[vsnet-grb-info 6132] GRB 080515: KPNO 4m NIR afterglow detection

[GCN Circulars]

TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  7765
SUBJECT: GRB 080515: KPNO 4m NIR afterglow detection
DATE:    08/05/23 08:24:31 GMT
FROM:    Adria C. Updike at Clemson U  <aupdike at clemson.edu>

Adria C. Updike, Ginger Bryngelson, and Dieter H. Hartmann (Clemson
University) report on behalf of the Clemson GRB Follow-Up Team:

We observed the field of GRB 080515 (GCN 7721, Holland et al.) twice using
the Kitt Peak 4m telescope + NEWFIRM in the J band under decent weather
conditions.  The first observation was performed 5 hours and 20 minutes
after the burst; the second 29 hours and 20 minutes after the burst.  We
detect a fading source inside the XRT error circle (GCN 7762, Page et al.)
at RA (J2000) = 00:12:39, Dec (J2000) = +32:34:41 (+/- 2 arcsec).  We
therefore conclude that this is the afterglow of GRB 080515.

At 5.33 hours after the burst, the J-band magnitude of the afterglow was
16.4 +/- 0.1 mag (10 minute stack).  29.33 hours after the burst, the
magnitude was at our detection limit near 20.7 mag (20 minute stack).  All
magnitudes were calibrated to the 2MASS catalog.  An image of the
afterglow can be found here
http://www.ces.clemson.edu/~aupdike/GRB080515/080515.jpg .

This message may be cited.