Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userSynthetic off-axis light curves for low energy gamma-ray bursts
127
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We present results for a large number of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow light curve calculations, done by combining high resolution two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamics simulations using RAM with a synchrotron radiation code. Results were obtained for jet energies, circumburst medium densities and jet angles typical for short and underluminous GRBs, different observer angles and observer frequencies from low radio (75 MHz) to X-ray (1.5 keV). We summarize the light curves through smooth power law fits with up to three breaks, covering jet breaks for small observer angles, the rising phase for large observer angles and the rise and decay of the counterjet. All light curve data are publicly available via http://cosmo.nyu.edu/afterglowlibrary . The data can be used for model fits to observational data and as an aid for predicting observations by future telescopes such as LOFAR or SKA and will benefit the study of neutron star mergers using different channels, such as gravitational wave observations with LIGO or Virgo. For small observer angles, we find jet break times that vary significantly between frequencies, with the break time in the radio substantially postponed. Increasing the observer angle also postpones the measured jet break time. The rising phase of the light curve for large observer angle has a complex shape that can not always be summarized by a simple power law. Except for very large observer angles, the counter jet is a distinct feature in the light curve, although in practice the signal will be exceedingly difficult to observe by then.
rate research
Read More
If gamma-ray burst prompt emission originates at a typical radius, and if material producing the emission moves at relativistic speed, then the variability of the resulting light curve depends on the viewing angle. This is due to the fact that the pulse evolution time scale is Doppler contracted, while the pulse separation is not. For off-axis viewing angles $theta_{rm view} gtrsim theta_{rm jet} + Gamma^{-1}$, the pulse broadening significantly smears out the light curve variability. This is largely independent of geometry and emission processes. To explore a specific case, we set up a simple model of a single pulse under the assumption that the pulse rise and decay are dominated by the shell curvature effect. We show that such a pulse observed off-axis is (i) broader, (ii) softer and (iii) displays a different hardness-intensity correlation with respect to the same pulse seen on-axis. For each of these effects, we provide an intuitive physical explanation. We then show how a synthetic light curve made by a superposition of pulses changes with increasing viewing angle. We find that a highly variable light curve, (as seen on-axis) becomes smooth and apparently single-pulsed (when seen off-axis) because of pulse overlap. To test the relevance of this fact, we estimate the fraction of off-axis gamma-ray bursts detectable by textit{Swift} as a function of redshift, finding that a sizable fraction (between 10% and 80%) of nearby ($z<0.1$) bursts are observed with $theta_{rm view} gtrsim theta_{rm jet} + Gamma^{-1}$. Based on these results, we argue that low luminosity gamma-ray bursts are consistent with being ordinary bursts seen off-axis.
We present the results of numerical simulations of the prompt emission of short-duration gamma-ray bursts. We consider emission from the relativistic jet, the mildly relativistic cocoon, and the non-relativistic shocked ambient material. We find that the cocoon material is confined between off-axis angles 15<theta<45 degrees and gives origin to X-ray transients with a duration of a few to ~10 seconds, delayed by a few seconds from the time of the merger. We also discuss the distance at which such transients can be detected, finding that it depends sensitively on the assumptions that are made about the radiation spectrum. Purely thermal cocoon transients are detectable only out to a few Mpc, Comptonized transients can instead be detected by the FERMI GBM out to several tens of Mpc.
The X-ray emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is often characterized by an initial steep decay, followed by a nearly constant emission phase (so called plateau) which can extend up to thousands of seconds. While the steep decay is usually interpreted as the tail of the prompt gamma-ray flash, the long-lasting plateau is commonly associated to the emission from the external shock sustained by energy injection from a long lasting central engine. A recent study proposed an alternative interpretation, ascribing both the steep decay and the plateau to high-latitude emission (HLE) from a structured jet whose energy and bulk Lorentz factor depend on the angular distance from the jet symmetry axis. In this work we expand over this idea and explore more realistic conditions: (a) the finite duration of the prompt emission, (b) the angular dependence of the optical depth and (c) the lightcurve dependence on the observer viewing angle. We find that, when viewed highly off-axis, the structured jet HLE lightcurve is smoothly decaying with no clear distinction between the steep and flat phase, as opposed to the on-axis case. For a realistic choice of physical parameters, the effects of a latitude-dependent Thomson opacity and finite duration of the emission have a marginal effect on the overall lightcurve evolution. We discuss the possible HLE of GW170817, showing that the emission would have faded away long before the first Swift-XRT observations. Finally, we discuss the prospects for the detection of HLE from off-axis GRBs by present and future wide-field X-ray telescopes and X-ray surveys, such as eROSITA and the mission concept THESEUS.
The multi-messenger discovery of gravitational waves (GWs) and light from the binary neutron star (NS) merger GW170817, associated with Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) 170817A and kilonova AT2017gfo, has marked the start of a new era in astrophysics. GW170817 has confirmed that binary NS mergers are progenitors of at least some short GRBs. The peculiar properties of the GRB 170817A radio afterglow, characterized by a delayed onset related to the off-axis geometry, have also demonstrated how some nearby short GRBs may not be identified as such with standard short-timescale electromagnetic follow-up observations. Building upon this new information, we performed late-time radio observations of a sample of four short GRBs with unknown redshift and no previously detected afterglow in the textit{Swift}/BAT sample in order to identify nearby ($d_Llesssim 200$ Mpc) off-axis GRB candidates via their potential late-time radio signatures. We find a previously uncatalogued radio source within the error region of GRB 130626 with a $3-6$ GHz flux density consistent with a NS radio flare at a distance of $sim 100$ Mpc. However, an origin related to a persistent radio source unrelated to the GRB cannot be excluded given the high chance of false positives in error regions as large as those considered here. Further radio follow-up observations are needed to better understand the origin of this source.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising as sources of neutrinos and cosmic rays. In the internal shock scenario, blobs of plasma emitted from a central engine collide within a relativistic jet and form shocks, leading to particle acceleration and emission. Motivated by present experimental constraints and sensitivities, we improve the predictions of particle emission by investigating time-dependent effects from multiple shocks. We produce synthetic light curves with different variability timescales that stem from properties of the central engine. For individual GRBs, qualitative conclusions about model parameters, neutrino production efficiency, and delays in high-energy gamma rays can be deduced from inspection of the gamma-ray light curves. GRBs with fast time variability without additional prominent pulse structure tend to be efficient neutrino emitters, whereas GRBs with fast variability modulated by a broad pulse structure can be inefficient neutrino emitters and produce delayed high-energy gamma-ray signals. Our results can be applied to quantitative tests of the GRB origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, and have the potential to impact current and future multi-messenger searches.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
