RJK Observations of the Optical Afterglow of GRB 991216

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  • 29 March 2000
Abstract
We present near-infrared and optical observations of the afterglow to the Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) 991216 obtained with the F. L. Whipple Observatory 1.2-m telescope and the University of Hawaii 2.2-m telescope. The observations range from 15 hours to 3.8 days after the burst. The temporal behavior of the data is well described by a single power-law decay with index -1.36 +/- 0.04, independent of wavelength. The optical spectral energy distribution, corrected for significant Galactic reddening of E(B-V)=0.626 mag, is well fitted by a single power-law with index -0.58 +/- 0.08. A comparison between the spectral and temporal power-law indices suggest that a jet is a better match to the observations than a simple spherical shock.

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