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GRB 020124

GCN Circular 1220

Subject
GRB020124(=H1896): Localization of a Long GRB by HETE
Date
2002-01-24T23:54:57Z (23 years ago)
From
George Ricker at MIT <grr@space.mit.edu>
GRB020124(=H1896): Localization of a Long GRB by HETE

G. Ricker, J-L Atteia, N. Kawai, D. Lamb, and S. Woosley on behalf of 
the HETE Science Team;

G. Crew, R. Vanderspek, J. Doty, G. Monnelly, J. Villasenor, N. Butler,
T. Cline, J.G. Jernigan, A. Levine, F. Martel, E. Morgan, G.
Prigozhin, J. Braga, R. Manchanda, and G. Pizzichini, on behalf of
the HETE Operations and HETE Optical-SXC Teams;

M. Matsuoka, Y. Shirasaki, T. Tamagawa, K. Torii, T. Sakamoto,
A. Yoshida, E. Fenimore, M. Galassi, T. Tavenner, T. Donaghy, and
C. Graziani, on behalf of the HETE WXM Team;

M. Boer, J-F Olive, J-P Dezalay, and K. Hurley on behalf
of the HETE FREGATE Team;

write:

At 10:41:15.15 UTC (38475.15 s UT) on 24 January, the HETE FREGATE 
and WXM instruments detected and localized a long GRB. The burst, 
H1896, was promptly reported as a GCN Alert Notice within 11 seconds 
of the detection time, but no flight localization was derived. In a 
followup GCN Notice issued 1.4 hours after the GRB, the results of an 
initial ground analysis localization were reported as an error box 
with dimensions of 26 arcmin x 27 arcmin.

Further ground analysis of the WXM data has produced a significantly 
improved location which can be expressed as a circle with a 90% 
confidence radius of 12 arc minutes centered at:

RA = +09h 32m 49s, Dec = -11d 27' 35" (J2000)

The revised error circle reported here is displaced by 9.2 arc 
minutes from the  best-fit location found in the initial HETE ground 
analysis and reported in a GCN Notice (at 24 Jan 2002 12:06:53 UT).

The burst duration in the FREGATE 8-85 keV band was ~70 s. A total of 
12,870 counts were detected during that interval, corresponding to a 
fluence of ~3 x 10-6 ergs cm-2 . The peak flux over 0.164s was >1 x 
10-7 ergs cm-2 s-1 (i.e., >3 x Crab flux). The statistical 
significance was 9 sigma in the WXM 2-25 keV band.

This message is quotable.

GCN Circular 1221

Subject
GRB 020124: Optical afterglow
Date
2002-01-25T14:52:13Z (23 years ago)
From
Paul Price at RSAA, ANU <pap@mso.anu.edu.au>
P.A. Price (RSAA, ANU), D.W. Fox, S.A. Yost (Caltech) with S. Pravdo,
E. Helin, K. Lawrence, and M. Hicks of the NEAT/Palomar team report
on behalf of a larger collaboration:

We have observed the revised error box of GRB 020124 / HETE #1896
(GCN #1220) with the Palomar 48-inch telescope + unfiltered CCD at 2002
Jan 25.4 UT (t_GRB + 22 hr).  PSF-matched image subtraction was performed
against images from the MSO 50-inch telescope taken in MACHO R-band
(GCN #1219).  In order to weed out objects of extreme colour which appear
in the subtracted image, we also compared with the Digitised Sky Survey
(DSS).  We identify one object present in the subtracted image which is
not present on the DSS-2 red plate (blue plate is unavailable) at
coordinates

		RA: 9:32:50.8 Dec: -11:31:11 (J2000)

This object was not detected in the Palomar 48-inch images, which have a
limiting magnitude fainter than the DSS (R ~ 21 mag).  We estimate that
the object was R ~ 18.5 mag at the time of our MSO images, based on
comparison with USNO-A2.0 star approximately 34" E and 35" S with assumed
R = 16.5 mag.  Quick-look photometry on the individual MSO images reveal
that the source faded by approximately 1 magnitude over the course of an
hour.

We have also observed this object with the Palomar 60-inch telescope in
R-band (which is approximately equivalent to R_MACHO) subsequent to the
48-inch images and do not detect the object to approximately R ~ 20 mag.
We therefore consider that this object may be the afterglow of GRB
020124 and we encourage deep observations to confirm this.

This message may be cited.

GCN Circular 1223

Subject
IPN triangulation of GRB020124 (HETE 1896)
Date
2002-01-26T01:46:38Z (23 years ago)
From
Kevin Hurley at UCBerkeley/SSL <khurley@sunspot.ssl.berkeley.edu>
K. Hurley and T. Cline, on behalf of the Ulysses and HETE
GRB teams;

G. Ricker, D. Lamb, and S. Woosley on behalf of the HETE Science Team;

R. Vanderspek, G. Crew, J. Doty, G. Monnelly, J. Villasenor, N.
Butler, T. Cline, J.G. Jernigan, A. Levine, F. Martel, E. Morgan, G.
Prigozhin, J. Braga, R. Manchanda, and G. Pizzichini, on behalf of
the HETE Operations and HETE Optical-SXC Teams;

N. Kawai, M. Matsuoka, Y. Shirasaki, T. Tamagawa, K. Torii, T.
Sakamoto, A. Yoshida, E. Fenimore, M. Galassi, T. Donaghy, C. Graziani, 
and T. Tavenner, on behalf of the HETE WXM Team;

J-L Atteia, M. Boer, J-F Olive, and J-P Dezalay, on behalf
of the HETE FREGATE Team;

report:

Ulysses observed GRB020124 (=H1896, GCN 1220) as a rather weak event.
Triangulation using the FREGATE data gives an annulus centered at
RA(2000)= 82.122 deg., Decl.(2000)=-66.103 deg., with radius 67.978 +/-
0.205 deg. (3 sigma).  This annulus intersects the HETE WXM error
circle (GCN 1220) at just two points:

RA(2000)	Dec(2000)
143.401		-11.407
143.103		-11.286

The combined annulus/error circle has an area approximately 10%
smaller than the error circle alone, or approximately 400 square
arcminutes.

The optical transient reported by Price et al. (GCN 1221) lies within
the region common to the Ulysses/FREGATE annulus and the WXM error
circle, about 0.03 degrees from the center line of the annulus,
increasing the likelihood that this object is indeed the GRB
counterpart.  A map may be found at ssl.berkeley.edu/ipn3/020124.

GCN Circular 1224

Subject
GRB 020124 Optical Observations
Date
2002-01-26T10:49:37Z (23 years ago)
From
Jens Hjorth at U.Copenhagen <jens@astro.ku.dk>
J. Gorosabel (DSRI, Copenhagen), J. Hjorth (U. Copenhagen), T. Pursimo, 
A. A. Kaas (NOT), J. Fynbo, P. Moller (ESO), B. L. Jensen, H. Pedersen 
(U. Copenhagen), and M. I. Andersen (U. Oulu) report:

6 x 600 sec R-band images of the possible optical afterglow (Price et al.,
GCN #1221) of GRB 020124 (Ricker et al., GCN #1220) were obtained with 
StanCam at the 2.5-m Nordic Optical Telescope between Jan 26.035 and 
Jan 26.076 2002 UT. A faint object located at RA(J2000) = 09:32:50.83, 
Dec(J2000)= -11:31:11.0 (+- 0.74", based on USNO-A2.0) is consistent with 
the position reported by Price et al. Based on the same reference star as 
that used by Price et al. we find a preliminary magnitude of R = 23.84 
+/- 0.17 for the object. A finding chart is posted at 
http://www.dsri.dk/~jgu/grb020124/grb020124.stancam.R.6x100.ave.ww.gif

GCN Circular 1225

Subject
GRB 020124: Optical observations
Date
2002-01-26T15:53:30Z (23 years ago)
From
Dale A. Frail at NRAO <dfrail@nrao.edu>
J. S. Bloom, on behalf of the larger Caltech-NRAO-GRB collaboration,
reports:
 
"Using the JCAM optical imaging instrument mounted at the Palomar 200"
telescope, we observed the field of GRB 020124 (Ricker et al., GCN
#1220;
Hurley et al., GCN #1223) on Jan 26.33 UT centered on the position of
the
optical transient (Price et al., GCN #1221).  In non-photometric
conditions (moderate to thick cirrus) we detect a faint source in the
Sloan r' filter (24 x 200 sec total exposure) which is coincident with
the
transient position. This is in agreement with the imaging results
reported
earlier from Gorosabel et al. (GCN #1224). The coincident source is not
detected in Bessel I-band (8 x 140 sec total exposure).
 
An image of the field is posted at:
http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/grb020124-jcam.gif

We wish to thank A. Barth, W. W. Sargent, R. Burruss, and J. Mueller for
assistance with these (remote) observations."

This message may be cited.

GCN Circular 1226

Subject
GRB020124: Optical observations
Date
2002-01-26T18:00:12Z (23 years ago)
From
Vasilij Rumjantsev at CrAO <rum@crao.crimea.ua>
E.Pavlenko  and V.Rumyantsev (on behalf of Crimean Observatory and Space
Research Institute (Moscow) GRB follow-up teams) report:

"We have imaged of the error box for GRB 020124 / HETE #1896(GCN #1220) 
with the 0.60-m Zeiss telescope of Crimean Laboratory of SAI
(field 5x7 arcminutes). 

We obtained several frames which include the center of error box
and partially covered its arrea at 2002 Jan. 24 20h54m46s - 23h32m43s UT. 

We have observed the field noted in GCN1221 on 2002 Jan. 24 22h05m02s UT 
(i.e. GRB time + 11.5h). No new objects are seen within this frame 
(as well as within the rest frames) when comparing 
to the DSS-2 (R-band), brighter a limiting R magnitude of 18.5mag.

GCN Circular 1227

Subject
VLT observations of GRB 020124: The fading optical/near-infrared afterglow
Date
2002-01-27T12:30:28Z (23 years ago)
From
Jens Hjorth at U.Copenhagen <jens@astro.ku.dk>
VLT observations of GRB 020124: The fading optical/near-infrared afterglow


J. Hjorth (U. Copenhagen), J. Gorosabel (DSRI, Copenhagen), and J. Fynbo (ESO) 
report on behalf of the Gamma-Ray Afterglow Collaboration at ESO (GRACE):

We have obtained optical and near-infrared images of the possible optical 
afterglow (Price et al., GCN #1221; Gorosabel et al., GCN #1224; Bloom, GCN 
#1225) of GRB 020124 (Ricker et al., GCN #1220) with ESO's VLT. 30-min Ks-band
exposures were obtained with ISAAC/Antu on Jan 26.20 (seeing FWHM = 0.50") and 
Jan 27.20 (FWHM = 0.44") 2002 UT; a 15-min R-band image (FWHM = 0.66") was 
obtained with FORS1/Melipal on Jan 27.28 2002 UT. The source identified by 
Gorosabel et al. in NOT R-band images obtained on Jan 26.06 (cf. GCN #1224) 
has clearly faded in the FORS1 R-band image. The source is also detected in 
the ISAAC Ks data and is fading between the two epochs of observation. These 
findings strongly suggest that the source identified by Price et al. is indeed 
the optical/NIR afterglow of GRB 020124. A more detailed analysis of the data 
is in progress. Meanwhile, we have posted images showing the decaying Ks-band 
source at http://www.astro.ku.dk/~jens/GRB020124_ISAAC_Ks_GRACE.gif

We appreciate the kind and efficient assistance of the ESO staff at 
Paranal Observatory (Nancy Ageorges, Thomas Szeifert and Riccardo Scarpa) 
in conducting the reported service mode observations.

GCN Circular 1228

Subject
GRB020124: Optical observations
Date
2002-01-27T22:02:53Z (23 years ago)
From
Alexei Pozanenko at IKI, Moscow <apozanen@iki.rssi.ru>
S.Bondar' (Kosmoten), A.Pozanenko (IKI) and V.Rumyantsev (CrAO) report:

We have observed  the entire error box of GRB 020124 / HETE #1896
(GCN #1220) with 600mm automated telescope (TT600) of Kosmoten observatory.
9  images taken at 2002 Jan 24.94 covered the entire error box.

No new objects were found in comparison with DSS-2 in the GRB error  box.
Based on USNO-A2.0 catalogue we estimate limiting magnitude of the frame
covered optical transient (GCN 1221,1224 ) to be R=16.3.

GCN Circular 1236

Subject
GRB020124, optical observations
Date
2002-01-31T07:36:17Z (23 years ago)
From
Rene Hudec at AIO <rhudec@asu.cas.cz>
M. Jelinek, P. Kubanek, L. Sveda, R. Hudec, M. Nekola [& BART Team]
Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic,
Ondrejov,
report:

We have observed the entire error box of GRB020124 (HETE trigger 1896)
with the
Wide Field Camera (f=109mm, 1:1.7) of the BART robotic telescope. 38
unfiltered
optical CCD images with the FOV of 7.2 x 4.8 deg each have been
obtained  between
January 24.91365 and 24.99903 UT (11.5  - 13.5 hours after trigger).

No new objects down to magnitude of 15.0 were found in the GRB error box
in
comparison with the GSC catalogue.

This is the first time when the BART robotic telescope has sussesfully
responded
to the HETE GRB trigger without any human intervention. The observation
delay
was caused by waiting for the night and for good weather conditions.

GCN Circular 1251

Subject
GRB020124 BVRI field photometry
Date
2002-02-17T17:07:21Z (23 years ago)
From
Arne A. Henden at USNO/USRA <aah@nofs.navy.mil>
A. Henden (USRA/USNO) reports on behalf of the USNO GRB team:

We have acquired BVRcIc all-sky photometry on two photometric
nights with the NOFS 1.0m telescope for an 11x11 arcmin field
that is approximately centered on the error box for
GRB020124 (=H1896; Ricker et al. GCN 1220; IPN triangulation
reported by Hurley et al. GCN 1223).  The position of the 
optical transient reported by Price et al. (GCN 1221)
is within this field.  Stars brighter than
V=13.0 are saturated and should be used with care.
We have placed the photometric data on our anonymous ftp site:
ftp://ftp.nofs.navy.mil/pub/outgoing/aah/grb/grb020124.dat
The current photometry has a potential external zero-point
error of about two percent.  The astrometry in this file
is based on linear plate solutions with respect to USNO-A2.0.
The internal errors are less than 100mas.

In particular, the comparison star 34"E and 35" S that was
used to calibrate the Price et al. field can be found in the .dat file
with the following coordinates and magnitudes:
  RA = 09:32:53.13  DEC = -11:31:46.0  J2000
  B = 17.467  V = 16.896  Rc = 16.537  Ic = 16.182

GCN Circular 1343

Subject
GRB020124 optical observations with RIBOTS/RIMOTS
Date
2002-04-09T03:12:04Z (23 years ago)
From
Yuji Urata at RIKEN <urata@crab.riken.go.jp>
N. Kawai, Y. Urata (Titech/RIKEN), M. Kohama, K. Torii (RIKEN),
 A. Yoshida (AGU/RIKEN), K. Ayani, T. Kawabata (Bisei Astronomical
 Observatory), M. Chaya, H. Shibata, K. Sakamoto, M. Yamauchi (Miyazaki
 Univ.)  on behalf of the RIBOTS/RIMOTS team
 
  We have observed covering the entire error circle of GRB020124
 (Ricker et al. GCN 1220) field with the RIBOTS/RIMOTS 30-cm
 telescopes.  The observations started at an early epoch (+1.3 hours
 after the burst).  All the images were taken with 15 sec exposure and
 stacked for deeper inspection.
 
  From a comparison with the DSS-2 images we did not identify any new
 point source for the GRB.  We summarize the observing time and the
 R-band limiting magnitude (SN=3), which was estimated by the
 comparison of our non-filter data with the R band field photometry by
 Henden (GCN 1251).
 
 Summary of observations on 2002/01/24
 
  Time(UT)     Limiting R mag
  start end    (SN=3)
  12:00 12:57  17.8          15s x 61 frames combined (RIMOTS)
  16:19 16:59  18.6          15s x 59 frames combined (RIBOTS)
  17:00 17:59  18.8          15s x 87 frames combined (RIBOTS)
  18:00 18:59  19.1          15s x 87 frames combined (RIBOTS)
  19:00 19:59  19.1          15s x 87 frames combined (RIBOTS)
  20:00 20:59  17.7          15s x 87 frames combined (RIBOTS)
 
 This message may be cited.

GCN Circular 1378

Subject
GRB 020124: Optical observations
Date
2002-04-19T12:32:47Z (23 years ago)
From
Ken ichi Torii at RIKEN <torii@crab.riken.go.jp>
K. Torii (RIKEN), T. Kato (Kyoto U.), H. Yamaoka (Kyushu U.), and
A. Yoshida (Aoyama Gakuin U., RIKEN) report:

 Based on the GCN alert notice, the GRB 020124 (Ricker, et al. GCN
1220) was observed at RIKEN with the 0.25m f/3.4 hyperboloid
astro-camera equipped with unfiltered cooled CCD AP7p. The field of
view was 50'x50' which covered the HETE's entire error region of 12'
radius (GCN 1220).  The observation started at 2002/1/24 12:43 UT (122
minutes after the burst) and 126 frames of 20-s exposure were acquired
by 13:47 UT. The central time of all the exposures were 2002/1/24
13:15 UT. 

 PSF photometry was applied to each frame and then stacked to yield
3.0-sigma detection of the optical afterglow at the position reported
by Price et al. (GCN 1221). By using 21 nearby comparison stars from
the Henden's field photometry (GCN 1251), we derive the afterglow's
magnitude as R=18.5 mag. The 1-sigma error range is estimated to be
between R=18.2 and R=18.9.

 This message may be cited.

GCN Circular 1389

Subject
HST detection of the likely host galaxy of GRB 020124
Date
2002-05-12T22:29:36Z (23 years ago)
From
Josh Bloom at CIT <jsb@astro.caltech.edu>
HST detection of the likely host galaxy of GRB 020124

J. S. Bloom, P. A. Price, D. Fox, S. R. Kulkarni (Caltech), on behalf
of the larger HST Collaboration, report:

"As part of our large HST Cycle 10 program (#9180) we triggered a
series of STIS/Clear imaging visits on GRB 020124 (Ricker et al., GCN
#1220; Hurley et al.; GCN #1223). The imaging, spanning three epochs
(epoch 1: 2002 Feb 11.09, epoch2: 2002 Feb 18.30, epoch 3: 2002 Feb
25.71), was centered at the position of the fading optical transient
(OT) (Price et al.; GCN #1221). Differential astrometry from our
earlier Palomar imaging (Bloom et al., GCN #1225) reveals a faint
source, consistent with the position of the OT, near the detection
limit of the images. A view of region near the OT, as well as the
uncertainty position of the OT relative to the HST image (about 300
mas 1-sigma), may be found at:

 http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/GRB/grb020124/Images/grb020124-host.gif

In that image, two sources ("A", near the center of the OT position
and "B" a faint ~2-sigma source near the outskirts of the OT position)
are consistent with the OT position. The majority of the mapping error
was due to the poor detection of the OT in the JCAM image, therefore,
we expect that the astrometry could be significantly improved using
better detection imaging of the OT.

Imaging differencing between epochs 1 and 3 does not reveal evidence
for fading; we therefore identify source "A" as the likely host of GRB
020124. The difference image may be viewed at:

 http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/GRB/grb020124/Images/grb020124-diff.gif

Summing the epochs (total exposure time 6.8 hrs) we find that the
source was V=29.3 +/- 0.3 mag at a weighted mean time of 2002 Feb
17.6; this includes the estimated uncertainty due to the unknown
color. If the source is indeed the host, it is one of the faintest
known, along with the host of GRB 980326 (V=29.25, Fruchter et al.;
GCN #1029) and GRB 000301C (V=29.0 mag, Fruchter et al.; GCN #1063).

The first imaging epoch is now available in the HST archives and we
will supply reduced images of all three epochs upon request
(jsb@astro.caltech.edu). Additionally, we have made the summed image
from JCAM (see GCN #1225) available at the website:

     http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/GRB/grb020124/

This message may be cited.

GCN Circular 1452

Subject
GRB 020124, HST observations of the fading afterglow
Date
2002-07-12T17:08:20Z (23 years ago)
From
Edo Berger at Caltech <ejb@astro.caltech.edu>
J. S. Bloom, E. Berger, and S. R. Kulkarni (Caltech), on behalf of the
larger HST Collaboration, report:

"After thorough analysis of the three epochs of HST STIS/Clear imaging
observations of GRB 020124, we now find that the faint source reported in
Bloom et al. (GCN #1389) has faded between epoch 1 (11 Feb 2002 UT) and
epoch 3 (25 Feb 2002 UT).  This source ("S1"), is astrometrically
consistent with the rapidly fading optical transient reported from Palomar
200-inch imaging (Bloom, GCN #1225).  We therefore conclude that S1 is the
afterglow, rather than the host. The source was R=28.6+/-0.2 mag on Feb
11.09 UT, and fainter than R~29.2 mag on Feb 25.71 UT. See the associated
figure at:

  http://www.astro.caltech.edu/~jsb/GRB/grb020124/grb020124-hst.gif

This figure shows the first epoch (9972 sec) and the combined images from
18 Feb and 25 Feb (14836 sec) with the same flux scaling.

When combined with ground-based data, these observations reveal that the
rate of decay of the afterglow has steepened from a value of -1.6 to <-1.9
approximately 15 days after the burst.

Furthermore, we do not detect a persistent source (i.e. a host galaxy)
within 1.75 arcsec of the OT position down to R~29.5 mag.  Thus, a
positionally-coincident host galaxy of GRB 020124 is the faintest host to
date."

This message may be cited.

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