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Is sky distribution of gamma-ray bursts random?

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Abstract

We investigate the full randomness of the angular distribution of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the BATSE (the Burst and Transient Source Experiment). We divided the BATSE sample into 5 subsamples (short1, short2, intermediate, long1, long2 based on their durations and peak fluxes and studied the angular distributions separately. We used three methods, the Voronoi tesselation, minimal spanning tree and multifractal spectra to search for non-randomness in the subsamples. To investigate the eventual non-randomness in the subsamples we defined 13 test-variables (9 from the Voronoi tesselation, 3 from the minimal spanning tree and one from the multifractal spectrum). We performed Monte Carlo simulations taking into account the BATSE sky-exposure function. We tested the randomness by introducing squared Euclidean distances in the parameter space of the test-variables. We concluded that the short1, short2 groups deviate significantly (99.90%, 99.98%) from the full randomness in the distribution of the squared Euclidean distances, however, it is not the case with the long subsamples. In the intermediate group, the squared Euclidean distances also yield a significant deviation (98.51%).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konkoly Observatory, P. O. Box 67, H-1525, Budapest, Hungary

    L. G. Balázs

  2. ESA/ESAC, P.O. Box 50727, Villafranca del Castillo, 28080, Madrid, Spain

    R. Vavrek

  3. Astronomical Institute of the Charles University, V Holešovičkách 2, 180 00, Prague 8, Czech Republic

    A. Mészáros

  4. Department of Physics, Bolyai Military University, P. O. Box 15, H-1581, Budapest, Hungary

    I. Horváth & P. Veres

  5. Department of Physics of Complex Systems, Eötvös University, P.O. Box 32, H-1518, Budapest, Hungary

    Z. Bagoly & P. Veres

  6. Rényi Alfréd Mathematical Institute, Reáltanoda u. 13-15, H-1053, Budapest, Hungary

    G. Tusnády

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  1. L. G. Balázs
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  2. R. Vavrek
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  7. G. Tusnády
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Correspondence to L. G. Balázs.

Additional information

Original Russian Text © L.G. Balázs, R. Vavrek, A. Mészáros, I. Horváth, Z. Bagoly, P. Veres, G. Tusnády, 2010, published in Astrofizicheskii Byulleten, 2010, Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 292–301.

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Balázs, L.G., Vavrek, R., Mészáros, A. et al. Is sky distribution of gamma-ray bursts random?. Astrophys. Bull. 65, 277–285 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990341310030090

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1990341310030090

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