635 research outputs found
Synchrotron Emissions in GRB Prompt Phase Using a Semi Leptonic and Hadronic Model
In this communication devoted to the prompt emission of GRBs, we claim that
some important parameters associated to the magnetic field, such as its index
profile, the index of its turbulence spectrum and its level of irregularities,
will be measurable with GLAST. In particular the law relating the peak energy
Epeak with the total energy E (like Amati's law) constrains the turbulence
spectrum index and, among all existing theories of MHD turbulence, is
compatible with the Kolmogorov scaling only. Thus, these data will allow a much
better determination of the performances of GRBs as particle accelerators. This
opens the possibility to characterize both electron and proton acceleration
more seriously. We discuss the possible generation of UHECRs and of its
signature through GeV-TeV synchrotron emission.Comment: 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2007) - Proceeding
#107
Photospheric Emission in the Joint GBM and Konus Prompt Spectra of GRB 120323A
GRB 120323A is a very intense short Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) detected
simultaneously during its prompt gamma-ray emission phase with the Gamma-ray
Burst Monitor (GBM) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the Konus
experiment on board the Wind satellite. GBM and Konus operate in the keV--MeV
regime, however, the GBM range is broader both toward the low and the high
parts of the gamma-ray spectrum. Analysis of such bright events provide a
unique opportunity to check the consistency of the data analysis as well as
cross-calibrate the two instruments. We performed time-integrated and coarse
time-resolved spectral analysis of GRB 120323A prompt emission. We conclude
that the analyses of GBM and Konus data are only consistent when using a
double-hump spectral shape for both data sets; in contrast, the single-hump of
the empirical Band function, traditionally used to fit GRB prompt emission
spectra, leads to significant discrepancies between GBM and Konus analysis
results. Our two-hump model is a combination of a thermal-like and a
non-thermal component. We interpret the first component as a natural
manifestation of the jet photospheric emission.Comment: 7 pages of article (3 figures and 1 table) + 3 pages of Appendix (3
figures). Submitted to ApJ on 2017 March 2
An overview of the current understanding of Gamma-ray Bursts in the Fermi era
Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the Universe, and their
origin as well as mechanism are the focus of intense research and debate. More
than three decades since their serendipitous discovery, followed by several
breakthroughs from space-borne and ground-based observations, they remain one
of the most interesting astrophysical phenomena yet to be completely
understood. Since the launch of Fermi with its unprecedented energy band width
spanning seven decades, the study of gamma-ray burst research has entered a new
phase. Here we review the current theoretical understanding and observational
highlights of gamma-ray burst astronomy and point out some of the potential
promises of multi-wavelength observations in view of the upcoming ground based
observational facilities.Comment: 45 pages, 18 figures; Special issue of the Bulletin of the
Astronomical Society of India on Transients from Radio to Gamma rays,
December, 2011, eds. D.J. Saikia and D.A. Gree
A Universal Scaling for the Energetics of Relativistic Jets From Black Hole Systems
Black holes generate collimated, relativistic jets which have been observed
in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), microquasars, and at the center of some galaxies
(active galactic nuclei; AGN). How jet physics scales from stellar black holes
in GRBs to the supermassive ones in AGNs is still unknown. Here we show that
jets produced by AGNs and GRBs exhibit the same correlation between the kinetic
power carried by accelerated particles and the gamma-ray luminosity, with AGNs
and GRBs lying at the low and high-luminosity ends, respectively, of the
correlation. This result implies that the efficiency of energy dissipation in
jets produced in black hole systems is similar over 10 orders of magnitude in
jet power, establishing a physical analogy between AGN and GRBs.Comment: Published in Science, 338, 1445 (2012), DOI: 10.1126/science.1227416.
This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of
the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. Corrected typo in equation
4 of the supplementary materia
Evidence for a Photospheric Component in the Prompt Emission of the Short GRB120323A and its Effects on the GRB Hardness-Luminosity Relation
The short GRB 120323A had the highest flux ever detected with the Fermi/GBM.
Here we study its remarkable spectral properties and their evolution using two
spectral models: (i) a single emission component scenario, where the spectrum
is modeled by the empirical Band function, and (ii) a two component scenario,
where thermal (Planck-like) emission is observed simultaneously with a
non-thermal component (a Band function). We find that the latter model fits the
integrated burst spectrum significantly better than the former, and that their
respective spectral parameters are dramatically different: when fit with a Band
function only, the Epeak of the event is unusually soft for a short GRB, while
adding a thermal component leads to more typical short GRB values. Our
time-resolved spectral analysis produces similar results. We argue here that
the two-component model is the preferred interpretation for GRB 120323A, based
on: (i) the values and evolution of the Band function parameters of the two
component scenario, which are more typical for a short GRB, and (ii) the
appearance in the data of a significant hardness-intensity correlation,
commonly found in GRBs, when we employee two-component model fits; the
correlation is non-existent in the Band-only fits. GRB 110721A, a long burst
with an intense photospheric emission, exhibits the exact same behavior. We
conclude that GRB 120323A has a strong photospheric emission contribution,
first time observed in a short GRB. Magnetic dissipation models are difficult
to reconcile with these results, which instead favor photospheric thermal
emission and fast cooling synchrotron radiation from internal shocks. Finally,
we derive a possibly universal hardness-luminosity relation in the source frame
using a larger set of GRBs L,i=(1.59+/-0.84).10^50 (Epeak,i)^(1.33+/-0.07)
erg/s), which could be used as a possible redshift estimator for cosmology.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figures, Accepted by ApJ (April, 7th 2013
Spectral components in the bright, long GRB 061007: properties of the photosphere and the nature of the outflow
We present a time-resolved spectral analysis of the bright, long GRB 061007
(z=1.261) using Swift BAT and Suzaku WAM data. We find that the prompt emission
of GRB 061007 can be equally well explained by a photospheric component
together with a power law as by a Band function, and we explore the
implications of the former model. The photospheric component, which we model
with a multicolour blackbody, dominates the emission and has a very stable
shape throughout the burst. This component provides a natural explanation for
the hardness-intensity correlation seen within the burst and also allows us to
estimate the bulk Lorentz factor and the radius of the photosphere. The
power-law component dominates the fit at high energies and has a nearly
constant slope of -1.5. We discuss the possibility that this component is of
the same origin as the high-energy power laws recently observed in some Fermi
LAT bursts.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRA
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