Gamma-ray Burst 040624

(All information courtesy of the instrument teams.)

Previous IAU Circulars

none

Results of Observations

GCN notice #2613
S. Mereghetti, D. Gotz (IASF, Milano), M. Beck, J.Borkowski (ISDC) on behalf of the IBAS Localization Team
A 45 s long GRB has been detected with the INTEGRAL Burst Alert System (IBAS) on June 24 at 08:21:35 UT. The GRB has been detected with IBIS/ISGRI in the 15-200 keV band but with a significance below the threshold for automatic delivery of the IBAS Alert Packets. Its coordinates (J2000) are:
```
R.A.  13h 00m 09.9s 
Dec. -03deg 35' 14''
```
with an uncertainty of 3 arcmin (90% c.l. radius)
The preliminary peak flux in the 20-200 keV range is about 0.5 photons/cmsq/s (5.4 x 10^-8 erg/cmsq/s) (1 s integration time).
This message can be cited.

GCN/BACODINE POSITION NOTICE

TITLE:          GCN/INTEGRAL NOTICE
NOTICE_DATE:    Thu 24 Jun 04 15:39:29 UT
NOTICE_TYPE:    INTEGRAL Offline
TRIGGER_NUM:    1,   Sub_Num: 1
GRB_RA:         195.0409d {+13h 00m 10s} (J2000),
                195.0987d {+13h 00m 24s} (current),
                194.3961d {+12h 57m 35s} (1950)
GRB_DEC:         -3.5870d {-03d 35' 12"} (J2000),
                 -3.6111d {-03d 36' 39"} (current),
                 -3.3178d {-03d 19' 03"} (1950)
GRB_ERROR:      3.00 [arcmin, radius, statistical only]
GRB_INTEN:      7.50 [sigma]
GRB_TIME:       30095.00 SOD {08:21:35.00} UT
GRB_DATE:       13180 TJD;   176 DOY;   04/06/24
SC_RA:            0.00 [deg] (J2000)
SC_DEC:           0.00 [deg] (J2000)
SUN_POSTN:       93.44d {+06h 13m 47s}  +23.40d {+23d 24' 02"}
SUN_DIST:       102.13 [deg]
MOON_POSTN:     168.48d {+11h 13m 56s}   +9.43d {+09d 25' 34"}
MOON_DIST:       29.55 [deg]
GAL_COORDS:     307.19, 59.21 [deg] galactic lon,lat of the burst
ECL_COORDS:     195.24,  2.61 [deg] ecliptic lon,lat of the burst
COMMENTS:       INTEGRAL GRB Coordinates.

red DSS finding chart ps-file
GCN notice #2614
D. A. Kann, A. Zeh, and F. Ludwig (Thueringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg)
report:
We observed the field of GRB 040624 (Mereghetti et al., GCN 2613) with the Tautenburg 1.34-m Schmidt telescope equipped with the Schmidt focus CCD camera under good observing conditions but high airmass. Observations were performed on 24.885 UT (0.54 days after the burst) in I and on 24.889 UT in R. A first visual inspection of the images does not reveal any new source down to the DSS2 red limit.
This message may be cited.
GCN notice #2615
J. Gorosabel, V. Casanova, L. Verdes-Montenegro, M. Jel=EDnek, A. de Ugarte Postigo, A.J. Castro-Tirado (IAA-CSIC) and J.M. Castro Cer=F3n (STScI), report:
"We have acquired 20 images of the INTEGRAL GRB 040624 (GCN 2613) error box with a total exposure time of 3000 s. The observations were performed in the R band on June 24.8764-24.9139 UT with the 1.5 m Observatorio de Sierra Nevada (OSN) telescope. Visual comparison did not reveal new optical sources brighter than the limiting magnitude of the DSS-2 (R ~ 21)".
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GCN notice #2616
V. Lipunov, A.Krylov, V.Kornilov, G.Borisov, D.Kuvshinov, A.Belinski, M.Kuznetsov, S.Potanin, G.Antipov,E.Gorbovskoy, N.Tyurina
Sternberg Astronomical Institute, Alexsandr Krylov Observatory, Moscow
We have observed the 6 sq. degrees field around INTEGRAL GRB 040624 with MASTER system (355 mm, http://observ.pereplet.ru). We have 15 unfiltered images of the error box (30s and 60s expositions) started at 24 June 2004 19:37:06 UT (after 0,48 day GRB 040624 time). The limiting magnitude on the each image was about 15m under very bad weather conditions.
There is no OT at error circle as reported by INTEGRAL GCN2613.
This message may be cited.
GCN notice #2617
D. Fugazza, P. D'Avanzo, G. Tagliaferri, S. Kalogerakos, S. Campana, G. Chincarini, S. Covino, A. Cucchiara (INAF-OABr), D. Malesani (SISSA-Trieste), N. Masetti (IASF-CNR), G.L. Israel, L. Stella (INAF-OAR), M. Pedani, L. Di Fabrizio (INAF-TNG), M. Petr-Gotzens and P.M. Vreeswijk (ESO), report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
We observed the field of GRB 040624 (Mereghetti et al., GCN 2613), using the Italian TNG (with DOLORES) and the ESO VLT-UT1 (with FORS1 and FORS2). The full error box was imaged in the R filter at several epochs, starting 13 hours after the burst. The observation log is reported below.
```
Tel.  Instr.   UT start  t-t0 (d)  t_exp (s) seeing  R_lim (10 sigma)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
TNG   DOLORES  24.90     0.55      2x120     1.2"    22.4
VLT   FORS2    24.99     0.64      5x30      0.3"    23.1
VLT   FORS2    25.12     0.77      5x30      0.4"    23.1
VLT   FORS1    27.98     3.63      5x30      0.7"    22.9
TNG*  DOLORES  28.89     4.54      2x120     2.4"    21.5
---------------------------------------------------------------------
*: bad observing conditions.
```
No observation could be performed on Jun 25 and Jun 26 due to the proximity of the bright Moon.
No new objects were seen at any epoch when comparing with the DSS survey, also in agreement with previous reports (Kann et al., GCN 2614; Gorosabel et al., GCN 2615; Lipunov et al., GCN 2616). We also performed a systematic analysis looking for variable objects between the different frames. Both aperture photometry (with DAOPHOT) and image subtraction (with ISIS) were performed. No variable objects were found using both approaches.
We appreciate the efforts made at the TNG and at the VLT (where part of the observations were conducted during technical time).
This message can be cited.
GCN notice #2618
S. B. Cenko, D. B. Fox, and A. Gal-Yam (Caltech), with J. Dann, Y. Lipkin, E. Medezinski, and E. Ofek (Wise Observatory, TAU), on behalf of a larger collaboration, report:
"We have observed the error circle of the Integral GRB040624 (GCN 2613) with the Wise 40-inch telescope on June 24.77 mean UT (10.0 hours after the burst). Observations consisted of 4 x 210 second unfiltered images, and these images were co-added to reach a limiting magnitude of ~ 20.0.
In addition, the field was observed by the newly automated Palomar 60" telescope, from June 25.09 - June 25.29 UT (21.1 - 22.5 hours after the burst). Observations consisted of 28 x 180 second R-band images, co-added to reach a limiting magnitude of ~ 21.5. Both epochs were observed with ~ 2.5" seeing, and the Palomar observations were contaminated with background light from the nearby moon.
Neither epoch shows any new sources when compared with Sloan Digital Sky Survey r-band images extracted from the SDSS DR2. In addition, digital subtraction of the two epochs yields no variable objects down to the limiting magnitude of the first epoch.
FITS images may be found at http://www.srl.caltech.edu/~cenko/grb040624.
GCN notice #2619
V.Rumyantsev (CrAO) and A.Pozanenko (IKI) report:
We have obtained 10 unfiltered images (180 s exposure each) of the GRB040624 error box (S. Mereghetti et al., GCN 2613). The images were taken with the AT-64 telescope of Crimean Astrophysical observatory and cover the period UT 19:13:00 - 20:21:00 of June 25, 2004.
Due to a quality of exposures a combined image comprises only 3 out of total 10 images, and limiting magnitude of the combined image (S/N=3) is estimated as following
```
Start time (UT)       telescope   exposure    limiting mag.
Jun. 25  19:13        AT-64     3x180 s       18.7
```
No OT was found in comparison with DSS2. Combined image can be found at http://grb.rssi.ru/GRB040624
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GCN notice #2623
A. Piccioni, C. Bartolini, A. Guarnieri (Bologna University), P. Ferrero (IASF-CNR, Bologna; Teramo Observatory and University), G. Pizzichini (IASF-CNR, Bologna) and S. Bernabei (Bologna Observatory) report:
On June 24, we have observed the field of GRB040624 (Mereghetti et al., GCN 2613) in Rc filter with the 152 cm telescope of Bologna University. Observing in poor sky conditions we have obtained 8 images from UT = 24.84502 to UT = 24.88096 with 300s exposition time. By visual comparison of individual and coadded images with the USNO B catalog we did not find any new objects. We estimate that our coadded images (at mean UT = 24.86299) attained a magnitude limit of Rc = 20.5.
GCN notice #2632
P. D'Avanzo, D. Fugazza, A. Melandri, D. Malesani, G. Tagliaferri, L.A. Antonelli, S. Campana, G. Chincarini, S. Covino, A. Cucchiara, M. Della Valle., G.L. Israel, S. Kalogerakos, N. Masetti, E. Pian, L. Stella, L. Di Fabrizio, M. Pedani, report on behalf of a larger collaboration:
We continued monitoring the field of the INTEGRAL GRB 040624 (Mereghetti et al., GCN 2613), in order to look for a possible supernova (SN). Our search was carried out to test the hypotesis that GRB 040624 exploded inside the Abell cluster A1651 at z=0.0845, whose galaxies were detected in our previous optical images (Fugazza et al., GCN 2617). Observations were performed with the Italian Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), equipped with the DOLORES camera, under good conditions. The observing log is reported below:
```
UT start    t-t0 (d)  t_exp   seeing  filters  R_lim (10 sigma)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Jul  6.92   12.6      3x180s  1.4"    VRI      22.6
Jul 14.92   20.6      2x180s  1.3"    VRI      22.0
--------------------------------------------------------------- 
t0 = 2004 Jun 24.35 UT (burst onset)
```
No significantly varying sources were found by comparing the images taken at these two epochs, nor by comparing these with our earlier measurements (GCN 2617). PSF-matched image subtraction carried out with the ISIS package also yielded no convincing candidates.
If GRB 040624 occurred inside a galaxy belonging to the cluster, its peak luminosity would be L ~ 9x10^47 erg/s, intermediate between those of GRB980425 at z=0.0085 and GRB 031203 at z=0.1055. A SN similar to SN1998bw would reach a peak magnitude R ~ 18.5 and would be easily detectable in our images even if spatially coincident with a relatively bright host galaxy. However, intrinsic obscuration may play a significant role in depressing the SN flux. Moreover, an intrinsically dimmer SN than SN1998bw cannot be excluded.
Therefore, the lack of a SN detection in our images does not allow us to draw conclusions about the distance of the GRB.
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astro-ph/0601567 from 25 Jan 2006
D'Avanzo:
Understanding the reasons for the faintness of the optical/near-infrared afterglows of the so-called dark bursts is essential to assess whether they form a subclass of GRBs, and hence for the use of GRBs in cosmology. With VLT and other ground-based telescopes, we searched for the afterglows of the INTEGRAL bursts GRB 040223, GRB 040422 and GRB 040624 in the first hours after the triggers. A detection of a faint afterglow and of the host galaxy in the K band was achieved for GRB 040422, while only upper limits were obtained for GRB 040223 and GRB 040624, although in the former case the X-ray afterglow was observed. A comparison with the magnitudes of a sample of afterglows clearly shows the faintness of these bursts, which are good examples of a population that an increasing usage of large diameter telescopes is beginning to unveil.

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Jochen Greiner, last update: 30-Jan-2006 [Disclaimer]