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Issue A&A
Volume 454, Number 3, August II 2006
Page(s) L119 - L122
Section Letters
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20065092



A&A 454, L119-L122 (2006)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20065092

Letter

The bright optical flash from GRB 060117

M. Jelínek1, M. Prouza2, 3, P. Kubánek4, 5, R. Hudec4, M. Nekola4, J. Rídký2, 3, J. Grygar2, 3, M. Bohácová2, 3, A. J. Castro-Tirado1, J. Gorosabel1, M. Hrabovský2, 3, D. Mandát2, 3, D. Nosek6, 3, L. Nozka2, 3, M. Palatka2, 3, S. B. Pandey1, M. Pech2, 3, P. Schovánek2, 3, R. Smída2, 3, P. Trávnícek2, 3, A. de Ugarte Postigo1 and S. Vítek1

1  Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), Apartado de Correos, 3.004, 18080 Granada, Spain
    e-mail: mates@iaa.es
2  Fyzikální ústav AV CR, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Praha 8, Czech Republic
3  For the Pierre Auger Collaboration
4  Astronomický ústav AV CR, Fricova 298, 251 65 Ondrejov, Czech Republic
5  INTEGRAL Science Data Centre, Ch. d'Ecogia 16, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland
6  Ústav cásticové a jaderné fyziky, MFF UK Praha, V Holesovickách 2, 180 00 Praha 8, Czech Republic

(Received 26 February 2006 / Accepted 30 May 2006 )

Abstract
We present a discovery and observation of an extraordinarily bright prompt optical emission of the GRB 060117 obtained by a wide-field camera atop the robotic telescope FRAM of the Pierre Auger Observatory from 2 to 10 min after the GRB. We found rapid average temporal flux decay of $\alpha = -1.7 \pm 0.1$ and a peak brightness R = 10.1 mag. Later observations by other instruments set a strong limit on the optical and radio transient fluxes, unveiling an unexpectedly rapid further decay. We present an interpretation featuring a relatively steep electron-distribution parameter $p \simeq 3.0$ and providing a straightforward solution for the overall fast decay of this optical transient as a transition between reverse and forward shock.


Key words: gamma-rays: bursts



© ESO 2006


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