Related papers: Is magnetically dominated outflow required to expl…
The composition of gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta is still a mystery. The standard model invokes an initially hot ``fireball'' composed of baryonic matter. Here we analyze the broad band spectra of GRB 080916C detected by the Fermi satellite.…
Modeling of gamma-ray burst (GRB) prompt emission spectra sometimes requires a (quasi-) thermal spectral component in addition to the Band function. In photospheric emission models, a prominent thermal component broadened by…
The photospheric emission in the prompt phase is the natural prediction of the original fireball model for gamma-ray burst (GRB) due to the large optical depth ($\tau >1$) at the base of the outflow, which is supported by the quasi-thermal…
We consider the conditions within a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) emission region that is Poynting flux dominated. Due to the enormous magnetic energy density, relativistic electrons will cool in such a region extremely rapidly via synchrotron. As…
We constrain the physical composition of the outflows of GRBs 080916C and 090510 with the prompt emission data and find that the former is likely magnetic while the latter may be baryonic. The X-ray and optical afterglow emission of both…
The high energy emission from Gamma-ray Bursts has some interesting features, including the absence of the GeV excess in the prompt spectrum, the delayed onset of the GeV emission, and the longer duration of the GeV emission than the prompt…
GRB 220426A is a bright gamma-ray burst (GRB) dominated by the photospheric emission. We perform several tests to speculate the origin of this photospheric emission. The dimensionless entropy $\eta$ is large, which is not usual if we assume…
Ultra-relativistic motion and efficient conversion of kinetic energy to radiation are required by gamma-ray burst (GRB) observations, yet they are difficult to simultaneously achieve. Three leading mechanisms have been proposed to explain…
One of the major results from the study of gamma-ray bursts with the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has been the confirmation that several emission components can be present in the energy spectrum. Here we reanalyse the spectrum of GRB…
In recent years, our understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRB) prompt emission has been revolutionized, due to a combination of new instruments, new analysis methods and novel ideas. In this review, I describe the most recent observational…
Photospheric emission may originate from relativistic outflows in two qualitatively different regimes:\ last scattering of photons inside the outflow at the photospheric radius, or radiative diffusion to the boundary of the outflow. In this…
The dominant radiation mechanism that produces the prompt emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) remains a major open question. Spectral information alone has proven insufficient in elucidating its nature. Time-resolved linear polarization has…
The origin of magnetic fields that permeate the blast waves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is a long-standing problem. The present paper argues that in four GRBs revealing extended emission at >100 MeV, with follow-up in the radio, optical and…
Observations by the {\RHESSI} satellite of large polarization of the prompt $\gamma$-ray emission from the Gamma Ray Burst GRB021206 \citep{coburn03} imply that the magnetic field coherence scale is larger than the size of the visible…
Astrophysical sources of relativistic jets or outflows, such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), active galactic nuclei (AGN) or micro-quasars, often show strong time variability. Despite such impulsive behavior, most models of these sources assume…
We present a general formulation of special-relativistic magnetohydrodynamics and derive exact radially self-similar solutions for axisymmetric outflows from strongly magnetized, rotating compact objects. We generalize previous work by…
The emission from a gamma-ray burst (GRB) photosphere can give rise to a variety of spectral shapes. The spectrum can retain the shape of a Planck function or it can be broadened and have the shape of a Band function. This fact is best…
Magnetic fields play a crucial role in the physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Strong observational evidence indicates that the observed afterglow and most likely the prompt emission arise from synchrotron emission. It is possible that…
We study the narrowest spectra expected from gamma-ray bursts. We present an analytical function for the spectrum that is emitted from the photosphere of a radiation-dominated flow that is under acceleration. This is the narrowest possible…
Exact semianalytic solutions for GRB outflows were recently derived using the equations of special-relativistic ideal MHD (see Vlahakis & Konigl in these Proceedings for a summary). This contribution focuses on the implications of these…