GCN Circular 1759
Subject
GRB 021211, optical observations
Date
2002-12-16T01:01:57Z (22 years ago)
From
Peter Garnavich at U of Notre Dame <pgarnavi@miranda.phys.nd.edu>
N. Caldwell (SAO), B. McLeod (CfA), P. Garnavich (Notre Dame)
and K.Z. Stanek (CfA)
We have continued to observe the afterglow of GRB 021211
with the MMT plus MiniCam imager (GCN 1750). R-band images
obtained Dec. 13.4 and Dec. 14.4 (UT) in 0.8" seeing
clearly show the afterglow and a rapid fading. From PSF
fitting photometry, we estimate the power-law decay index
between Dec. 12 and Dec. 14 is 1.03+/-0.14. This is
consistent with the decay rate measured by Chornock et al.
(GCN 1754) beginning 12 minutes after the burst.
Combining the three epochs allows a clear detection of
the possible host galaxy noted on GCN 1750 (also GCN 1758).
A galaxy centered 1.5" north and east of the afterglow
is cleanly separated from the optical transient . It has an
approximate brightness of R=24.8. This is likely the source
of emission lines found by Vreeswijk et al. (GCN 1756)
at a redshift of z=0.80. Another galaxy of similar brightness
is detected 2.7" north of the burst.
The average of all R-band images can be viewed at:
http://www.nd.edu/~pgarnavi/grb021211_host.jpg
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