The bright optical afterglow of the long GRB 001007

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  • 21 March 2002
Abstract
We present optical follow up observations of the long GRB 001007 between 6.14 hr and 468 days after the event. An unusually bright optical afterglow (OA) was seen to decline following a steep achromatic power law with index alpha = -2.05+/-0.11, possibly indicating a break in the lightcurve at t-t0 < 3.5 days, as found in other bursts. Upper limits imposed by the LOTIS alerting system 6.14 hours after the gamma-ray event also suggests the presence of a knee in the optical lightcurve. The spectral index beta of the OA yields -1.24 +/- 0.57. These values may be explained by several fireball jet models and by the cannonball model. Fireball spherical expansion models are not favoured. Late epoch deep imaging revealed the presence of a complex host galaxy system, composed at least by two objects located 1.2" and 1.9" from the afteglow position.

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