The discovery of GRB 170817A, the first unambiguous off-axis short gamma-ray burst arising from a neutron star merger, has challenged our understanding of the angular structure of relativistic jets. Studies of the jet propagation usually assume that the jet is ejected from the central engine with a top-hat structure and its final structure, which determines the observed light curve and spectra, is primarily regulated by the interaction with the nearby environment. However, jets are expected to be produced with a structure that is more complex than a simple top-hat, as shown by global accretion simulations. We present numerical simulations of short GRBs launched with a wide range of initial structures, durations and luminosities. We follow the jet interaction with the merger remnant wind and compute its final structure at distances $\gtrsim 10^{11}$~cm from the central engine. We show that the final jet structure, as well as the resulting afterglow emission, depend strongly on the initial structure of the jet, its luminosity and duration. While the initial structure at the jet is preserved for long-lasting SGRBs, it is strongly modified for jets barely making their way through the wind. This illustrates the importance of combining the results of global simulations with propagation studies in order to better predict the expected afterglow signatures from neutron star mergers. Structured jets provide a reasonable description of the GRB 170817A afterglow emission with an off-axis angle $θ_{\rm obs} \approx 22.5^\circ$.
Long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) relativistic jets are surrounded by hot cocoons which confine jets during their punch out from the progenitor star. These cocoons are copious sources of X-ray photons that can be and are inverse-Compton (IC) scattered to MeV--GeV energies by electrons in the relativistic jet. We provide detailed estimates for IC flux resulting from various interactions between X-ray photons and the relativistic jet, and describe what we can learn about GRB jets and progenitor stars from the detection (or an upper limit) of these IC scattered photons.
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…
There are several lines of evidence indicating that the ultra-relativistic outflows powering gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are collimated into narrow jets. However, these are indirect, and the jet structure is rather poorly constrained. What is more, the jet dynamics have still not been investigated in detail. It has been suggested that the observed variety between different long duration events, ranging from bright spectrally hard GRBs, to dimmer and spectrally softer X-ray flashes (XRFs) may be largely due to different viewing angles (or lines of sight) relative to rather similar relativistic jets…
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?
Knowledge about the Lorentz factor and its evolution of relativistic jets in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is crucial to understand their physics. An exact value of bulk Lorentz factor can be estimated based on a high-energy spectral cutoff, which may appear in GRBs' prompt emission owing to the absorption of photon-photon pair production. In this work, we focus on the investigation of the bulk Lorentz factor evolution of jets in an individual burst. Based on \textsl{Fermi} observations, we search for the bursts with multiple $γ$-ray pulses characterized by a high-energy spectral cutoff, and nine GR…
We propose a method to detect possible non-stationarities of gamma-ray burst jets. Assuming that the dominant source of variability in the prompt gamma light curve is the non-stationarity of the jet, we show that there should be a connection between the variability measure and the characteristic angle of the jet derived from the jet break time of the afterglow. We carried out Monte Carlo simulations of long gamma-ray burst observations assuming three radial luminosity density profiles for jets and randomizing all burst parameters, and created samples of gamma light curves by simulating jets un…
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}.
Most Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have erratic light curves, which demand that the GRB central engine launches an episodic outflow. Recent Fermi observations of some GRBs indicate a lack of the thermal photosphere component as predicted by the baryonic fireball model, which suggests a magnetic origin of GRBs. In view that powerful episodic jets have been observed along with continuous jets in other astrophysical black hole systems, here we propose an intrinsically episodic, magnetically-dominated jet model for GRB central engine. Accumulation and eruption of free magnetic energy in the corona of a …
It is largely recognized that Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) jets involve ultra-relativistic motion. However, the value of the Lorentz factor Gamma_0 is still not clear and only lower limits are known for most bursts. We suggest here a new method to obtain upper limits on Gamma_0. The early high-energy synchrotron afterglow flux depends strongly on Gamma_0. Upper limits on GeV emission therefore provide uppers limit on Gamma_0. Applying this method to 190 Fermi GRBs that have not been detected by the Fermi-LAT we place upper limits on the high-energy afterglow flux, and in turn on Gamma_0. For bursts a…
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…
We present a generic theoretical model for the structuring of a relativistic jet propagating through the ejecta of a binary neutron star merger event, introducing the effects of the neutron conversion-diffusion, which provides a baryon flux propagating transversely from the ejecta towards the jet axis. This results naturally in an increased baryon load structure of the outer jet with the approximate isotropic energy distribution $E_{iso}(θ) \propto θ^{-4}$, which is compatible with the first gravitational wave and short gamma-ray burst event GW170817/GRB 170817A observed at an off-axis angle o…
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.
Jet precessions are widely involved in astrophysical phenomena from galaxies to X-ray binaries and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Polarization presents a unique probe of the magnetic fields in GRB jets. The precession of GRBs relativistic jets will change the geometry within the observable emitting region of the jet, which can potentially affect the polarization of the afterglow. In this paper, we take into account jet precession to study the polarization evolution and corresponding light curves in GRB early optical afterglows with ordered and random magnetic field geometries. We find that the jet p…
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).
Gamma-ray burst light curves are characterized by marked variability, each showing unique properties. The origin of such variability, at least for a fraction of long GRBs, may be the result of an unsteady central engine. It is thus important to study the effects that an episodic central engine has on the jet propagation and, eventually, on the prompt emission within the collapsar scenario. Thus, in this study we follow the interaction of pulsed outflows with their progenitor stars with hydrodynamic numerical simulations in both two and three dimensions. We show that the propagation of unsteady…
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…
Jet precession is considered to universally exist in different-scale astronomical phenomena, including gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). For the long-lived GRB central engine, the relativistical precessing jets will periodically inject kinetic energy into the external shocks, then significantly modulate the shapes of the light curves (LCs) in GRB afterglows. In this paper, we adopt the standard external shock model to investigate the effects of jet precession on GRB X-ray afterglows in cases with different parameters, i.e., the steady or time-dependent jet powers, precession periods, precession angles,…
Protostellar jets are present in the later stages of the stellar formation. Non-thermal radio emission has been detected from the jets and hot spots of some massive protostars, indicating the presence of relativistic electrons there. We are interested in exploring if these non-thermal particles can emit also at gamma-rays. In the present contribution we model the non-thermal emission produced in the jets associated with the massive protostar IRAS 18162-2048. We obtain that the gamma-ray emission produced in this source is detectable by the current facilities in the GeV domain.
The interaction of gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets with the dense media into which they are launched promote the growth of local hydrodynamic instabilities along the jet boundary. In a companion paper we study the evolution of hydrodynamic (unmagnetized) jets, finding that mixing of jet-cocoon material gives rise to an interface layer, termed jet-cocoon interface (JCI), which contains a significant fraction of the system energy. We find that the angular structure of the jet + JCI, when they reach the homologous phase, can be approximated by a flat core (the jet) + a power-law function (the JCI) wit…
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…
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.
We propose a novel model to produce ultrahigh-energy cosmic-rays (UHECRs) in gamma-ray burst jets. After the prompt gamma-ray emission, hydrodynamical turbulence is excited in the GRB jets at or before the afterglow phase. The mildly relativistic turbulence stochastically accelerates protons. The acceleration rate is much slower than the usual first-order shock acceleration rate, but in this case it can be energy-independent. The resultant UHECR spectrum is so hard that the bulk energy is concentrated in the highest energy range, resulting in a moderate requirement for the typical cosmic ray l…
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 …
We present the results of special relativistic, adaptive mesh refinement, 3D simulations of gamma-ray burst jets expanding inside a realistic stellar progenitor. Our simulations confirm that relativistic jets can propagate and break out of the progenitor star while remaining relativistic. This result is independent of the resolution, even though the amount of turbulence and variability observed in the simulations is greater at higher resolutions. We find that the propagation of the jet head inside the progenitor star is slightly faster in 3D simulations compared to 2D ones at the same resoluti…
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)
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 investigate the expected high-energy neutrino fluence from internal shocks produced in the relativistic outflow of gamma-ray bursts. Previous model predictions have primarily focussed on on-axis observations of uniform jets. Here we present a generalization to account for arbitrary viewing angles and jet structures. Based on this formalism, we provide an improved scaling relation that expresses off-axis neutrino fluences in terms of on-axis model predictions. We also find that the neutrino fluence from structured jets can exhibit a strong angular dependence relative to that of gamma-rays an…
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…
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…
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.
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.
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.
We study high-energy neutrino production in collimated jets inside progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and supernovae, considering both collimation and internal shocks. We obtain simple, useful constraints, using the often overlooked point that shock acceleration of particles is ineffective at radiation-mediated shocks. Classical GRBs may be too powerful to produce high-energy neutrinos inside stars, which is consistent with IceCube nondetections. We find that ultralong GRBs avoid such constraints and detecting the TeV signal will support giant progenitors. Predictions for low-power GRB cla…
