Extragalactic Magnetar Giant Flare GRB 231115A: Insights from Fermi/GBM Observations

dc.contributor.authorTrigg, Aaron C.
dc.contributor.authorStewart, Rachel
dc.contributor.authorvan Kooten, Alex
dc.contributor.authorBurns, Eric
dc.contributor.authorRoberts, Oliver J.
dc.contributor.authorFrederiks, Dmitry D.
dc.contributor.authorBaring, Matthew G.
dc.contributor.authorYounes, George
dc.contributor.authorSvinkin, Dmitry S.
dc.contributor.authorWadiasingh, Zorawar
dc.contributor.authorVeres, Peter
dc.contributor.authorBhat, Narayana
dc.contributor.authorBriggs, Michael S.
dc.contributor.authorScotton, Lorenzo
dc.contributor.authorGoldstein, Adam
dc.contributor.authorBusmann, Malte
dc.contributor.authorO'Connor, Brendan
dc.contributor.authorHu, Lei
dc.contributor.authorGruen, Daniel
dc.contributor.authorRiffeser, Arno
dc.contributor.authorZoeller, Raphael
dc.contributor.authorPalmese, Antonella
dc.contributor.authorHuppenkothen, Daniela
dc.contributor.authorKouveliotou, Chryssa
dc.date.accessioned2024-10-28T14:30:43Z
dc.date.available2024-10-28T14:30:43Z
dc.date.issued2025-02-24
dc.description.abstractMagnetar giant flares (MGFs) are the extremely short, energetic transients originating from highly magnetized neutron stars. When observed in nearby galaxies, these rare events are nearly indistinguishable from cosmological short gamma-ray bursts. We present the analysis of GRB 231115A, a candidate extragalactic MGF observed by Fermi/GBM and localized by INTEGRAL to the starburst galaxy M82. This burst exhibits distinctive temporal and spectral characteristics, including a short duration and a high peak energy, consistent with known MGFs. Time-resolved analysis reveals rapid spectral evolution and a clear correlation between luminosity and spectral hardness, providing robust evidence of relativistic outflows. Archival Chandra data identified point sources within the GRB 231115A localization consistent with the theoretical maximum persistent emission luminosity, though no definitive counterpart was found. Simulations indicate that any transient emission associated with GRB 231115A would require energies exceeding those of typical magnetar bursts to be detectable by current instruments. While the tail of a MGF originating from outside of the Milky Way and its satellite galaxies has never been detected, analysis suggests that such emission could be observable at M82’s distance with instruments like Swift/XRT or NICER, though no tail was identified for this event. These findings underscore the need for improved follow-up strategies and technological advancements to enhance MGF detection and characterization.
dc.description.sponsorshipAT, EB, MN, and OJR acknowledge NASA support under award 80NSSC21K2038. MGB thanks NASA for support under grants 80NSSC22K0777 and 80NSSC22K1576. Z.W. acknowledges support by NASA under award number 80GSFC21M0002. The USRA coauthors gratefully acknowledge NASA funding through cooperative agreement 80NSSC24M0035.
dc.description.urihttps://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2025/02/aa52268-24/aa52268-24.html
dc.format.extent19 pages
dc.genrejournal articles
dc.identifierdoi:10.1051/0004-6361/202452268
dc.identifier.citationTrigg, Aaron C., Rachael Stewart, Alex Van Kooten, Eric Burns, Matthew G. Baring, Dmitry D. Frederiks, Daniela Huppenkothen, et al. “Extragalactic Magnetar Giant Flare GRB 231115A: Insights from Fermi/GBM Observations.” Astronomy & Astrophysics 694 (February 1, 2025): A323. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452268.
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202452268
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11603/36766
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherEDP Sciences
dc.relation.isAvailableAtThe University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Faculty Collection
dc.relation.ispartofUMBC Center for Space Sciences and Technology (CSST) / Center for Research and Exploration in Space Sciences & Technology II (CRSST II)
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 International CC BY 4.0 Deed
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectAstrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
dc.titleExtragalactic Magnetar Giant Flare GRB 231115A: Insights from Fermi/GBM Observations
dc.typeText

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