Related papers: Constraints on the Bulk Lorentz Factors of GRB X-R…
We develop two methods to estimate the bulk Lorentz factor of X-ray flare outflow. In the first method the outflow is assumed to be baryonic and is accelerated by the thermal pressure, for which the final bulk Lorentz factor is limited by…
We intend to determine the type of circumburst medium and measure directly the initial Lorentz factor $\Gamma_0$ of GRB outflows. If the early X-ray afterglow lightcurve has a peak and the whole profile across the peak is consistent with…
We present in this paper an approach to estimate the initial Lorentz factor of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) without referring to the delayed emission of the early afterglow. Under the assumption that the afterglow of the bursts concerned occurs…
We present time-resolved spectral analysis of the steep decay segments of 29 bright X-ray flares of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed with the Swift/X-ray telescope, and model their lightcurves and spectral index evolution behaviors with the…
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…
The X-ray light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) display complex features, including plateaus and flares, that challenge theoretical models. Here, we study the properties of flares that are observed in the early afterglow phase (up to a…
Observations of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) with Swift produced the initially surprising result that many bursts have large X-ray flares superimposed on the underlying afterglow. The flares were sometimes intense, had rapid rise and decay…
The Swift X-ray Telescope (XRT) has discovered that flares are quite common in early X-ray afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), being observed in roughly 50% of afterglows with prompt followup observations. The flares range in fluence…
Swift-XRT observations of the X-ray emission from gamma ray bursts (GRBs) and during the GRB afterglow have led to many new results during the past two years. One of these exciting results is that approximately 1/3-1/2 of GRBs contain…
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…
We study the duration and variability of late time X-ray flares following gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed by the narrow field X-ray telescope (XRT) aboard the {\it Swift} spacecraft. These flares are thought to be indicative of late time…
Previously detected in only a few gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), X-ray flares are now observed in ~50% of Swift GRBs, though their origins remain unclear. Most flares are seen early on in the afterglow decay, while some bursts exhibit flares at…
Short-hard and long-soft gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are two distinct phenomena, but their prompt and afterglow emission show many similarities. This suggests that two different progenitor systems lead to similar physical processes and that the…
Observations of gamma ray bursts (GRBs) with Swift produced the initially surprising result that many bursts have large X-ray flares superimposed on the underlying afterglow. These flares were sometimes intense, rapid, and late relative to…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic phenomena in the Universe, characterized by prompt gamma-ray emission followed by multiwavelength afterglows. X-ray flares, observed during the afterglow phase, are generally believed to…
The onset of GRB afterglow is characterized by a smooth bump in the early afterglow lightcurve. We make an extensive search for such a feature. Twenty optically selected GRBs and 12 X-ray selected GRBs are found, among which 17 optically…
X-ray flares in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to be generated by the late activities of central engine, and thus provide an useful tool to diagnose the properties of central objects. In this paper, we work on a GRB X-ray flare sample…
The initial Lorentz factor ($\Gamma_{\text{0}}$) plays a crucial role in uncovering the physical characteristics of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Previous studies have indicated that the ambient medium density index $k$ for GRBs falls in the…
X-ray flashes (XRFs) and X-ray rich gamma-ray bursts (XRGRBs) share many observational characteristics with long duration GRBs, but the reason for which their prompt emission peaks at lower photon energies, $E_p$, is still under debate.…
In the internal shock scenario for GRBs we expect some fraction of the energy of the burst to be carried by slow moving shells that were ejected at late times. These slow shells collide with faster moving outer shells when the outer shells…