GRB 250403A
GCN Circular 40164
Subject
Konus-Wind detection of GRB 250403A
Date
2025-04-17T17:43:37Z (5 months ago)
From
Dmitry Frederiks at Ioffe Institute <fred@mail.ioffe.ru>
Via
email
D. Frederiks, A.Lysenko, A. Ridnaya, D. Svinkin, A. Tsvetkova,
M. Ulanov, and T. Cline, on behalf of the Konus-Wind team, report
The long GRB 250403A (Fermi GBM detection: Fermi GBM team, GCN 40025;
Veres et al., GCN 40060; SVOM detection: Julacanti et al., GCN 40026;
AstroSat CZTI detection: Tembhurnikar et al., GCN 40077)
was detected by Konus-Wind (KW) in the waiting mode.
A Bayesian block analysis of the KW waiting mode data in the 20-400 keV band
reveals a ~12 sigma count-rate increase in the interval
from T0-0.4 s to T0+11.5 s where T0 = 15:15:22 UT.
The KW light curve of this burst is available
at http://www.ioffe.ru/LEA/GRBs/GRB250403A/
Modeling the time-integrated spectrum of the burst
by a power law with exponential cutoff (CPL) model
dN/dE ~ (E^alpha)*exp(-E*(2+alpha)/Ep)
yields alpha = -1.14 (-0.23, + 0.23) and Ep = 83(-6,+6) keV.
In the 10 keV -10 MeV band, standard for the KW analysis,
the burst fluence is (2.55 ± 0.18)x10^-6 erg/cm^2
and the 2.944 s peak energy flux is (2.51 ± 0.22)x10^-7 erg/cm^2/s.
Assuming the redshift z=1.847 (de Ugarte Postigo et al., GCN 40162)
and a standard cosmology with H_0 = 67.3 km/s/Mpc, Omega_M = 0.315,
and Omega_Lambda = 0.685 (Planck Collaboration, 2014),
we estimate the burst isotropic energy release E_iso to (2.2 ± 0.2)x10^52 erg,
the isotropic peak luminosity L_iso to (6.3 ± 0.6)x10^51 erg/s, and
the rest-frame peak spectral energy Ep,z to (236 ± 11) keV.
With the obtained estimates, GRB 250403A is consistent (inside 68% prediction bands)
of both 'Amati' and 'Yonetoku' relations for the sample
of >300 long KW GRBs with known redshifts (Tsvetkova et al., 2017; Tsvetkova et al., 2021),
see http://www.ioffe.ru/LEA/GRBs/GRB250403A/GRB250403A_rest_frame.pdf
All the quoted errors are estimated at the 68% confidence level.
All the presented results are preliminary.
GCN Circular 40162
Subject
GRB 250403A: VLT/FORS2 spectroscopic redshift z = 1.847
Date
2025-04-17T14:35:25Z (5 months ago)
From
Daniele B. Malesani at IMAPP / Radboud University <d.malesani@astro.ru.nl>
Via
Web form
A. de Ugarte Postigo (LAM), A. Saccardi (CEA/Irfu), B. Schneider (LAM), L. Izzo (INAF/OAC and DARK/NBI), J. P. U. Fynbo (DAWN/NBO), Y. Julakanti (Univ. Leicester), D. B. Malesani (DAWN/NBI and Radboud), A. Martin-Carrillo (UCD), J. T. Palmerio (CEA/Irfu), S. Savaglio (Univ. Calabria), N. R. Tanvir (Univ. Leicester), S. D. Vergani (LUX-Obs. de Paris, CNRS), report on behalf of the Stargate collaboration:
We observed the optical and NIR counterpart (Starling et al., GCN 40028; Wu et al., GCN 40029; Du et al., GCN 40031; Li et al., GCN 40032; Julakanti et al., GCN 40034; Ghosh et al., GCN 40039; Jiang et al., GCN 40041; Pérez-Fournon et al., GCN 40043; Brivio et al., GCN 40044; Xin et al., GCN 40045; Shilling et al., GCN 40048; Zheng et al., GCN 40065; Leonini et al., GCN 40068) of the SVOM/ECLAIRs (Julakanti et al., GCN 40026), Fermi/GBM (Veres et al., GCN 40060), and AstroSat CZTI (Tembhurnikar et al., GCN 40077) GRB 250403A using the ESO/VLT UT1 (Antu) equipped with the FORS2 spectrograph. The 300V grism with no order-blocking filter was adopted, covering the wavelength range 3300-9600 AA (with potential second-order contamination redward of 6600 AA). Observations started on 2025 April 4 at 02:15:01 UT (10.99 hr after the burst). Two exposures of 600 s each were obtained.
From a 60 s acquisition image obtained on 2025 April 4 at 02:01:37 UT (10.76 hr after the burst), we measure R ~ 21.1 +/- 0.2 mag (AB) calibrated against nearby Pan-STARRS objects.
From a preliminary reduction of the spectrum, continuum is detected over the wavelength range 3600-9600 AA. While the spectrum is noisy blueward of 3720 AA, we can set an upper limit to the redshift z < 2.06 due to the lack of Lyman forest. Four clear absorption features are apparent in clean regions of the spectrum, three of which match Si IV 1393, Si IV 1402 and the (blended) C IV doublet 1548,1550 at a common redshift z = 1.847. The fourth line seems marginally split and could be an intervening C IV doublet at z = 1.763, although no other features are seen to confirm this value.
The observed absorption system is somewhat peculiar (but not unprecedented), as some typically strong low-ionization features common in long GRB spectra (de Ugarte Postigo et al. 2012, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219894) are either non-detected or only marginally detected. This indicates a high-ionization environment, which has been previously linked to systems with low H I column density (e.g. Jakobsson et al. 2006, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20066405; Thoene et al. 2011, doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.18408.x; Vielfaure et al. 2020, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202038316). We thus consider z = 1.847 a viable possibility, and the most likely redshift of GRB 250403A.
We acknowledge excellent support from the ESO observing staff in Paranal, in particular Matias Jones, Claudia Paladini, Jesus Corral-Santana, and Cecilia Bustos.
GCN Circular 40077
Subject
GRB 250403A: AstroSat CZTI detection
Date
2025-04-05T10:38:20Z (6 months ago)
From
Gaurav Waratkar at IIT Bombay <gauravwaratkar@iitb.ac.in>
Via
Web form
M. Tembhurnikar (IUCAA), G. Waratkar (IITB), A. Vibhute (IUCAA), V. Bhalerao (IITB), D. Bhattacharya (Ashoka University/IUCAA), A. R. Rao (IUCAA/TIFR), and S. Vadawale (PRL) report on behalf of the AstroSat CZTI collaboration:
Analysis of AstroSat CZTI data with the CIFT framework (Sharma et al., 2021, JApA, 42, 73) showed the detection of a long duration GRB 250403A which was also detected by Fermi GBM (Fermi GBM Team, GCN Circ. 40025) and SVOM/ECLAIRs (Y. Julakanti et. al. GCN Circ. 40026).
The source was clearly detected in the CZT detectors in the 20-200 keV energy range. The light curve peaks at 2025-04-03 15:15:26.00 UTC. The measured peak count rate associated with the burst is 80 (+18, -23) counts/s above the background in the combined data of three quadrants (out of four), with a total of 343 (+110, -184) counts. The local mean background count rate was 225 (+3, -2) counts/s. Using cumulative rates, we measure a T90 of 9.1 (+1.3, -5.5) s.
CZTI is built by a TIFR-led consortium of institutes across India, including VSSC, URSC, IUCAA, SAC, and PRL. The Indian Space Research Organisation funded, managed, and facilitated the project.
CZTI GRB detections are reported regularly on the payload site at:
http://astrosat.iucaa.in/czti/?q=grb
GCN Circular 40068
Subject
GRB 250403A: Montarrenti Observatory optical detection
Date
2025-04-04T21:35:28Z (6 months ago)
From
Simone Leonini at Montarrenti Observatory (Siena, Italy) <s.leonini@iol.it>
Via
Web form
S. Leonini, M. Conti, P. Rosi, L.M. Tinjaca Ramirez (Montarrenti Observatory, Siena, Italy, part of UAI/SSV-GRB section), M.G. Dainotti (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan), Y. Niino (Tokyo University, Institute of Astronomy) and K. Kalinowski (Aarhus University, Department of Physics and Astronomy) report:
we observed the field of GRB 250403A detected by Fermi/GBM (Fermi team, GCN 40025), SVOM/ECLAIRs (Julakanti et al., GCN 40026) and SWIFT (Dichiara et al., GCN 40037; Shilling et al., GCN 40048) with the automated and remoted 0.53m Ritchey-Chretien telescope at Montarrenti Observatory (Siena, Italy, IAU code C88).
The observations were started at 2025-04-03 21:56:50 UT (approximately 7 hours after burst) stacking a set of Rc-band CCD images. The elevation of the field decreased from 19 degrees above the horizon.
The optical afterglow (Starling et al., GCN 40028; Wu et al., GCN 40029; Du et al., GCN 40031; Li et al., GCN 40032; Julakanti et al., GCN 40034; Ghosh et al, GCN 40039; Jiang et al., GCN 40041; Perez-Fournon et al., GCN 40043; Brivio et al., GCN 40044; Xin et al, GCN 40045 and Zheng et al., GCN 40065) was barely detected (S/N=2.4) at the following position:
RA (J2000.0) 12h 58m 27.72s +/-0.15
Decl. (J2000.0) -24° 22' 46.5" +/-0.19
Preliminary photometry was obtained using nearby PanSTARRS stars as follows:
Observation Mid-Time T-T0 (hr) Exposure Filter Mag. Err. UL (3-sigma)
2025-04-03 21:57:10 UT 6.68 94x40s Rc 20.10 S/N =2.4 >19.90
Magnitude was calibrated with the nearby PanSTARRS stars converted using Lupton (2005) equations. No correction for galactic dust extinction was applied.
GCN Circular 40065
Subject
GRB 250403A: KAIT optical observations
Date
2025-04-04T18:53:09Z (6 months ago)
From
Weikang Zheng at UC Berkeley <weikang@berkeley.edu>
Via
email
WeiKang Zheng (UCB), Xuhui Han (NAOC), Pinpin Zhang (NAOC) and
Alexei V. Filippenko (UCB) report on behalf of the KAIT GRB team:
The 0.76-m Katzman Automatic Imaging Telescope (KAIT), located at
Lick Observatory, observed the field of GRB 250403A (Julakanti
et al., GCN 40026; Fermi GBM team, GCN 40025) with a set of
120x60s images in the clear (roughly R) filters, at a mid time
of 16.0 hours after the trigger. We marginally detected the optical
afterglow (Starling et al., GCN 40028; Wu et al., GCN 40029