X-ray Spectral Diagnostics of Gamma-Ray Burst Environments
Astrophysics
2009-10-31 v1
Abstract
Recently, the detection of discrete features in the X-ray afterglow spectra of GRB970508 and GRB970828 was reported. The most natural interpretation of these features is that they are redshifted Fe K emission complexes. The identification of the line emission mechanism has drastic implications for the inferred mass of radiating material, end hence the nature of the burst site. X-ray spectroscopy provides a direct observational constraint on these properties of gamma-ray bursters. We briefly discuss how these constraints arise, in the context of an application to the spectrum of GRB970508.
Cite
@article{arxiv.astro-ph/0004188,
title = {X-ray Spectral Diagnostics of Gamma-Ray Burst Environments},
author = {Frits Paerels and Erik Kuulkers and John Heise and Duane A. Liedahl},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:astro-ph/0004188},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
11 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ Letters