Early Optical Observations of GRB 150910A: Bright Jet Optical Afterglow and X-Ray Dipole Radiation from a Magnetar Central Engine

Abstract

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150910A was detected by Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), and then rapidly observed by Swift/XRT, Swift/Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope, and ground-based telescopes. We report Lick Observatory spectroscopic and photometric observations of GRB 150910A, and we investigate the physical origins of both the optical and X-ray afterglows, incorporating data obtained with BAT and XRT. The light curves show that the jet-emission episode lasts ∼360 s with a sharp pulse from BAT to XRT (Episode I). In Episode II, the optical emission has a smooth onset bump followed by a normal decay ( α R,2  ≈ −1.36), as predicted in the standard external shock model, while the X-ray emission exhibits a plateau ( α X,1  ≈ −0.36) followed by a steep decay ( α X,2  ≈ −2.12). The light curves show obvious chromatic behavior with an excess in the X-ray flux. Our results suggest that GRB 150910A is an unusual GRB driven by a newly born magnetar with its extremely energetic magnetic dipole (MD) wind in Episode II, which overwhelmingly dominates the observed early X-ray plateau. The radiative efficiency of the jet prompt emission is η γ  ≈ 11%. The MD wind emission was detected in both the BAT and XRT bands, making it the brightest among the current sample of MD winds seen by XRT. We infer the initial spin period ( P 0 ) and the surface polar cap magnetic field strength ( B p ) of the magnetar as 1.02 × 10 15 G ≤  B p  ≤ 1.80 × 10 15 G and 1 ms ≤  P 0 v  ≤ 1.77 ms, and the radiative efficiency of the wind is η w  ≥ 32%.