//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14032 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Swift detection of a burst DATE: 12/12/02 04:29:22 GMT FROM: Scott Barthelmy at NASA/GSFC S. R. Oates (UCL-MSSL), S. D. Barthelmy (GSFC), W. H. Baumgartner (GSFC/UMBC), M. M. Chester (PSU), N. Gehrels (NASA/GSFC), K. L. Page (U Leicester), D. M. Palmer (LANL), M. H. Siegel (PSU) and T. N. Ukwatta (MSU) report on behalf of the Swift Team: At 04:20:05 UT, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and located GRB 121202A (trigger=540255). Swift did not slew because of the Earth limb observing constraint. The BAT on-board calculated location is RA, Dec 256.815, +23.952, which is RA(J2000) = 17h 07m 16s Dec(J2000) = +23d 57' 07" with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (radius, 90% containment, including systematic uncertainty). The BAT light curve shows muliple peaks with a total duration of about 40 sec. The peak count rate was ~1300 counts/sec (15-350 keV), at ~13 sec after the trigger. Due to an observing constraint, Swift will not slew until T0+44.1 minutes. There will be no XRT or UVOT data until this time. Burst Advocate for this burst is S. R. Oates (sro AT mssl.ucl.ac.uk). Please contact the BA by email if you require additional information regarding Swift followup of this burst. In extremely urgent cases, after trying the Burst Advocate, you can contact the Swift PI by phone (see Swift TOO web site for information: http://www.swift.psu.edu/too.html.) //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14033 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: TAROT Calern observatory optical observations DATE: 12/12/02 05:09:10 GMT FROM: Alain Klotz at CESR-CNRS Klotz A. (IRAP-CNRS-OMP), Gendre B. (ASDC/INAF-OAR), Boer M. (UNS-CNRS-OCA), Atteia J.L. (IRAP-CNRS-OMP) report: We imaged the field of GRB 121202 detected by SWIFT (trigger 540255) with the TAROT robotic telescope (D=25cm) located at the Calern observatory, France. The observations started 34.0s after the GRB trigger (15.8s after the notice). However, the elevation of the field increased from 1 degrees above horizon so it was possible to detect stars on images only 275s after the trigger. The first image does not show any optical counterpart: t0+275s to t0+305s : R > 14.9 We co-added series of exposures: t0+275s to t0+1419s : R > 16.2 t0+1633s to t0+2578s : R > 16.9 Magnitudes were estimated with the nearby USNO-B1 stars and are not corrected for galactic dust extinction. N.B. Galactic coordinates are lon= 45.1864 lat=+32.8357 and the galactic extinction in R band is about 0.1 magnitude estimated from D. Schlegel et al. 1998ApJ...500..525S. This message may be cited. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14034 SUBJECT: GRB121202A: Swift/UVOT Observations DATE: 12/12/02 05:19:54 GMT FROM: Mike Siegel at PSU/Swift MOC M. H. Siegel (PSU) and S. R. Oates (UCL-MSSL) report on behalf of the Swift/UVOT team: Swift/UVOT began settled observations of the field of GRB 121202A 2828 s after the BAT trigger (Oates et al., GCN Circ 14032). UVOT took a finding chart exposure of 150 seconds with the White filter. No credible afterglow candidate has been found in the initial data products. The 2.7'x2.7' sub-image covers 100% of the XRT error circle. The typical 3-sigma upper limit has been about 19.6 mag. The 8'x8' region for the list of sources generated on-board covers 100% of the XRT error circle. The list of sources is typically complete to about 18 mag. No correction has been made for the expected extinction corresponding to E(B-V) of 0.05. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14036 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Swift-XRT observations DATE: 12/12/02 06:10:34 GMT FROM: Phil Evans at U of Leicester P.A. Evans (U. Leicester), J.P. Osborne (U. Leicester), D.N. Burrows (PSU), J.A. Kennea (PSU), S. Campana (INAF-OAB) and G. Cusumano (INAF-IASF PA) report on behalf of the Swift-XRT team: The XRT began observing the field of GRB 121202A at 05:07:09.7 UT, 2824.7 seconds after the BAT trigger. Using promptly downlinked data we find an uncatalogued X-ray source located at RA, Dec 256.79704, 23.94886 which is equivalent to: RA(J2000) = 17h 07m 11.29s Dec(J2000) = +23d 56' 55.9" with an uncertainty of 3.7 arcseconds (radius, 90% containment). This location is 60 arcseconds from the BAT onboard position, within the BAT error circle. This position may be improved as more data are received; the latest position is available at http://www.swift.ac.uk/sper. A power-law fit to a spectrum formed from promptly downlinked event data gives a column density in excess of the Galactic value (3.91 x 10^20 cm^-2, Kalberla et al. 2005), with an excess column of 3.9 (+2.19/-1.90) x 10^21 cm^-2 (90% confidence). //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14037 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Swift-BAT refined analysis DATE: 12/12/02 16:04:27 GMT FROM: Scott Barthelmy at NASA/GSFC M. Stamatikos (OSU), S. D. Barthelmy (GSFC), W. H. Baumgartner (GSFC/UMBC), J. R. Cummings (GSFC/UMBC), E. E. Fenimore (LANL), N. Gehrels (GSFC), H. A. Krimm (GSFC/USRA), C. B. Markwardt (GSFC), S. R. Oates (UCL-MSSL), D. M. Palmer (LANL), T. Sakamoto (AGU), G. Sato (ISAS), J. Tueller (GSFC), T. N. Ukwatta (MSU) (i.e. the Swift-BAT team): Using the data set from T-61 to T+242 sec from the recent telemetry downlink, we report further analysis of BAT GRB 121202A (trigger #540255) (Oates, et al., GCN Circ. 14032). The BAT ground-calculated position is RA, Dec = 256.790, 23.942 deg, which is RA(J2000) = 17h 07m 09.7s Dec(J2000) = +23d 56' 32.5" with an uncertainty of 1.2 arcmin, (radius, sys+stat, 90% containment). The partial coding was 70%. The mask-weighted light curve shows a cluster of overlapping peaks starting at ~T-10 sec and ending at ~T+25 sec. T90 (15-350 keV) is 20.1 +- 1.9 sec (estimated error including systematics). The time-averaged spectrum from T-2.18 to T+20.84 sec is best fit by a simple power-law model. The power law index of the time-averaged spectrum is 1.59 +- 0.11. The fluence in the 15-150 keV band is 1.2 +- 0.1 x 10^-6 erg/cm2. The 1-sec peak photon flux measured from T-0.02 sec in the 15-150 keV band is 1.2 +- 0.2 ph/cm2/sec. All the quoted errors are at the 90% confidence level. The results of the batgrbproduct analysis are available at http://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/notices_s/540255/BA/ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14038 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Enhanced Swift-XRT position DATE: 12/12/02 16:36:10 GMT FROM: Phil Evans at U of Leicester P.A. Evans, M.R. Goad, J.P. Osborne and A.P. Beardmore (U. Leicester) report on behalf of the Swift-XRT team. Using 4781 s of XRT Photon Counting mode data and 9 UVOT images for GRB 121202A, we find an astrometrically corrected X-ray position (using the XRT-UVOT alignment and matching UVOT field sources to the USNO-B1 catalogue): RA, Dec = 256.79689, +23.94818 which is equivalent to: RA (J2000): 17h 07m 11.25s Dec (J2000): +23d 56' 53.4" with an uncertainty of 1.4 arcsec (radius, 90% confidence). This position may be improved as more data are received. The latest position can be viewed at http://www.swift.ac.uk/xrt_positions. Position enhancement is described by Goad et al. (2007, A&A, 476, 1401) and Evans et al. (2009, MNRAS, 397, 1177). This circular was automatically generated, and is an official product of the Swift-XRT team. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14039 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Fermi GBM observation DATE: 12/12/02 18:14:21 GMT FROM: David Tierney at UCD D. Tierney (UCD) reports on behalf of the Fermi GBM Team: "At 04:20:09.17 UT on 02 December 2012, the Fermi Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor triggered and located GRB 121202A (trigger 376114812 / 121202181) which was also detected by the Swift/BAT (Oates et al. 2012, GCN 14032) The GBM on-ground location is consistent with the Swift position. The angle from the Fermi LAT boresight is 62 degrees. The GBM light curve consists of a single weak pulse with a duration (T90) of 17.7 +/- 1.7 s (50-300 keV). The time-averaged spectrum from T0-4.1 s to T0+17.4 s is best fit by a power law function with an exponential high-energy cutoff. The power law index is -1.14 (+0.19/-0.17) and the cutoff energy, parameterized as Epeak, is 135.4 (+23.6/-23.0) keV. The event fluence (10-1000 keV) in this time interval is (2.0 +/- 0.2)E-06 erg/cm^2. The 1-sec peak photon flux measured starting from T0-5.1 s in the 10-1000 keV band is 2.0 +/- 0.2 ph/s/cm^2. The spectral analysis results presented above are preliminary; final results will be published in the GBM GRB Catalog." //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14040 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Swift-XRT refined Analysis DATE: 12/12/02 18:41:45 GMT FROM: Kim Page at U.of Leicester K.L. Page (U. Leicester) and S. R. Oates (UCL-MSSL) report on behalf of the Swift-XRT team: We have analysed 12 ks of XRT data for GRB 121202A (Oates et al. GCN Circ. 14032), from 2.8 ks to 31.9 ks after the BAT trigger. The data comprise 16 s in Windowed Timing (WT) mode with the remainder in Photon Counting (PC) mode. The enhanced XRT position for this burst was given by Evans et al. (GCN. Circ 14038). The light curve can be modelled with a power-law decay with a decay index of alpha=1.66 (+/-0.08). A spectrum formed from the PC mode data can be fitted with an absorbed power-law with a photon spectral index of 2.08 (+/-0.15). The best-fitting absorption column is 1.7 (+/-0.4) x 10^21 cm^-2, in excess of the Galactic value of 3.9 x 10^20 cm^-2 (Kalberla et al. 2005). The counts to observed (unabsorbed) 0.3-10 keV flux conversion factor deduced from this spectrum is 3.6 x 10^-11 (5.3 x 10^-11) erg cm^-2 count^-1. A summary of the PC-mode spectrum is thus: Total column: 1.7 (+/-0.4) x 10^21 cm^-2 Galactic foreground: 3.9 x 10^20 cm^-2 Excess significance: 5.5 sigma Photon index: 2.08 (+/-0.15) If the light curve continues to decay with a power-law decay index of 1.66, the count rate at T+24 hours will be 2.1 x 10^-3 count s^-1, corresponding to an observed (unabsorbed) 0.3-10 keV flux of 7.5 x 10^-14 (1.1 x 10^-13) erg cm^-2 s^-1. The results of the XRT-team automatic analysis are available at http://www.swift.ac.uk/xrt_products/00540255. This circular is an official product of the Swift-XRT team. //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// TITLE: GCN CIRCULAR NUMBER: 14041 SUBJECT: GRB 121202A: Swift/UVOT Upper Limits DATE: 12/12/02 19:50:51 GMT FROM: Samantha Oates at MSSL S. R. Oates (MSSL-UCL) reports on behalf of the Swift/UVOT team: The Swift/UVOT began settled observations of the field of GRB 121202A 2828 s after the BAT trigger (Oates et al., GCN Circ. 14032). No optical afterglow consistent with the XRT position (Evans et al. GCN Circ. 14038) is detected in the initial UVOT exposures. Preliminary 3-sigma upper limits using the UVOT photometric system (Breeveld et al. 2011, AIP Conf. Proc. 1358, 373) for the first finding chart (FC) exposure and subsequent exposures are: Filter T_start(s) T_stop(s) Exp(s) Mag white_FC 2828 2978 147 >20.3 white 2828 5033 541 >21.0 v 3808 16147 1205 >20.2 b 3192 22680 1059 >20.9 u 2987 28451 2637 >21.2 w1 4218 27811 2853 >21.4 m2 4012 26905 2713 >21.5 w2 3603 31934 1549 >21.2 The magnitudes in the table are not corrected for the Galactic extinction due to the reddening of E(B-V) = 0.05 in the direction of the burst (Schlegel et al. 1998).