Multiwave Length Observations of Gamma Ray Burst Afterglows

伽玛射线暴（GRBs）是近30年前发现的，但其起源仍然是个谜。库卡尼博士正在寻找这些天体的无线电和/或光学对应体。他在编号为GRB 970508的GRB的光学余辉中发现了星系间云的红移吸收线。他还测量了射电余辉的大小，并展示了超光速（看起来比光速更快）的膨胀。基于这项工作，他现在正在研究火球的物理学以及grb宿主系统的性质。他已经准备好和快速访问世界各地的大型光学和射电望远镜，并正在使用这些来跟踪BeppoSAX（意大利卫星），XTE/ASM（美国宇航局卫星）和HETE-2（美国宇航局卫星定于1999年秋季发射）报告的所有定位良好的爆发。一旦爆发被定位，他就进行光学成像观察，然后进行光谱和无线电观测。一旦确定了一个候选的余辉，他就进行宽带光学和红外观测，寻找射电瞬变，光谱学的来源。*** ***

AST 98-03157 Shrinivas Kulkarni Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) were discovered nearly three decades ago, but their origin remained mysterious. Dr. Kulkarni is searching to find radio and/or optical counterparts to these objects. He has detected red shifted absorption lines of intergalactic clouds in the optical afterglow of the GRB designated GRB 970508. He also measured the size of the radio afterglow and shown the superluminal (appears to move faster than the speed of light) expansion. Based on this work, he now is studying the physics of fireballs and also the nature of the host systems for GRBs. He has ready and rapid access to large optical and radio telescopes around the world, and is using these to follow up on all well localized bursts reported by BeppoSAX (Italian satellite), XTE/ASM (NASA satellite), and HETE-2 (NASA satellite due for launch in fall, 1999). Once a burst is localized, he conducts optical imaging observations followed by spectroscopy and radio observations of potential candidates. Once an afterglow candidate is identified, he is conducting broadband optical and infrared observations, searching for radio transients, spectroscopy of the source. *** ***