GRB 201216A - further Swift-XRT observations
Abstract
Swift has reobserved the field of GRB 201216A (GCN Circs. 29057, 29059) for a further 4 ks, between 00:18 UT and 11:58 UT on 2020 December 22. One of the sources in the XRT field of view appears to have faded (with 2.1 sigma significance). This source, "source 5" in the automated analysis (https://www.swift.ac.uk/ToO_GRBs/00021408/) is located at RA, Dec = 201.45786, +36.3944, which is equivalent to: RA(J2000): 13h 25m 49.89s Dec (J2000): +36d 23' 39.8" with an uncertainty of 3.0 arcsec (radius, 90% confidence). This position is 5.2 arcmin away from the BAT/GUANO position (Tohovavohu et al. GCN Circ. 29059), well outside the 3 arcmin, 90% confidence BAT error region. It is also coincident with a catalogued object in (among others) the USNO-B1, 2MASS, SDSS and WISE catalogues, which NED classifies as a galaxy. We suggest therefore that this source is most likely simply a variable AGN near (in projection) to GRB 201216A, but cannot rule out the possibility of it being the GRB afterglow. This circular is an official product of the Swift-XRT team.
- Publication:
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GRB Coordinates Network
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020GCN.29137....1E