GRB 200716C: Evidence for a Short Burst Being Lensed

A tiny fraction of observed gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) may be lensed. The time delays induced by the gravitational lensing are milliseconds to seconds if the point lenses are intermediate-mass black holes. The prompt emission of the lensed GRBs, in principle, should have repeated pulses with identical light curves and spectra but different fluxes and slightly offset positions. In this work, we search for such candidates within the GRBs detected by Fermi/GBM, Swift/Burst Alert Telescope, and HXMT/HE and report the identification of an attractive event GRB 200716C that consists of two pulses. Both the autocorrelation analysis and the Bayesian inference of the prompt emission light curve are in favor of the gravitational-lensing scenario. Moreover, the spectral properties of the two pulses are rather similar and follow the so-called Amati relation of short GRBs rather than long-duration bursts. The measured flux ratios between the two pulses are nearly constant in all channels, as expected from gravitational lensing. We therefore suggest that the long-duration burst GRB 200716C was a short event being lensed. The redshifted mass of the lens was estimated to be 4.25(-1.36)(+2.46) x 10(5) M-circle dot (90% credibility). If correct, this could point toward the existence of an intermediate-mass black hole along the line of sight of GRB 200716C.

Automated summary

By analyzing the characteristics of GRB 200716C, researchers found that its spectral properties, light curve characteristics, and flux ratios are consistent with the gravitational lensing scenario, suggesting that this long-duration burst event was likely a short event being lensed.