MAGIC Observations of the Nearby Short Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 160821B*

(MAGIC Collaboration) Acciari, VA; Ansoldi, S; Antonelli, LA; Engels, AA; Asano, K; Baack, D; Babic, A; Baquero, A; de Almeida, UB; Barrio, JA; González, JB; Bednarek, W; Bellizzi, L; Bernardini, E; Bernardos, M; Berti, A; Besenrieder, J; Bhattacharyya, W; Bigongiari, C; Biland, A; Blanch, O; Bonnoli, G; Bosnjak, Z; Busetto, G; Carosi, R; Ceribella, G; Cerruti, M; Chai, Y; Chilingarian, A; Cikota, S; Colak, SM; Colombo, E; Contreras, JL; Cortina, J; Covino, S; D'Amico, G; D'Elia, ; Da Vela, P; Dazzi, F; De Angelis, A; De Lotto, B; Delfino, M; Delgado, J; Mendez, CD; Depaoli, D; Di Pierro, F; Di Venere, L; Espiñeira, ED; Prester, DD; Donini, A; Dorner, D; Doro, M; Elsaesser, D; Ramazani, VF; Fattorini, A; Ferrara, G; Foffano, L; Fonseca, M; Font, L; Fruck, C; Fukami, S; López, RJG; Garczarczyk, M; Gasparyan, S; Gaug, M; Giglietto, N; Giordano, F; Gliwny, P; Godinovic, N; Green, JG; Green, D; Hadasch, D; Hahn, A; Heckmann, L; Herrera, J; Hoang, J; Hrupec, D; Hütten, M; Inada, T; Inoue, S; Ishio, K; Iwamura, Y; Jormanainen, J; Jouvin, L; Kajiwara, Y; Karjalainen, M; Kerszberg, D; Kobayashi, Y; Kubo, H; Kushida, J; Lamastra, A; Lelas, D; Leone, F; Lindfors, E; Lombardi, S; Longo, F; López-Coto, R; López-Moya, M; López-Oramas, A; Loporchio, S; Fraga, BMD; Maggio, C; Majumdar, P; Makariev, M; Mallamaci, M; Maneva, G; Manganaro, M; Mannheim, K; Maraschi, L; Mariotti, M; Martínez, M; Mazin, D; Mender, S; Miceli, D; Miener, T; Micanovic, S; Minev, M; Miranda, JM; Mirzoyan, R; Molina, E; Moralejo, A; Morcuende, D; Moreno, ; Moretti, E; Neustroev, ; Nigro, C; Nilsson, K; Ninci, D; Nishijima, K; Noda, K; Nozaki, S; Ohtani, Y; Oka, T; Otero-Santos, J; Paiano, S; Palatiello, M; Paneque, D; Paoletti, R; Paredes, JM; Pavletic, L; Peñil, P; Perennes, C; Persic, M; Moroni, PGP; Prandini, E; Priyadarshi, C; Puljak, ; Rhode, W; Ribó, M; Rico, J; Righi, C; Rugliancich, A; Saha, L; Sahakyan, N; Saito, T; Sakurai, S; Satalecka, K; Saturni, FG; Schleicher, B; Schmidt, K; Schweizer, T; Sitarek, J; Snidaric, ; Sobczynska, D; Spolon, A; Stamerra, A; Strom, D; Strzys, M; Suda, Y; Suric, T; Takahashi, M; Tavecchio, F; Temnikov, P; Terzic, T; Teshima, M; Torres-Albà, N; Tosti, L; Truzzi, S; Tutone, A; van Scherpenberg, J; Vanzo, G; Acosta, MV; Ventura, S; Verguilov, V; Vigorito, CF; Vitale, V; Vovk, ; Will, M; Zaric, D; Nava, L (2021) MAGIC Observations of the Nearby Short Gamma-Ray Burst GRB 160821B*. The Astrophysical Journal, 908 (1). ISSN 1538-4357

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Abstract

The coincident detection of GW170817 in gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation spanning the radio to MeV gamma-ray bands provided the first direct evidence that short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can originate from binary neutron star (BNS) mergers. On the other hand, the properties of short GRBs in high-energy gamma-rays are still poorly constrained, with only similar to 20 events detected in the GeV band, and none in the TeV band. GRB 160821B is one of the nearest short GRBs known at z = 0.162. Recent analyses of the multiwavelength observational data of its afterglow emission revealed an optical-infrared kilonova component, characteristic of heavy-element nucleosynthesis in a BNS merger. Aiming to better clarify the nature of short GRBs, this burst was automatically followed up with the MAGIC telescopes, starting from 24 s after the burst trigger. Evidence of a gamma-ray signal is found above similar to 0.5 TeV at a significance of similar to 3 sigma during observations that lasted until 4 hr after the burst. Assuming that the observed excess events correspond to gamma-ray emission from GRB 160821B, in conjunction with data at other wavelengths, we investigate its origin in the framework of GRB afterglow models. The simplest interpretation with one-zone models of synchrotron-self-Compton emission from the external forward shock has difficulty accounting for the putative TeV flux. Alternative scenarios are discussed where the TeV emission can be relatively enhanced. The role of future GeV-TeV observations of short GRBs in advancing our understanding of BNS mergers and related topics is briefly addressed.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	gamma-ray bursts; radiation mechanisms: non-thermal ; gamma rays: general ; gamma-ray burst: individual: GRB 160821B
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Physics
Divisions:	Division of Experimental Physics Division of Physical Chemistry
Projects:	Project title Project leader Project code Project type Visokoenergijska astronomija gama-zraka teleskopima MAGIC i CTA-MAGIC-CTA Ana Babić; Stefan Cikota; Iva Šnidarić; Nikola Godinović; Tihomir Surić; Željka Marija Bošnjak; Dijana Dominis Prester; Dario Hrupec; Tomislav Terzić; Saša Mićanović; Marina Manganaro; Lovro Pavletić IP-2016-06-9782 HRZZ
Depositing User:	Ema Buhin Šaler
Date Deposited:	04 May 2026 09:07
URI:	https://fulir.irb.hr:/id/eprint/11856
DOI:	10.3847/1538-4357/abd249

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