Using Gamma-Ray Burst Prompt Emission to Probe Relativistic Shock Acceleration

It is widely accepted that the prompt transient signal in the 10 keV - 10 GeV band from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) arises from multiple shocks internal to the ultra-relativistic expansion. The detailed understanding of the dissipation and accompanying acceleration at these shocks is a currently topical subject. This paper explores the relationship between GRB prompt emission spectra and the electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The focus is on the array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations, highlighting how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the field obliquity in GRB internal shocks, and the character of hydromagnetic turbulence in their environs. It is emphasized that diffusive shock acceleration theory generates no canonical spectrum at relativistic MHD discontinuities. This diversity is commensurate with the significant range of spectral indices discerned in prompt burst emission. Such system diagnostics are now being enhanced by the broadband spectral coverage of bursts by the Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope; while the Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides key diagnostics on the lower energy portions of the particle population, the focus here is on constraints in the non-thermal, power-law regime of the particle distribution that are provided by the Large Area Telescope (LAT).Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in Advances of Space Researc

Temporal Evolution of Pair Attenuation Signatures in Gamma-Ray Burst Spectra

The spectra obtained above 100 MeV by the EGRET experiment aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory for a handful of gamma-ray bursts has given no indication of any spectral attenuation that might preclude detection of bursts at higher energies. With the discovery of optical afterglows and counterparts to bursts in the last few years, enabling the determination of significant redshifts for these sources, it is anticipated that profound spectral attenuation will arise in the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) energy band of 30 MeV-300 GeV for many if not most bursts. This paper explores time-dependent expectations for burst spectral properties in the EGRET/GLAST band, focusing on how attenuation of photons by pair creation internal to the source generates distinctive spectral signatures. The energy of spectral breaks and the associated spectral indices provide valuable information that constrains the bulk Lorentz factor of the GRB outflow at a given time. Moreover, the distinct temporal behavior that is present for internal attenuation is easily distinguished from extrinsic absorption due to intervening cosmic background fields. These characteristics define palpable observational goals for both spaced-based hard gamma-ray experiments such as GLAST, and ground-based Cherenkov telescopes, and strongly impact the observability of bursts above 300 MeV.Comment: 16 pages, 5 embedded figures, apjgalley format, To appear in The Astrophysical Journal, Vol 649, October 1, 2006 issu

Cosmic Ray Origin, Acceleration and Propagation

This paper summarizes highlights of the OG3.1, 3.2 and 3.3 sessions of the XXVIth International Cosmic Ray Conference in Salt Lake City, which were devoted to issues of origin/composition, acceleration and propagation.Comment: To appear in the Summary-Rapporteur Volume of the 26th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ed. B. L. Dingus (AIP, New York, 2000). Latex, 16 pages, no figures (Minor correction to text

Photon Splitting in Magnetar Models of Soft Gamma Repeaters

The recent association of soft gamma repeaters (SGRs) with counterparts in other wavebands has sparked much interest in these sources. One of the recent models for these objects is that they originate in the environs of neutron stars with fields much stronger than the quantum critical field \teq{B_{cr}=4.413\times 10^{13}} Gauss. Near such neutron stars, dubbed magnetars, the exotic quantum process of magnetic photon splitting becomes prolific. Its principal effect is to degrade photon energies and thereby soften gamma-ray spectra from neutron stars; it has recently been suggested that splitting may be responsible for limiting the hardness of emission in SGRs, if these sources originate in neutron stars with supercritical surface fields. Seed photons in supercritical fields efficiently generate soft gamma-ray spectra, typical of repeaters. In this paper, the influence of the curved dipole field geometry of a neutron star magnetosphere on the photon splitting rate is investigated. The dependence of the attenuation length on the location and angular direction of the seed photons is explored.Comment: 5 pages including 3 encapsulated figures, as a compressed, uuencoded, Postscript file. To appear in Proc. of the 1995 La Jolla workshop ``High Velocity Neutron Stars and Gamma-Ray Bursts'' eds. Rothschild, R. et al., AIP, New Yor

Photon Splitting and Pair Conversion in Strong Magnetic Fields

The magnetospheres of neutron stars provide a valuable testing ground for as-yet unverified theoretical predictions of quantum electrodynamics (QED) in strong electromagnetic fields. Exhibiting magnetic field strengths well in excess of a TeraGauss, such compact astrophysical environments permit the action of exotic mechanisms that are forbidden by symmetries in field-free regions. Foremost among these processes are single-photon pair creation, where a photon converts to an electron-positron pair, and magnetic photon splitting, where a single photon divides into two of lesser energy via the coupling to the external field. The pair conversion process is exponentially small in weak fields, and provides the leading order contribution to vacuum polarization. In contrast, photon splitting possesses no energy threshold and can operate in kinematic regimes where the lower order pair conversion is energetically forbidden. This paper outlines some of the key physical aspects of these processes, and highlights their manifestation in neutron star magnetospheres. Anticipated observational signatures include profound absorption turnovers in pulsar spectra at gamma-ray wavelengths. The shapes of these turnovers provide diagnostics on the possible action of pair creation and the geometrical locale of the photon emission region. There is real potential for the first confirmation of strong field QED with the new GLAST mission, to be launched by NASA in 2008. Suppression of pair creation by photon splitting and its implications for pulsars is also discussed.Comment: 18 pages, 3 embedded figures, invited review, to appear in Proc. CASYS '07 Conference "Computing Anticipatory Systems," eds. D. Dubois, et al. (AIP Conf. Proc., New York, 2008

A New Class of Radio Quiet Pulsars

The complete absence of radio pulsars with periods exceeding a few seconds has lead to the popular notion of the existence of a high $P$ death line. In the standard picture, beyond this boundary, pulsars with low spin rates cannot accelerate particles above the stellar surface to high enough energies to initiated pair cascades through curvature radiation, and the pair creation needed for radio emission is strongly suppressed. In this paper we postulate the existence of another pulsar ``death line,'' corresponding to high magnetic fields $B$ in the upper portion of the $\dot{P}$--$P$ diagram, a domain where few radio pulsars are observed. The origin of this high $B$ boundary, which occurs when $B$ becomes comparable to or exceeds $10^{13}$ Gauss, is again due to the suppression of magnetic pair creation $\gamma\to e^+e^-$, but in this instance, primarily because of ineffective competition with the exotic QED process of magnetic photon splitting. This paper describes the origin, shape and position of the new ``death line,'' above which pulsars are expected to be radio quiet, but perhaps still X-ray and $\gamma$-ray bright.Comment: 5 pages, including 1 eps figure, to appear in Proc. 4th Compton Symposium, (1997) ed. Dermer, C. D. & Kurfess, J. D. (AIP, New York