Gamma-ray burst afterglows : luminosity clustering at infrared wavelengths?

TL;DR

This study investigates whether gamma-ray burst afterglows exhibit luminosity clustering in near-infrared wavelengths, confirming previous optical and X-ray findings and providing constraints on the fireball's total energy.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of luminosity clustering in near-infrared afterglows, extending prior optical and X-ray results and refining fireball energy estimates.

Findings

Luminosity clustering confirmed in near-infrared wavelengths.

Clustering similar to optical and X-ray observations.

Constraints set on the total energy of the fireball.

Abstract

Clustering in the luminosity of the afterglows of gamma-ray burst has been reported in the optical and X-ray. We investigate the possibility that a clustering in the luminosity of the afterglows of gamma-ray burst exists in near infrared (J, H, K bands). We use observations of events occurring from 1997 to the end of 2007. We correct the gamma-ray burst afterglow light curve for distance effect and time dilation, and replace all light curves to a common distance of z=1. We used only observations of signal emitted in the near infrared (in the burst frame). We observe a clustering identical to the one observed in optical and similar to the one observed in X-ray. We thus confirm the previous works made in optical. We set a constraint on the total energy of the fireball.