[vsnet-grb-info 4072] GRB 061201: Initial UVOT Observations

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  5883
SUBJECT: GRB 061201: Initial UVOT Observations
DATE:    06/12/01 23:43:24 GMT
FROM:    Stephen Holland at USRA/NASA/GSFC/SSC  <sholland at milkyway.gsfc.nasa.gov>

S. T. Holland (CRESST/GSFC/USRA) and F. Marshall (GSFC) report on
behalf of the Swift team:

      UVOT took a finding chart exposure of 98 seconds with the White
filter (160-650 nm) filter starting 86 seconds after the BAT trigger.
There is a possible faint source in the XRT error circle (Marshall et
al.  GCN Circ. 5881) at

   RA(J2000)  =  22:08:32.21
   DEC(J2000) = -74:34:47.3

with a 1-sigma error radius of about 1.0 arc sec.  The possible source
has a preliminary White magnitude of 20.9 +/- 0.6 and is detected at
the 2.5-sigma significance level.  No correction has been made for the
expected Milky Way extinction corresponding to E(B-V) of 0.08 mag.
This possible source is also detected in a 197 s White exposure
starting 6202 s after the BAT trigger with a significant of 3.1-sigma
and a preliminary White magnitude of 20.9 +/- 0.4.  Since the source
is not fading, it is unlikely to be the optical afterglow of GRB
061201, but it may be the host galaxy.