One of the cornerstones of modern physics is Einstein's special relativity, with its constant speed of light and zero photon mass assumptions. Constraint on the rest mass m_γ of photons is a fundamental way to test Einstein's theory, as well as other essential electromagnetic and particle theories. Since non-zero photon mass can give rise to frequency-(or energy-) dependent dispersions, measuring the time delay of photons with different frequencies emitted from explosive astrophysical events is an important and model-independent method to put such a constraint. The cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), with short time scales, high redshifts as well as broadband prompt and afterglow emissions, provide an ideal testbed for m_γ constraints. In this paper we calculate the upper limits of the photon mass with GRB early time radio afterglow observations as well as multi-band radio peaks, thus improve the results of Schaefer (1999) by nearly half an order of magnitude.
The angular dependence of emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRB) is of fundamental importance in understanding the underlying physical mechanisms, as well as in multimessenger search efforts. We examine the prospects of using reconstructed GRB jet opening angles and off-axis observer angles in determining the jet structure. We show that the reconstructed angles by Ryan et al. (2015) are inconsistent with uniform jet structure. We further calculate the number of GRBs with accurately reconstructed opening and observer angles necessary to differentiate between some phenomenological non-uniform struct…
GRB 130821A was detected by Fermi-GBM/LAT, Konus-Wind, SPI-ACS/INTEGRAL, RHESSI and Mars Odyssey-HEND. Although the data of GRB 130821A are very limited, we show in this work that the high energy gamma-ray emission (i.e., above 100 MeV) alone imposes tight constraint on the density profile of the circum-burst medium as well as the initial Lorentz factor of the outflow. The temporal behavior of the high energy gamma-ray emission is consistent with the forward shock synchrotron radiation model and the circum-burst medium likely has a constant-density profile. The Lorentz factor is about a few hu…
I consider here acceleration and heating of relativistic outflow by local magnetic energy dissipation process in Poynting flux dominated outflow. Adopting the standard assumption that the reconnection rate scales with the Alfven speed, I show here that the fraction of energy dissipated as thermal photons cannot exceed (13 $\hat γ-14)^{-1} = 30$% (for adiabatic index $\hat γ= 4/3$) of the kinetic energy at the photosphere. Even in the most radiatively efficient scenario, the energy released as non-thermal photons during the prompt phase is at most equal to the kinetic energy of the outflow. The…
Short gamma ray bursts have been observed a variety of galaxies types with varying angular offsets from the centre of their host galaxies. To investigate the properties of short gamma ray burst offsets, a sample of short gamma ray bursts with host galaxies has been gathered. Two formation channels proposed to explain the observed offsets of short gamma ray bursts from their host galaxies are discussed. The classification of short gamma ray bursts into these formation channels is demonstrated for short gamma ray bursts with host galaxies. The possibility of faint dwarf galaxies as host environm…
The field of gamma-ray burst astronomy arguably went through three decades of growing pains before reaching maturity. What development lessons can be learned for the adolescent field of fast radio burst astronomy?
Our correlation analysis of Swift gamma-ray burst coordinates and nearby star locations (catalog Gliese) reveals 4 coincidences with angular accuracy better than 0.1 degree. The random probability is 2\times 10^{-4}, so evidencing that coincident stars are indeed gamma-ray burst sources. The fifth coincident gamma-burst could be added (angular accuracy 0.14 degree) with random probability for 5 events \sim 10^{-5}.
The discovery of fast radio burst (FRB) 200428 from galactic SGR J1935+2154 makes it possible to measure rotational changes accompanied by FRBs and to test several FRB models which may be simultaneously associated with glitches. Inspired by this idea, we present order of magnitude calculations to the scenarios proposed. FRB models such as global starquakes, crust fractures and collisions between pulsars and asteroids/comets are discussed. For each mechanism, the maximum glitch sizes are constrained by the isotropic energy release during the X-ray burst and/or the SGR J1935+2154-like radio burs…
The HAWC Gamma-Ray Observatory has reported the discovery of TeV gamma-ray emission extending several degrees around the positions of Geminga and B0656+14 pulsars. Assuming these gamma rays are produced by inverse Compton scattering off low-energy photons in electron halos around the pulsars, we determine the diffusion of electrons and positrons in the local interstellar medium. We will present the morphological and spectral studies of these two VHE gamma-ray sources and the derived positron spectrum at Earth.
Observations of a long-lasting Gamma-ray burst, one that has the brightest optical counterpart yet discovered, challenge theoretical understanding of these bursts but may enhance their usefulness as cosmic probes.
Recently, GRB 170817A was confirmed to be associated with GW 170817, which was produced by a neutron star - neutron star merger. It indicates that at least some short gamma-ray bursts come from binary neutron star mergers. Theoretically, it is widely accepted that short gamma-ray bursts can be produced by two distinctly different mechanisms, binary neutron star mergers and neutron star - black hole mergers. These two kinds of bursts should be different observationally due to their different trigger mechanisms. Motivated by this idea, we collect a universal data set constituted of 51 short gamm…
One of the most luminous explosions detected, gamma-ray bursts, especially the so-called long-duration bursts, most probably consist of an intrinsic core-collapse to a black hole inside a super massive star. We point out that this collapse alone will give a generic gravitational wave burst. It has been shown that the strength of this burst depends on the dimensionless spin parameter of the collapsing object. Under descent assumptions the gamma-ray burst's central engine powers the explosion electromagnetically due to the rotation of the newly formed black hole. We argue that the peak luminosit…
The discovery of a short-lived gamma-ray burst at a surprisingly early epoch in the history of the Universe shows how much is still unknown about the evolution of the parent systems of such bursts.
This Erratum modifies the original article entitled "Primordial black hole origin for thermal gamma ray bursts", which was published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 506, 806 (2021).
The Pioneer Venus Orbiter (PVO) Gamma-ray burst experiment detected 318 gamma-ray bursts over about 14 years between 1978 and 1992 with near $4π$ coverage. This data set complements BATSE by determining the properties of the brightest gamma-ray bursts. PVO places a constrains on the slope of the bright end of the Log N-Log P distribution. The slope is -1.52$\pm 0.15$.
We demonstrate how pulse structures in Short gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs), coupled with observations of GRB/GW 170817A, constrain the geometries of dying HMXRB systems composed of merging neutron stars.
Three years after the launch of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, both of its scientific instruments are operating perfectly and continuing to make breakthroughs in astrophysics, particle physics, and atmospheric science. I report here on the highlights of the scientific program of the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM).
We have searched for the third, 'intermediate', subgroup of gamma-ray bursts among nearly 400 gamma-ray bursts observed by the Swift satellite. The standard chi^2 method and F-test were applied which give support for the existence of this subgroup.
We present a dissipative photospheric model for gamma-ray bursts where the usual Band peak around MeV energies arises as synchrotron emission from around the photosphere. We treat the initial acceleration in a general way and the GeV emission arises as the interaction of photospheric radiation and the shocked electrons at the deceleration radius. We show some applications of this model.
The upper limit on the flux of ultra high energy neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that was reported recently by the IceCube collaboration contradicts predictions based on the Fireball model of GRBs, but does not exclude GRBs as a main source of ultra-high energy cosmic rays.
The late afterglow of gamma-ray burst is believed to be due to progressive deceleration of the forward shock wave driven by the gamma-ray burst ejecta propagating in the interstellar medium. We study the dynamic effect of interstellar turbulence on shock wave propagation. It is shown that the shock wave decelerates more quickly than previously assumed without the turbulence. As an observational consequence, an earlier jet break will appear in the light curve of the forward shock wave. The scatter of the jet-corrected energy release for gamma-ray burst, inferred from the jet-break, may be partl…
Despite not being specifically designed for the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the INTEGRAL satellite is giving a relevant contribution to this field with the detection of about 10 GRB per year in the IBIS field of view. The ground-based INTEGRAL Burst Alert System (IBAS) has provided real-time localizations with 2-3 arcmin accuracy for most of these events. The INTEGRAL sample now comprises 81 bursts, including 4 of the short class. IBAS has also revealed other transient events from various classes of Galactic sources, most notably short bursts and flares from magnetar candidates. Here I p…
The angular extension of the gamma-ray image of 3C 279 may be constrained by studying its solar occultations as suggested by Fairbairn et al. (2010). We perform this kind of analysis for seven occultations observed by Fermi-LAT in 2008-2014, using the Fermi-LAT Solar System tools. The results are interpreted in terms of models with extended gamma-ray halo of 3C 279; first constraints on the size and the flux of the halo are reported.
The peak time of optical afterglow may be used as a proxy to constrain the Lorentz factor Gamma of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta. We revisit this method by including bursts with optical observations that started when the afterglow flux was already decaying; these bursts can provide useful lower limits on Gamma. Combining all analyzed bursts in our sample, we find that the previously reported correlation between Gamma and the burst luminosity L_gamma does not hold. However, the data clearly shows a lower bound Gamma_min which increases with L_gamma. We suggest an explanation for this feature…
Observations of short gamma-ray bursts indicate ongoing energy injection following the prompt emission, with the most likely candidate being the birth of a rapidly rotating, highly magnetised neutron star. We utilise X-ray observations of the burst remnant to constrain properties of the nascent neutron star, including its magnetic field-induced ellipticity and the saturation amplitude of various oscillation modes. Moreover, we derive strict upper limits on the gravitational wave emission from these objects by looking only at the X-ray light curve, showing the burst remnants are unlikely to be …
The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on-board the Fermi satellite detected emission above 20 MeV only in a small fraction of the long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) at 8 keV-40 MeV. Those bursts that were detected by the LAT were among the brightest GBM bursts. The emission detected by LAT seerms to be delayed respect to the one detected by the GBM. In this review I will show the main implications of these LAT observations on the GRB models and discuss the importance of a synergy between Fermi and other telescopes.
In the first two years since the launch of the Fermi Observatory, the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) has detected over 500 Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), of which 18 were confidently detected by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) above 100 MeV. Besides GRBs, GBM has triggered on other transient sources, such as Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs), Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) and solar flares. Here we present the science highlights of the GBM observations.
The Large Area Telescope (LAT) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope observatory is a pair conversion telescope sensitive to gamma-rays over more than four energy decades, between 20 MeV and more than 300 GeV. Acting in synergy with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) - the other instrument onboard the mission - the LAT features unprecedented sensitivity for the study of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in terms of spectral coverage, effective area, and instrumental dead time. We will review the main results from Fermi-LAT observation of GRB, presenting the main properties of GRBs at GeV energies.
The recently discovered rapid transient GN-z11-flash has been suggested to be the prompt-emission ultraviolet flash associated with a gamma-ray burst serendipitously exploding in the ultra-high-$z$ galaxy GN-z11. We here place the flash into the context of the early ultraviolet emission of gamma-ray bursts, and find it is in agreement with the luminosity distribution of these events.
Current models suggest gamma-ray bursts could be used as a way of probing Population III stars - the first stars in the early Universe. In this paper we use numerical simulations to demonstrate that late time radio observations of gamma-ray burst afterglows could provide a means of identifying bursts that originate from Population III stars, if these were highly massive, independently from their redshift. We then present the results from a pilot study using the Australia Telescope Compact Array at 17 GHz, designed to test the hypothesis that there may be Population III gamma-ray bursts amongst…
The binary neutron star merger responsible for the gravitational wave event, GW170817, strengthened the merger association with short-duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs) following the detection of the SGRB counterpart, GRB 170817A. Here we consider the constraints on a population of local gamma-ray bursts with moderately short duration ($T_{90}<4 \textrm{ s}$) and within $d < 200 \textrm{ Mpc}$, that may have originated from similar compact binary mergers. Using well localised gamma-ray bursts from $\sim14.5 \textrm{ years}$ of Swift/Burst Alert Telescope monitoring, we find no events with high …
The observed association between supernovae and gamma-ray bursts represents a cornerstone in our understanding of the nature of gamma-ray bursts. The collapsar model provides a theoretical framework for this connection. A key element is the launch of a bi-polar jet (seen as a gamma-ray burst). The resulting hot cocoon disrupts the star while the 56Ni produced gives rise to radioactive heating of the ejecta, seen as a supernova. In this discussion paper I summarise the observational status of the supernova/gamma-ray burst connection in the context of the 'engine' picture of jet-driven supernova…
Compact binary system mergers are expected to generate gravitational radiation detectable by ground-based interferometers. A subset of these, the merger of a neutron star with another neutron star or a black hole, are also the most popular model for the production of short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The Swift Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) trigger on short GRBs (SGRBs) at rates that reflect their relative sky exposures, with the BAT detecting 10 per year compared to about 45 for GBM. We examine the SGRB populations detected by Swift BAT and Fermi GBM. We …
After the launch and successful beginning of operations of the FERMI satellite, the topics related to high-energy observations of gamma-ray bursts have obtained a considerable attention by the scientific community. Undoubtedly, the diagnostic power of high-energy observations in constraining the emission processes and the physical conditions of gamma-ray burst is relevant. We briefly discuss how gamma-ray burst observations with ground-based imaging array Cerenkov telescopes, in the GeV-TeV range, can compete and cooperate with FERMI observations, in the MeV-GeV range, to allow researchers to …
Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) are new transient radio sources discovered recently. Because of the angular resolution restriction in radio surveys, no optical counter part has been identified yet so it is hard to determine the progenitor of FRBs. In this paper we propose to use radio lensing survey to constrain FRB progenitors. We show that, different types of progenitors lead to different probabilities for a FRB to be gravitationally lensed by dark matter halos in foreground galaxies, since different type progenitors result in different redshift distributions of FRBs. For example, the redshift dist…
A Thesis Submitted to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Physics (supervisor: Prof. A. R. Rao)
Many different physical processes have been suggested to explain the prompt gamma-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Although there are examples of both bursts with photospheric and synchrotron emission origins, these distinct spectral appearances have not been generalized to large samples of GRBs. Here, we search for signatures of the different emission mechanisms in the full Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope GBM catalogue. We use Gaussian Mixture Models to cluster bursts according to their parameters from the Band function ($α$, $β$, and $E_{pk}$) as well as their fluence and $T_{90}$. W…
The well-sampled afterglows of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) not associated with a supernova (SN) explosion, can be scaled down to a simple dimensionless universal formula, which describes well their temporal behavior. Such SN-less GRBs include short hard bursts (SHBs) and long SN-less GRBs. The universal temporal behavior of their afterglows is that expected from a pulsar wind nebula powered by the rotational energy loss of the newly born pulsar.
Correlation analysis of Swift gamma-ray burst coordinates and nearby star locations (catalog Gliese) reveals 4 coincidences with good angular accuracy. The random probability is 4\times 10^{-5}, so evidencing that coincident stars are indeed gamma-ray burst sources. Some additional search of stellar gamma-ray bursts is discussed.
Satellites that are capable of detecting gamma-ray bursts can trigger the Antares neutrino telescope via the real-time gamma-ray bursts coordinates network. Thanks to the "all-data-to-shore" concept that is implemented in the data acquisition system of Antares, the sensitivity to neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts is significantly increased when a gamma-ray burst is detected by these satellites. The performance of the satellite-triggered data taking is shown, as well as the resulting gain in detection efficiency. Different search methods can be applied to the data taken in coincidence with gamma-…
We consider decaying dark matter with masses $10^{7} \lesssim M \lesssim 10^{16}$ GeV, as a source of ultra-high energy (UHE) gamma rays. Using recent limits on UHE gamma-ray flux for energies $E_γ> 2 \cdot 10^{14}$ eV, provided by extensive air shower observatories, we put limits on masses and lifetimes of the dark matter. We also discuss possible dark matter decay origin of tentative 100 PeV photon flux detected with EAS-MSU experiment.
Wolf-Rayet stars have been identified as objects in their final phase of massive star evolution. It has been suggested that Wolf-Rayet stars are the progenitors of long-duration gamma ray bursts in low metallicity environments. However, this deduction has yet to be proven. Here we report on our initial results from a VLT/FORS linear spectropolarimetry survey of Wolf-Rayet stars in the Magellanic Clouds, which is intended to constrain the physical criteria - such as weaker stellar winds, rapid rotation, and associated asymmetry - of the collapsar model. Finally, we provide an outlook for polari…
Most gamma ray bursts are able to be explained using supernovae related phenomenon. Some measured results still lack compelling explanations and a contributory cause from nuclear criticality is proposed. This is shown to have general properties consistent with various known gamma ray burst properties. The galactic origin of fast rise exponential decay gamma ray bursts is considered a strong candidate for these types of events.
Progenitors of short gamma-ray bursts are thought to be neutron stars coalescing with their companion black hole or neutron star, which are one of the main gravitational wave sources. We have devised a Bayesian framework for combining gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave information that allows us to probe short gamma-ray burst luminosities. We show that combined short gamma-ray burst and gravitational wave observations not only improve progenitor distance and inclination angle estimates, they also allow the isotropic luminosities of short gamma-ray bursts to be determined without the need f…
Compact binary mergers are the strongest candidates for the progenitors of Short Gamma Ray Bursts (SGRBs). If a gravitational wave (GW) signal from the compact binary merger is observed in association with a SGRB, such a synergy can help us understand many interesting aspects of these bursts. We examine the accuracies with which a world wide network of gravitational wave interferometers would measure the inclination angle (the angle between the angular momentum axis of the binary and the observer's line of sight) of the binary. We compare the projected accuracies of GW detectors to measure the…
This paper provides an overview of the current state of the stripping model for short gamma-ray bursts. After the historical joint detection of the gravitational wave event GW170817 and the accompanying gamma-ray burst GRB170817A, the relation between short gamma-ray bursts and neutron star mergers has been reliably confirmed. We show that many properties of GRB170817A, which turned out to be peculiar in comparison with other short gamma-ray bursts, are naturally explained in the context of the stripping model, specifically, the time (1.7 s) between the peak of the gravitational wave signal an…
We offer the new type of calibration for gamma-ray bursts (GRB), in which some class of GRB can be marked and has common behavior. We name this behavior Smooth Optical Self Similar Emission (SOS Similar Emission) and identify this subclass of gamma-ray bursts with optical light curves described by a universal scaling function.
Gamma-ray bursts are flashes of light from distant exploding stars. Cube satellites that monitor photons across different energy bands are used to detect these bursts. There is a need for computationally efficient algorithms, able to run using the limited computational resource onboard a cube satellite, that can detect when gamma-ray bursts occur. Current algorithms are based on monitoring photon counts across a grid of different sizes of time window. We propose a new algorithm, which extends the recently developed FOCuS algorithm for online change detection to Poisson data. Our algorithm is m…
In quantum gravity, a foamy structure of space-time leads to Lorentz invariance violation (LIV). As the most energetic astrophysical processes in the Universe, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) provide an effective way to probe quantum gravity effects. We use continuous spectra of 20 short GRBs detected by the Swift satellite to give a conservative lower limit of quantum gravity energy scale $M_\textrm{QG} $. Due to the LIV effect, photons with different energy have different velocities. This will lead to the delayed arrival of high energy photons relative to the low energy ones. Based on the fact that …
This brief report describes the search for gravitational-wave inspiral signals from short gamma-ray bursts. Since these events are probably created by the merger of two compact objects, a targeted search with a lower threshold can be made. The data around 22 short gamma-ray bursts have been analyzed.
A plausible scenario for the gamma ray and the hard x-ray burst in a strongly magnetized plasma, based on the collective plasma maser instability, is proposed. The physical parameters with which this scenario becomes relevant are estimated. The attractive feature of this scenario over the conventional cyclotron radiation theory is discussed.
Studying the propagation of gamma rays on cosmological distances encompasses a variety of scientific fields, focusing on diffuse radiation fields such as the extragalactic background light, on the probe of the magnetism of the Universe on large scales, and on physics beyond the standard models of cosmology and particle physics. The measurements, constraints and hints from observations of gamma-ray blazars by airborne and ground-based instruments are briefly reviewed. These observations point to gamma-ray cosmology as one of the major science cases of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA.
Correlation analysis of gamma-ray burst coordinates and nearby stars, registered on 2008-2011, revealed 5 coincidences with angular accuracy better than 0.1 degree. The random probability is $7\times 10^{-7}$, so evidencing that coincident stars are indeed gamma-ray burst sources. The proposed method should be continued in order to provide their share in common balance of cosmic gamma-ray bursts.
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae (SNe) bring new perspectives to the study of neutron stars and white dwarfs, as well as opening new branches of theoretical physics and astrophysics.
The discovery of fast radio bursts (FRBs) about a decade ago opened up new possibilities for probing the ionization history of the Intergalactic Medium (IGM). In this paper we study the use of FRBs for tracing the epoch of HeII reionization, using simulations of their dispersion measures. We model dispersion measure contributions from the Milky Way, the IGM (homogeneous and inhomogeneous) and a possible host galaxy as a function of redshift and star formation rate. We estimate the number of FRBs required to distinguish between a model of the Universe in which helium reionization occurred at z …
Neutrons stars lighter than the Sun are basically composed of nuclear matter of density up to around twice normal nuclear density. In our recent analyses, we showed that possible simultaneous observations of masses and radii of such neutron stars could constrain $η\equiv(K_0L^2)^{1/3}$, a combination of the incompressibility of symmetric nuclear matter $K_0$ and the density derivative of the nuclear symmetry energy $L$ that characterizes the theoretical mass-radius relation. In this paper, we focus on the mass-radius constraint of the X-ray burster 4U 1724-307 given by Suleimanov et al. (2011)…
I review the searches for gamma-ray bursts at very high redshift. Although the numbers of GRBs known at z>6 remain few, even small samples can provide information about early star and galaxy formation in the universe which is very hard to obtain by any other means.
We report on the 2015 June 25 sustained gamma-ray emission (SGRE) event associated with a halo coronal mass ejection and a type II radio burst in the decameter-hectometric (DH) wavelengths. The duration and ending frequency of the type II burst are linearly related to the SGRE duration as found in previous works involving intense gamma-ray events. This study confirms that the SGRE event is due to protons accelerated in the shock that produced the DH type II burst.
The recent progress in the understanding the physical nature of neutron star equilibrium configurations and the first observational evidence of a genuinely short gamma-ray burst, GRB 090227B, allows to give an estimate of the gravitational waves versus the X and Gamma-ray emission in a short gamma-ray burst.
In search for the possible astrophysical sources behind origination of the diverse gamma-ray bursts, cluster analyses are performed to find homogeneous groups, which discover an intermediate group other than the conventional short and long bursts. However, very recently, few studies indicate a possibility of the existence of more than three (namely five) groups. Therefore, in this paper, fuzzy clustering is conducted on the gamma-ray bursts from the final 'Burst and Transient Source Experiment' catalog to cross-check the significance of these new groups. Meticulous study on individual bursts b…
