Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2206.10710

Strong NIR emission following the long duration GRB 211211A: Dust heating as an alternative to a kilonova

Eli Waxman·Eran O. Ofek·Doron Kushnir
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The prolonged near infrared (NIR) emission observed following the long duration GRB 211211A is inconsistent with afterglow emission from the shock driven into the circum-stellar medium (CSM), and with emission from a possible underlying supernova. It has therefore been suggested that the observed NIR flux is the signature of a kilonova -- a radioactive ejecta that is similar to the outcome of the binary neutron star merger GW170817. We propose here an alternative plausible explanation. We show that the NIR flux is consistent with thermal emission from dust, heated by UV and soft X-ray radiation produced by the interaction of the GRB jet plasma with the CSM. This NIR emission was predicted by Waxman & Draine for GRBs residing near or withing massive molecular clouds. The dust NIR emission scenario is consistent with a GRB at $z\lesssim1$. Inspection of the environment of GRB 211211A suggests that there are at least two host-galaxy candidates, one at $z=0.076$ and the other at $z=0.459$. The $z=0.459$ possibility is also consistent with the non-detection of a supernova signature in the light curve of the GRB afterglow, and with a typical GRB $γ$-ray energy for the fluence of GRB 211211A.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph.HE

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Eli Waxman, Eran O. Ofek, Doron Kushnir. 2025-03-17. Strong NIR emission following the long duration GRB 211211A: Dust heating as an alternative to a kilonova. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Fadc1bd

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Magnetic Eruption and Nucleosynthesis in GRνMHD Simulations of Spinning Neutron Star Mergers

We present three-dimensional general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics simulations of equal-mass binary neutron star mergers with varied neutron star spin configurations and second-moment neutrino transport, following the formation and early evolution of long-lived remnants. We compare a fiducial irrotational binary with binaries having spins that are aligned or antialigned with the orbital angular momentum, and examime how spin affects the merger dynamics, magnetic field evolution, outflows, and nucleosynthesis. Compared to the fiducial case, the aligned spin configuration releases more cold, neutron-rich tidal ejecta in the equatorial plane, which enables the development of a more tightly collimated polar outflow erupting from the remnant and inner accretion disk. Conversely, the case with spins antialigned with the orbit experiences a more violent collision at merger, disrupting magnetic amplification, loading the environment with debris, and impeding the propagation of magnetically driven winds. Strong neutrino reprocessing of the polar outflow in the irrotational and aligned spin cases produces $2.4\times 10^{-3}\,M_\odot$ of proton-rich ($Y_e \geq 0.49$) material, resulting in the synthesis of light r-process elements, whose subsequent decay potentially sends a unique electromagnetic signal from long-lived remnants. However, the outflows remain too dense and slow to be consistent with typical short gamma-ray bursts.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

A Multi-Mission Detection Framework for High-Energy Transients: Application to a 13-year Fermi/GBM and Swift/BAT Sample

The detection of faint high-energy transients is becoming increasingly important in time-domain and multi-messenger astronomy, particularly for identifying electromagnetic counterparts to binary neutron star mergers, high-energy neutrino events, and other weak transient phenomena. At present, the sensitivity of gamma-ray and hard X-ray searches is often limited by the detection threshold of individual instruments, leaving a population of faint transients inaccessible to single-mission analyses. To address this limitation, we develop a joint detection framework that combines trigger information from multiple detectors and assigns each candidate a joint association probability, $p_{\text{joint}}$, as a function of the individual detector signal-to-noise ratios. We apply this framework to archival Fermi/GBM and Swift/BAT rates data from 2013-2025. The method effectively separates coincident signals from accidental background associations, suppressing inconsistent coincidences while enhancing the significance of faint events observed by both instruments. We find that, under optimal conditions, a two-mission search can increase the accessible volume for short gamma-ray bursts by up to $60\%$. This framework provides a practical foundation for generalized multi-mission searches, enabling more sensitive exploration of the faint high-energy transient sky and improving the prospects for future multi-messenger discoveries.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

A Brief Review on the Statistical Properties of Fast Radio Bursts

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond-duration radio transients of extragalactic origin, whose emission mechanisms and progenitors remain unresolved. Statistical analyses of the rapidly growing samples provide a promising means to constrain the underlying physics. In this review, we synthesize the statistical properties derived from current FRB catalogs, encompassing constraints on dispersion measure, redshift, energy/luminosity functions, repetition rate, and host-galaxy demographics. For repeating FRBs, we examine the statistics of energy, fluence/flux, waiting time, and discuss time-series analyses that reveal memory effects and chaotic dynamics. We further discuss the observational discovery and theoretical interpretation of periodic activity, and survey polarization properties that probe the magneto-ionic environments of FRB sources. Throughout, we emphasize robust empirical trends, account for observational biases and selection effects, and outline outstanding open questions regarding the physical origin of these enigmatic bursts.

astro-ph.HE↗