Astron. Astrophys. 337, 691-698 (1998)

Archival searches for transient optical emission in the error box of the 1991 January 22 gamma-ray burst

J. Gorosabel ¹ and A.J. Castro-Tirado <sup>1, 2

1</sup> Laboratorio de Astrofísica Espacial y Física Fundamental (LAEFF-INTA), P.O. Box 50727, E-28080 Madrid, Spain
² Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (IAA-CSIC), P.O. Box 03004, E-18080 Granada

Received 16 January 1998 / Accepted 17 June 1998

Abstract

We present here the results of a study carried out at the Harvard College Observatory Plate Collection. We examined 3995 plates covering the error box of the gamma-ray burst GRB 910122, over a time span of 90 yr (from 1889 to 1979). The total exposure time is 0.55 yr. No convincing evidence of optical transient emission was found within the GRB 910122 IPN error box. However, a possible OT was found outside the GRB 910122 error box. Optical ground based observations have revealed a V22.3 object consistent with the position of the new object. The colours of the object are typical of a K7/M0 star or a reddened galaxy, which could have caused the OT, but the fact that the object is far away from the GRB error box makes both events unrelated.

Key words: gamma rays: bursts

Send offprint requests to: J. Gorosabel, (jgu@laeff.esa.es)

SIMBAD Objects

Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Observations and results
  • 2.1. No optical transient found within the IPN error box
  • 2.2. An object found on plate AM 24589 close to the error box
  • 2.3. Optical observations of GRB 910122 error box
• 3. Discussion
  • 3.1. Reliability of the object
  • 3.2. The flash parameters
  • 3.3. A search for the quiescent optical counterpart of the object
  • 3.4. The lack of OTs within the GRB 910122 error box.
• 4. Conclusions
• Acknowledgements
• References

© European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1998

Online publication: August 27, 1998
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