No Enough Evidence In Support Of Correlation Between Gamma-ray Bursts And Foreground Galaxiy Clusters In the Swift Era

TL;DR

This study re-examines the potential correlation between Gamma-Ray Bursts and foreground galaxy clusters using precise Swift/XRT data, finding no significant evidence of correlation and suggesting the non-correlation may relate to the GRB flux distribution.

Contribution

It provides a rigorous analysis with well-localized GRBs and comprehensive galaxy cluster samples, challenging previous claims of correlation in the Swift era.

Findings

No significant correlation between GRBs and galaxy clusters.

The non-correlation may be due to the GRB number-flux relation slope.

Methodology confirms the importance of precise localization in such analyses.

Abstract

The correlation between distant Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) and foreground galaxy clusters is re-examined by using the well localized (with an accuracy down to a few arcseconds) Swift/XRT GRBs. The galaxy clusters are compiled from both X-ray selected ROSAT brightest cluster sample (BCS) and BCS extension by requiring $\delta \geq0\degr$ and $b\geq20\degr$. The Swift/XRT GRBs fulfilling the above selection criteria are cross-correlated with the clusters. Both Nearest-Neighbor Analysis and angular two-point cross-correlation function show that there is no enough evidence supporting the correlation between the GRBs and foreground clusters. We suggest that the non-correlation is probably related to the GRB number-flux relation slope.