GCN Circular 42774
Subject
GRB 251118A: NuSTAR detection of bright prompt emission
Event
Date
2025-11-20T00:26:27Z (a day ago)
From
Gaurav Waratkar at Caltech <gauravwaratkar@iitb.ac.in>
Via
Web form
G. Waratkar (Caltech) and B. Grefenstette (Caltech) report on behalf of the NuSTAR Search for INteresting Gamma-ray Signals (SINGS) working group:
The NuSTAR SINGS working group reports the detection of prompt emission from the long-duration GRB 251118A in both the NuSTAR CsI anti-coincidence shields. This GRB was identified through a blind search using the CsI shield rates. Details of the search algorithm will be described in a future paper.
The NuSTAR SINGS algorithm triggered at 2025-11-18 20:32:21.000 (with a resolution ~5-seconds). This is consistent with the detections of GRB 251118A by Fermi/GBM (Fermi GBM Team, GCN Circ. 42743) and Fermi/LAT (Gupta et al., GCN Circ. 42752).
The NuSTAR CsI shield data are recorded at 1 Hz. We do not detect the first two bursts as seen in the Fermi/GBM lightcurve (GCN Circ. 42743) and detect the third bright burst. The burst appears to be composed of one bright peak lasting for ~9-s. The peak count rate is ~3000-cps over a baseline rate of ~1,000-cps during this time period. We do not see any evidence in the signal above 100 keV in the CdZnTe detectors.
The Fermi/LAT localization (GCN Circ. 42752) at RA = 160.08, Dec = -34.58 implies an offset from the NuSTAR boresight of 140-deg and an offset from the geocenter of 99-deg.
Lightcurves and analysis for this GRB can be found here:
https://nustarsoc.caltech.edu/NuSTAR_Public/grbs/reports/2025/251118A
Information on NuSTAR SINGS can be found here:
https://nustarsoc.caltech.edu/NuSTAR_Public/grbs/
NuSTAR is a NASA Small Explorer mission led by Caltech and managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.