GCN Circular 22433

J. K. Cannizzo (NASA/UMBC), S. D. Barthelmy (GSFC),
A. P. Beardmore (U Leicester), D. N. Burrows (PSU),
P. A. Evans (U Leicester), J.D. Gropp (PSU), J. A. Kennea (PSU),
A. Y. Lien (GSFC/UMBC), Z. Liu (NAOC/U. Leicester),
F. E. Marshall (NASA/GSFC), K. L. Page (U Leicester),
M. H. Siegel (PSU) and A. Tohuvavohu (PSU) report on behalf of the
Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory Team:

At 13:10:03 UT, the Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) triggered and
located GRB 180222A (trigger=811235).  Swift slewed immediately to the burst. 
The BAT on-board calculated location is 
RA, Dec 256.571, -36.803, which is 
   RA(J2000)  =  17h 06m 17s
   Dec(J2000) = -36d 48' 08"
with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (radius, 90% containment, including 
systematic uncertainty).  The BAT light curve shows a single FRED-like peak
with a duration of about 25 sec.  The peak count rate
was ~1400 counts/sec (15-350 keV), at ~2 sec after the trigger. 

The XRT began observing the field at 13:11:22.7 UT, 79.2 seconds after
the BAT trigger. Using promptly downlinked data we find a fading,
uncatalogued X-ray source located at RA, Dec 256.54119, -36.80929 which
is equivalent to:
   RA(J2000)  = 17h 06m 09.89s
   Dec(J2000) = -36d 48' 33.4"
with an uncertainty of 3.7 arcseconds (radius, 90% containment). This
location is 88 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 (6.65 x
10^21 cm^-2, Willingale et al. 2013), with an excess column of 7.9
(+11.04/-4.96) x 10^21 cm^-2 (90% confidence). 

UVOT took a finding chart exposure of 150 seconds with the White filter
starting 82 seconds after the BAT trigger. No credible afterglow candidate has
been found in the initial data products. The 2.7'x2.7' sub-image covers 97% of
the XRT error circle. Because of the density of catalogued stars, further
analysis is required to report an upper limit for any afterglow in the
sub-image. The 8'x8' region for the list of sources generated on-board covers
100% of the XRT error circle. Because of the density of catalogued stars,
further analysis is required to report an upper limit for any afterglow in the
region. No correction has been made for the large, but uncertain, extinction
expected. 

Burst Advocate for this burst is J. K. Cannizzo (cannizzo AT milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov). 
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.)