Search for nearby host galaxies of short gamma-ray bursts detected and well localized by BATSE/IPN

• Published in: Astronomy letters 2010-04, Vol.36 (4), p.231-236
• Main Authors: Tikhomirova, Ya. Yu, Pozanenko, A. S., Hurley, K. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Astronomy; Astrophysics and Astroparticles; Gamma ray astronomy; Gamma rays; Observations and Techniques; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Stars & galaxies
• ISSN: 1063-7737; 1562-6873
• DOI: 10.1134/S1063773710040018

We have collected the observational data accumulated before the Swift experiment to check the possible connection of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with low-redshift galaxies. The BATSE/IPN experimental data on well-localized short GRBs and the SDSS DR5 and PSCz catalogs of galaxies are used. The PSCz sky coverage has allowed us to search for host galaxies for a sample of 34 short GRBs. One or more galaxies have been found in the error boxes of six bursts, but the probability of a chance coincidence for each of them is high. No excess of nearby galaxies in the total sample has been detected. The 90% confidence limit corresponds to the fact that no more than 7%of the short GRBs could originate in nearby galaxies of the PSCz sample. The estimated upper limit of several percent may be considered to be valid in the volume z = 0.015–0.025. Based on the results of our search, we have estimated the lower limits for the isotropic energies E γiso of 31 short bursts from our sample. Their values lie within the range 1.0 × 10 47 –2.7 × 10 49 erg. The possible fraction of the flares from magnetars in our sample of short GRBs is discussed. The SDSS sky coverage is currently insufficient to perform a similar analysis.