GCN OPERATOR'S NOTE: This file contains Circulars for two GRBs: 000615A and 000615B. Note that most of the time the letters are not included in the GRByymmdd designations in the Subject-lines of the Circulars. The combining of the two bursts is the result of demon that receive the incoming Circulars and route them to the appropriate concatenated files. The demon is not sophisticated enough to handle the letter designations (given all the various formats used be the submittors). //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 703 SUBJECT: GRB000615: BeppoSAX GRB Alert DATE: 00/06/15 10:58:53 GMT FROM: Giangiacomo Gandolfi at IAS/CNR Frascati On June 15, 06:18:24 U.T. a GRB (GRB000615) has been detected simultaneously by the GRBM and WFC aboard BeppoSAX. Preliminary coordinates from WFC are: R.A.(2000)= 233.141 DEC(2000)= +73.795 The error radius at this stage of analysis is 5'. A follow-up observation with the NFI is being planned Luigi Piro BeppoSAX Mission Scientist //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 705 SUBJECT: GRB000615: BeppoSAX refined coordinates DATE: 00/06/15 15:43:03 GMT FROM: Giangiacomo Gandolfi at IAS/CNR Frascati Refined coordinates of GRB000615 from WFC are: R.A.(2000)= 233.168 DEC(2000)= +73.848 The error radius is 2'. G. Gandolfi on behalf of BeppoSAX Mission Scientist //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 706 SUBJECT: GRB000615, R-band photometry DATE: 00/06/15 19:58:37 GMT FROM: Krzysztof Z. Stanek at CfA K. Z. Stanek (CfA), P. M. Garnavich (Notre Dame) and P. Berlind (FLWO) report: We have observed the BeppoSAX error-box of GRB000615 (GCN 703) using the FLWO 1.2-meter telescope on Mt. Hopkins. The center of the revised error-box (GCN 705) is located at Galactic coordinates (l,b)=(109.58 deg, 38.81 deg), and the Schlegel et al. (1998) Galactic reddening toward this direction is very small, E(B-V)=0.024 mag (A_R=0.063 mag). The stellar field is relatively sparse in this direction. We obtained two 300 sec R-band images, starting at UT June 15 10:30 (i.e. about 4 hours 12 minutes after the detection by BeppoSAX) followed by one 600 sec R-band image starting at UT June 15 10:42. Visual comparison of our combined 1200 sec R-band image with the POSS-II red plate, which reaches about R~20.0 mag, reveals no obvious ``new'' objects. Using DAOPHOT-II (Stetson 1992) on our combined R-band image we detect about 180 objects with R<20.0 mag in 11x11 arcmin field. The combined R-band image of the error-box can be seen at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/oir/Research/GRB/. Further observations are planned at FLWO. This message can be cited. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 707 SUBJECT: GRB000615: BeppoSAX NFI follow-up preliminary analysis DATE: 00/06/16 11:06:10 GMT FROM: Giangiacomo Gandolfi at IAS/CNR Frascati A BeppoSAX follow up of GRB000615 with the Narrow Field Instruments started around June 15 at 16:20 UT, i.e. about 10 hours after the GRB. A quick look analysis of the first orbits of MECS (1.6-10 keV) data shows a faint and previously unknown source inside the field. The coordinates are: R.A.(2000)= 233.058 DEC(2000)= 73.814 with a 1.5' error radius. This object may be compatible with a radio source from NVSS Catalogue 1.3' away (RA: 233.043, DEC: 73.835) and not necessarily associated to the GRB. G. Gandolfi on behalf of BeppoSAX Mission Scientist //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 708 SUBJECT: GRB 000615: NIR observations DATE: 00/06/16 15:57:03 GMT FROM: Angelo Antonelli at Obs. Astro. di Roma A. Di Paola, L.A. Antonelli, G. Licausi, R. Speziali, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, G. Valentini, Osservatorio Astronomico di Teramo, Italy, on behalf of a larger collaboration report: We have imaged the BeppoSAX revised error-box of GRB000615 (GCN 705) using the AZT-24 1.1-meter telescope at Campo Imperatore (AQ). We observed for a total exposure time of 3600 sec in J-band and 1500 sec in K-band. Observations started at June 15.9792 UT about 17.2 hours after BeppoSAX trigger time (GCN 703) and ended at 16.09167 UT. We imaged the field in J-band twice with a time interval of about 2 hours. The limiting magnitude in the combined images is J=20.5 mag and K=17.5 mag (S/N=3) with an average seeing of 2.5" . A preliminary comparison of the first 900 sec with the last 1500 sec J-band images reveals no obvious fading objects. The comparison of the combined 3600 sec J-band images with the POSS-II red plate and the FLWO field (GCN 706), reveals no obvious new objects. Further observations of this field are planned at Campo Imperatore. This message is citable. [GCN OPS NOTE (26May00): The GRB date in the Subject-line was changed from 000516 to 000615.] //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 709 SUBJECT: GRB000615, further R-band photometry DATE: 00/06/16 22:02:26 GMT FROM: Krzysztof Z. Stanek at CfA K. Z. Stanek (CfA), P. M. Garnavich (Notre Dame), S. Jha (CfA) and P. Berlind (FLWO) report: We have obtained additional images of the BeppoSAX error-box of GRB000615 (GCNs 703, 705) using the FLWO 1.2-meter telescope on Mt. Hopkins. We obtained two 4x300 sec R-band image sequences, with the first sequence starting at UT June 16 04:19, and the second starting at UT June 16 10:19. As was the case with our first night images (GCN 706), visual comparison of these new images with the POSS-II red plate, which reaches about R~20.0 mag, reveals no obvious new objects. In addition, by comparing our images from the two nights we are able to place much stronger limit on any variable optical afterglow of GRB000615. Employing the image subtraction code ISIS-2 (Alard 1999) between the two nights reveals no variable objects brighter than about R~21.5. Using DAOPHOT-II (Stetson 1992) we detect about 350 objects with R<21.5 mag in 11x11 arcmin field. Our FLWO R-band fits images from both nights can be accessed from ftp://cfa-ftp.harvard.edu/pub/kstanek/GRB000615/. We find one possible variable object detected in the first night images, which is not present in the second night images. It is located near at RA=15:33:06.04, DEC=+73:49:46.4 (J2000.0; uncertainty +/- 0.3"; x=431.7, y=614.5 in the "ff1003" image), and its brightness is about R~21.6 (calibrated using the USNO R-band magnitudes). However, as the object seems to move slightly in the first night images, we DO NOT think it is the GRB afterglow. Further observations are planned at FLWO. This message can be cited. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 710 SUBJECT: GRB000615B DATE: 00/06/16 22:05:17 GMT FROM: Kevin Hurley at UCBerkeley/SSL K. Hurley, on behalf of the Ulysses GRB team, T. Cline, on behalf of the Konus Wind and NEAR GRB teams, E. Mazets and S. Golenetskii, on behalf of the Konus Wind GRB team, and F. Frontera, C. Guidorzi, and E. Montanari, on behalf of the BeppoSAX GRBM team, report: Ulysses, Konus Wind, NEAR, and the BeppoSAX GRBM observed this burst at 59547 s UT. As observed by Ulysses, the duration was ~20 s, the 25 - 100 keV fluence was ~ 5.3 x 10^-7 erg/cm^2, and the peak flux over 0.5 s was ~3.6 x 10^-7 erg/cm^2 s. We have triangulated this burst to an ~30 sq. arcmin. error box whose preliminary, 3 sigma coordinates are: RA(2000) DEC(2000) 2 h 22 m 27.23 s -17 o 52 ' 16.34 " (CENTER) 2 h 22 m 20.59 s -17 o 52 ' 55.53 " (CORNER) 2 h 22 m 52.04 s -17 o 41 ' 7.88 " (CORNER) 2 h 22 m 2.35 s -18 o 3 ' 25.48 " (CORNER) 2 h 22 m 33.87 s -17 o 51 ' 37.14 " (CORNER) This error box can be refined. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 713 SUBJECT: GRB 000615, near-infrared observations DATE: 00/06/17 20:15:25 GMT FROM: Sylvio Klose at TLS Tautenburg S. Klose, B. Stecklum (Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg), O. Fischer (Universitaets-Sternwarte Jena), J. Greiner (AIP Potsdam), S. Hippler (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Heidelberg), R. Davies (Max-Planck-Institut fuer Extraterrestrische Physik, Garching), L. Montoya (Calar Alto observatory), F. J. Vrba, A. A. Henden, C. B. Luginbuhl, B. Canzian, S. E. Levine, H. H. Guetter, J. A. Munn (U.S. Naval Observatory, Flagstaff), D. H. Hartmann (Clemson University, Clemson), A. Castro-Tirado (LAEFF-INTA, Madrid, and IAA-CSIC, Granada), J. Gorosabel (DSRI, Copenhagen), J. M. Castro Ceron (ROA, San Fernando), and M. R. Zapatero-Osorio, D. M. Delgado, S. Chueca, M. J. Arevalo (IAC, Tenerife) report: The refined error box of GRB 000615 (Gandolfi et al. GCN #705) was imaged in two successive runs with the Calar Alto 3.5-m telescope on June 15, 22:09 UT - 00:25 UT using the near-infrared camera Omega Cass in the polarimetric mode. The limiting magnitude of either K'-band image is about K'=19 after adding all frames taken at different position angles of the wire-grid polarizer. A red source in the GRB error box with no counterpart on the DSS-2 red image is at RA, DEC (J2000) = 15:32:35.16, 73:50:45.2 (+/- 1 arcsec). We estimate its magnitude K'=19. Further data reduction is in progress, the K'-band magnitude can be improved. This source is also barely visible on an R-band image taken at USNO with the 1.0-m telescope on June 16, 03:48 UT (limiting magnitude about R=21). It is also visible as a faint source on an I-band image taken with the IAC 80 telescope on June 15.9 UT (limiting magnitude about 20.5). We note we do not claim that this is a fading source, since second epoch K'-band data are not available. At the present stage we cannot rule out that this is a faint Galactic star with an R-K color of about 2 mag. This message is quotable. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 719 SUBJECT: GRB 000615: NIR further observations DATE: 00/06/20 15:10:28 GMT FROM: Angelo Antonelli at Obs. Astro. di Roma A. Di Paola, L.A. Antonelli, F. D'Alessio, Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Italy, A. Arkarov, V. Larionov, Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory, Russia, on behalf of a larger collaboration report: We have obtained further images of the BeppoSAX revised error-box of GRB000615 (GCN 705) using the AZT-24 1.1-meter telescope at Campo Imperatore (AQ). We obtained two J-band images. A 1200 sec image with a limiting magnitude of J=20.1 mag started at June 18.9375 UT. A 3600 sec image with a limiting magnitude of J=20.7 mag starting at June 19.9229. A comparison of these new images with the previous observation (GCN 708) reveals no obvious fading objects in the field. We detect in both observations the object reported by Klose et al. (GCN 709) at position RA = 15:32:35.16, DEC = 73:50:45.2 (J2000) and we estimate its magnitudes compatible with J= 19.1 +/- 0.3 mag in all the observations. This message is citable. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 721 SUBJECT: GRB000615, Radio observations DATE: 00/06/20 16:50:12 GMT FROM: Dale A. Frail at NRAO D. A. Frail (NRAO), K. M. Becker (Oberlin), and E. Berger (Caltech) report on behalf of the Caltech-NRAO-CARA GRB collaboration: "We have observed the error box of GRB000615 with the VLA at 8.46 GHz on three occasions: June 15.92, June 17.17, and June 20.13 UT. There are no radio sources in the WFC error circle (GCN #705) brighter than 150 microJy (i.e. 4 to 5 sigma)." [GCN OPERATOR'S NOTE: The original submission contained a citation reference which was wrong. This has been eliminated at the author's request. The orignal line read: "We have observed the error box of GRB000615 (GCN #693) with the VLA..." The new line reads: "We have observed the error box of GRB000615 with the VLA..."] //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN GRB OBSERVATION REPORT NUMBER: 727 SUBJECT: GRB000615: H-band observations DATE: 00/06/21 17:40:34 GMT FROM: Eliana Palazzi at Inst. Te.S.R.E. Bologna E. Pian, N. Masetti, E. Palazzi, F. Frontera (ITESRE, CNR, Bologna), F. Ghinassi, J. Licandro (TNG, La Palma) and G. Gandolfi (IAS, CNR, Rome), on behalf of a larger collaboration, report: "Infrared H-band images of the refined error box of GRB000615 (Gandolfi et al., GCN #705), were acquired on June 15.968, 16.2083 and 16.927 UT at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) plus ARNICA (ARcetri Near Infrared CAmera) in La Palma (Canary Island, Spain), with total on-source times of 5 min for the first two observations and 10 min for the third. Seeing was 1 arcsec in the three epochs. Photometric calibration was performed using standard stars AS30-0 (Hunt et al., 1998, AJ 115, 2594). The comparison among the three sets, as well as between the sum of the images of the first two epochs with the observation obtained on the third epoch (acquired on the following night) does not show any object with significant brightness variations (at 3-sigma significance) down to H ~ 20.5 . The object reported by Klose et al. (GCN #713) is well detected in our three sets of images with no variations from a measured magnitude H = 19.6 +-0.3." This message can be cited.