Unstable e± photospheres and GRB spectral relations

Kunihito Ioka, Kohta Murase, Kenji Toma, Shigehiro Nagataki, Takashi Nakamura, Peter Mészáros

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We propose an emission mechanism of prompt gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) that can reproduce the observed nonthermal spectra with high radiative efficiencies, >50%. We show that, if e± pairs outnumber protons, a radiation-dominated photosphere becomes unstable to the phase separation between pairs and proton clumps. Pairs are continuously shock heated by proton clumps, scattering the thermal photons into the observed broken power-law shape. If GRBs come from pair photospheres, pair annihilation lines are predicted above continua. A closure relation exists between the pair annihilation line and the pair creation cutoff, which enables GLAST to test the model and also constrain physical quantities such as the Lorentz factor, optical depth and pair-to-baryon ratio, only from observables, even without either line or cutoff. We also discuss the Suzaku/WAM results of the time-resolved Ep-L (Yonetoku) relation and the Ep-L relation for short GRBs. We suggest that the short GRBs could arise from the self-created photospheres. We also deal with the hypernova and GRB remnants emitting TeV gamma-rays via the decay of accelerated radioactive isotopes, such as 56Co conveyed by the GRB jets.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publication2008 Nanjing Gamma-Ray Burst Conference
Pages189-194
Number of pages6
DOIs
StatePublished - 2008
Event2008 Nanjing Gamma-Ray Burst Conference - Nanjing, China
Duration: Jun 23 2008Jun 27 2008

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume1065
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Other

Other2008 Nanjing Gamma-Ray Burst Conference
Country/TerritoryChina
CityNanjing
Period6/23/086/27/08

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Physics and Astronomy

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Unstable e± photospheres and GRB spectral relations'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this