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Relativistic Precessing Jets and Cosmological Gamma Ray Bursts
We discuss the possibility that gamma-ray bursts may result from cosmological
relativistic blob emitting neutron star jets that precess past the line of
sight. Beaming reduces the energy requirements, so that the jet emission can
last longer than the observed burst duration. One precession mode maintains a
short duration time scale, while a second keeps the beam from returning to the
line of sight, consistent with the paucity of repeaters. The long life of these
objects reduces the number required for production as compared to short lived
jets. Blobs can account for the time structure of the bursts. Here we focus
largely on kinematic and time scale considerations of beaming, precession, and
blobs--issues which are reasonably independent of the acceleration and jet
collimation mechanisms. We do suggest that large amplitude electro-magnetic
waves could be a source of blob acceleration.Comment: 15 pages, plain TeX, accepted to ApJ
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