GRB 031203
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Event type | Gamma-ray burst  |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Puppis |
| Distance | 1.3 billion light years |
| Other designations | GRB 031203, SN 2003lw |
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GRB 031203 was a gamma-ray burst (GRB) detected on December 3, 2003. A gamma-ray burst is a highly luminous flash associated with an explosion in a distant galaxy and producing gamma rays, the most energetic form of electromagnetic radiation, and often followed by a longer-lived "afterglow" emitted at longer wavelengths (X-ray, ultraviolet, optical, infrared, and radio).
GRB 031203 was detected by INTEGRAL on December 3, 2003, at 22:01:28 UTC. The burst lasted 20 seconds[1] and was located at a sky position of 08h 02m 30.20s and −39° 51′ 03.90″.[2] The burst's afterglow was detected in optical wavelengths by the Mercator Telescope,[3] radio wavelengths by the Very Large Array,[4] and X-ray wavelengths by the XMM-Newton satellite.[5]
X-ray halo
Observations of the detection region were made by XMM-Newton starting 6 hours after the burst was detected. The X-ray afterglow of the burst was surrounded by two concentric rings which increased in size as time elapsed. This was the first X-ray halo that had ever been observed around a gamma-ray burst.[5] The rings were caused by light being scattered off of columns of dust between the gamma-ray burst and the detector.[5]
