List of gamma-ray bursts explained

The following is a list of significant gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) listed in chronological order. GRBs are named after the date on which they were detected: the first two numbers correspond to the year, the second two numbers to the month, and the last two numbers to the day.

List

Burst Position Detected by Notes
GRB 670702First GRB detected
The first observed SGR megaflare, a specific type of short GRB.
Until October 2022, the brightest GRB detected (now overtaken by GRB 221009A)
z = 0.695[1] First X-ray afterglow, first optical afterglow
GRB 970402From an X-ray source never seen before in the constellation Circinus.[2]
z = 0.835 First redshift, first radio afterglow
z = 3.4 BATSEThe first GRB at z > 1; the most luminous of the earliest few GRBs.
z = 0.008[3] The second closest GRB to date (after GRB 170817A) and the first associated with a supernova.
R.A. 
Decl. [4]
z = 1.6 First burst observed simultaneously in optical and gamma-rays. Brightest observed afterglow before the launch of Swift.
First burst detected by the Chandra X-ray Observatory[5]
z = 0.168[6] The closest "classical" long GRB to Earth and the most thoroughly studied afterglow to date.
z = 0.225 First short burst with a detected afterglow and a possible host galaxy (not unique).
z = 0.161[7] First short burst with a detected optical counterpart.
GRB 050724z = 0.258[8] First short burst with a detected radio, optical, and X-ray counterpart, as well as an unambiguous association with an elliptical galaxy.
z = 0.0331[9] First GRB with an accompanying supernova which could be tracked starting immediately after the burst.
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 0.125 Either a long-duration burst in which the presence of a bright supernova is ruled out, or a short-duration burst with extremely long-lasting gamma-ray emission.
z = 0.937 The most (optically) luminous event of any nature observed in the universe to date. By far the brightest optical afterglow of any gamma-ray burst.
z = 4.35[10] Formerly the most energetic gamma-ray burst observed.
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 8.2 Remains the record holder for most distant observed object in the universe with spectroscopic confirmation.[11] [12]
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 0.33 28 minutes duration. Also known as the "Christmas burst".
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 0.34 hours duration
R.A. 
Decl. [13]
z = 1.406 FermiExtremely bright burst with polarized optical light[14] [15] [16]
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 0.009727 Neutron star collision, producing the gravitational wave named GW170817.[17] [18] [19] Closest GRB known to date
GRB 200826Az=0.7486A short duration gamma ray burst that lasted for 0.5 seconds.[20]
GRB 211211Az=0.0785Swift, FermiFirst long GRB from a binary neutron star merger[21]
R.A. 
Decl. 
z = 0.151 One of the closest GRB and was the most energetic and brightest GRB ever recorded, deemed the "B.O.A.T.", or Brightest Of All Time. It had 18 TeV, a record.
GRB 230307AFermiSecond only to GRB 221009A in terms of fluence.[22]

Extremes

GRB Extremes
Title GRB Data Notes
Least distant GRB 170817Az = 0.009727Higher redshift than GRB 980425, but closer galaxy
Most distant with photometric redshift estimateGRB 090429Bz = 9.4
Most distant with spectroscopic redshift estimateGRB 090423z = 8.2
Least Luminous
Most LuminousGRB 110918Az = 0.984 Peak Luminosity (isotropic) is Liso = 4.7 × 1047 Watts[23]
Most EnergeticGRB 221009A18 TeV;[24] z=0.151It is the most energetic gamma-ray burst ever recorded. It has been deemed to be the "B.O.A.T.", or Brightest Of All Time. It had the highest fluence and peak flux ever identified, by a large margin.[25] It also holds the record for highest energy burst recorded if released isotropically, beating GRB 080916C. It may have released a photon at 251 TeV.[26]
Longest duration GRB 111209ADuration = at least 7 hours
Shortest duration GRB 820405Duration = 12 ms
Most distant naked-eye brightness GRBGRB 080319BApparent magnitude

5.3
z=0.937

[27]

Firsts

GRB Firsts
Title GRB Date Data Notes
First GRB detectedGRB 6707021967 July 2[28]
First GRB identifiedGRB 7811041978 November 4Venera-11, Venera-12, Prognoz-7, ISEE-3, Pioneer Venus Orbiter, Vela
First long duration GRB discovered
First short duration GRB discovered
First hard spectrum GRB discovered
First soft spectrum GRB discovered
First GRB whose distance was determinedGRB 970508z=0.835[29]
First GRB discovered with a radio afterglowGRB 970508
First GRB discovered with an optical afterglowGRB 970228February 28, 1997 02:58 UTC
First GRB discovered with an X-ray afterglowGRB 780506[30]
First Short GRB discovered with millimeter afterglow[31] GRB 211106A2021 November 6 04:37:31.2 UT[32] 0.7[33] One of the widest and most energetic SGRB jets known to date. Associated with a neutron star merger.[34] [35] [36]
First GRB linked to a supernovaGRB 98042525 April 1998 21:49 UTCSN 1998bwGRB 030329 definitively linked SNe with GRBs, being associated with the hypernova SN 2003dh[37]
First GRB of naked-eye brightnessGRB 080319B2008 March 19 06:12 UTCApparent magnitude

5.7

The first GRB bright enough to be visible to amateur astronomers with low powered scopes was GRB 990123 at magnitude 9
First GRB with associated Gravitational wave detectionGRB 170817A2017 August 17GW170817
First GRB with tera-electron volt radiation from inverse Compton emission.[38] GRB 190114C2019 January 14 20:57:03 UT[39] z=0.4245;[40]
magnitude=15.60est
"light detected from the object had the highest energy ever observed: 1 Tera electron volt (TeV) -- about one trillion times as much energy per photon as visible light"; "the brightest light ever seen from Earth [to date]";[41] "this detection is considered a milestone in high-energy astrophysics".[42] Its light energy was then overtaken by GRB 190829A with 3.3 TeV[43] [44] and then GRB 221009A with 18 TeV.[45] [46]

Most distant GRB

GRBs z>6
GRB DistanceNotes
GRB 090429Bz=9.4[47] (photometric redshift)
z=8.2
z=6.7
GRB 060116z=6.60The high foreground extinction for this event makes this photometric redshift estimate very uncertain.[48]
GRB 140515Az=6.33[49]
z=6.295
GRBs z>6 are used to explore the reionization era
Most Distant GRB Titleholders
GRB DateDistanceNotes
GRB 090429BMay 2011 - z=9.4The GRB was observed in 2009, however its distance was not announced until 2011.
GRB 090423April 2009 - May 2011z=8.2This was the first GRB to become the most distant object in the universe.[50]
GRB 080913September 2008 - April 2009z=6.7[51]
GRB 050904September 2005 - September 2008z=6.29[52] [53]
January 2000 - September 2005z=4.50 [54] [55]
December 1997 - January 2000z=3.42
GRB 970508May 1997 - December 1997z=0.835 First GRB with its distance determined

Notes

Footnotes

References

Citations

See also

External links

Notes and References

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  2. [#Antonelli|Antonelli]
  3. [#Tinney|Tinney 1998]
  4. [#Odewahn|Odewahn 1999]
  5. Web site: The Universe Lights Up on Beethoven's Birthday . NASA Goddard Space Flight Center . 30 December 1999 . 18 March 2010 .
  6. [#Caldwell|Caldwell 2003]
  7. [#GCN3605|Price 2005]
  8. [#Berger|Berger 2005]
  9. [#Mirabal|Mirabal 2006]
  10. [#Greiner|Greiner 2009]
  11. A gamma-ray burst at a redshift of z~8.2 . Nature . 461 . 7268 . 1254–1257 . 2009Natur.461.1254T . 1 October 2009 . 0906.1577 . 10.1038/nature08459 . 19865165 . Tanvir . N. R. . Fox . D. B. . Levan . A. J. . Berger . E. . Wiersema . K. . Fynbo . J. P. U. . Cucchiara . A. . Kruehler . T. . Gehrels . N. . Bloom . J. S. . Greiner . J. . Evans . P. . Rol . E. . Olivares . F. . Hjorth . J. . Jakobsson . P. . Farihi . J. . Willingale . R. . Starling . R. L. C. . Cenko . S. B. . Perley . D. . Maund . J. R. . Duke . J. . Wijers . R. A. M. J. . Adamson . A. J. . Allan . A. . Bremer . M. N. . Burrows . D. N. . Castro Tirado . A. J. . Cavanagh . B. . 205218350 . 29 .
  12. [#Reddy|Reddy 2009]
  13. Web site: Racusin, Judith. etal. GCN Circular: GRB 160625B: Fermi-LAT detection of a bright burst (and related) . 26 June 2016 . . 27 July 2017 .
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  15. Petropoulou . Maria . September 2017 . Anatomy of a gamma-ray burst . Nature Astronomy . en . 1 . 9 . 567–568 . 10.1038/s41550-017-0231-0 . 2017NatAs...1..567P . 125241882 . 2397-3366.
  16. Zhang . B.-B. . Zhang . B. . Castro-Tirado . A. J. . Dai . Z. G. . Tam . P.-H. T. . Wang . X.-Y. . Hu . Y.-D. . Karpov . S. . Pozanenko . A. . Zhang . F.-W. . Mazaeva . E. . Minaev . P. . Volnova . A. . Oates . S. . Gao . H. . January 2018 . Transition from fireball to Poynting-flux-dominated outflow in the three-episode GRB 160625B . Nature Astronomy . en . 2 . 1 . 69–75 . 10.1038/s41550-017-0309-8 . 1612.03089 . 2018NatAs...2...69Z . 119063512 . 2397-3366.
  17. Web site: Kienlin . Andreas von . GCN Circular; Number: 21520; GRB 170817A: Fermi GBM detection; 2017/08/17 20:00:07 GMT . 17 August 2017 . . 28 August 2017 .
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