densities (>10 ^−2 cm ^−3 ), consistent with their smaller (<8 kpc) projected galactocentric offsets. We additionally find that 70% of short GRBs with opening angle measurements were radio-detected, indicating the importance of radio afterglows in jet measurements, especially in the cases of wide (>10°) jets where observational evidence of collimation may only be detectable at radio wavelengths. Owing to improved observing strategies and the emergence of sensitive radio facilities, the number of radio-detected short GRBs has quadrupled in the past decade.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada9e5Gamma-ray burstsRadio astronomyTime domain astronomyMillimeter astronomyHigh energy astrophysicsRelativistic jets
spellingShingle Genevieve Schroeder
Wen-fai Fong
Charles D. Kilpatrick
Alicia Rouco Escorial
Tanmoy Laskar
Anya E. Nugent
Jillian Rastinejad
Kate D. Alexander
Edo Berger
Thomas G. Brink
Ryan Chornock
Clecio R. de Bom
Yuxin Dong
Tarraneh Eftekhari
Alexei V. Filippenko
Celeste Fuentes-Carvajal
Wynn V. Jacobson-Galán
Matthew Malkan
Raffaella Margutti
Jeniveve Pearson
Lauren Rhodes
Ricardo Salinas
David J. Sand
Luidhy Santana-Silva
Andre Santos
Huei Sears
Manisha Shrestha
Nathan Smith
Wayne Webb
Simon de Wet
Yi Yang
The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
The Astrophysical Journal
Gamma-ray bursts
Radio astronomy
Time domain astronomy
Millimeter astronomy
High energy astrophysics
Relativistic jets
title The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
title_full The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
title_fullStr The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
title_full_unstemmed The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
title_short The Long-lived Broadband Afterglow of Short Gamma-Ray Burst 231117A and the Growing Radio-detected Short Gamma-Ray Burst Population
title_sort long lived broadband afterglow of short gamma ray burst 231117a and the growing radio detected short gamma ray burst population
topic Gamma-ray bursts
Radio astronomy
Time domain astronomy
Millimeter astronomy
High energy astrophysics
Relativistic jets
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada9e5
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