Impulsive and Varying Injection in GRB Afterglows

The standard model of Gamma-Ray Bursts afterglows is based on synchrotron radiation from a blast wave produced when the relativistic ejecta encounters the surrounding medium. We reanalyze the refreshed shock scenario, in which slower material catches up with the decelerating ejecta and reenergizes it. This energization can be done either continuously or in discrete episodes. We show that such scenario has two important implications. First there is an additional component coming from the reverse shock that goes into the energizing ejecta. This persists for as long as the re-energization itself, which could extend for up to days or longer. We find that during this time the overall spectral peak is found at the characteristic frequency of the reverse shock. Second, if the injection is continuous, the dynamics will be different from that in constant energy evolution, and will cause a slower decline of the observed fluxes. A simple test of the continuously refreshed scenario is that it predicts a spectral maximum in the far IR or mm range after a few days.Comment: 12 page

Gamma-ray burst beaming: a universal configuration with a standard energy reservoir?

We consider a gamma-ray burst (GRB) model based on an anisotropic fireball with an axisymmetric power-law distribution of the energy per solid angle with index -k, and allow for the observer's viewing direction being at an arbitrary angle with respect to the jet axis. This model can reproduce the key features expected from the conventional on-axis uniform jet models, with the novelty that the achromatic break time in the broadband afterglow lightcurves corresponds to the epoch when the relativistic beaming angle is equal to the viewing angle rather than to the jet half opening angle. If all the GRB fireballs have such a similar energy distribution form with 1.5 < k < (or \sim) 2, GRBs may be modeled by a quasi-universal beaming configuration, and an approximately standard energy reservoir. The conclusion also holds for some other forms of angular energy distributions, such as the Gaussian function.Comment: Slightly expanded version accepted for publication in Ap