Related papers: Quasi-thermal Comptonization and gamma-ray bursts
(Abridged) We interpret gamma ray bursts as relativistic, electromagnetic explosions. Specifically, we propose that they are created when a rotating, relativistic, stellar-mass progenitor loses much of its rotational energy in the form of a…
Fermi observations of high-energy gamma-ray emission from GRB 080916C shows that its spectrum is consistent with the Band function from MeV to tens of GeV. Assuming one single emission mechanism dominates in the whole energy range, we show…
The existence of hot, two-temperature accretion flows is essential to the recent discussions of the low luminosity, hard X-ray emission from accreting neutron stars and black holes in Galactic binaries and massive black holes in low…
In energetic nonthermal sources such as gamma-ray bursts, AGN or galactic jet sources, etc., one expects both relativistic and transrelativistic shocks acompanied by violent motions of moderately relativistic plasma. We present general…
The solar corona is the prototypical example of a low density environment heated to high temperatures by external sources. The plasma cools radiatively, and because it is optically thin to this radiation, it becomes possible to model the…
(abridged)Prompt GRB emission is often interpreted as synchrotron radiation from high-energy electrons accelerated in internal shocks. Fast synchrotron cooling predicts that the photon index below the spectral peak is alpha=-3/2. This…
We consider a speculative model for gamma-ray bursts (GRB), which predicts that the total kinetic energy in the ejected matter is less than the total energy in the gamma rays. There is also secondary energy in X-rays, which are emitted…
Relativistic plasmas in strong electromagnetic fields exhibit distinct properties compared to classical plasmas. In astrophysical environments, such as neutron stars, white dwarfs, AGNs, and shocks, relativistic plasmas are pervasive and…
Detailed information on the physical parameters in the sources of cosmological Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) is obtained from few plausible assumptions consistent with observations. Model-independent requirements posed by these assumptions on the…
The spectral properties of a hybrid steady thermal-nonthermal isotropic plasma are studied. The involved emission mechanisms are thermal bremsstrahlung, nonthermal bremsstrahlung, cyclotron and nonthermal synchrotron. Formulas are derived…
The prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (hereafter GRBs) probably comes from a highly relativistic wind which converts its kinetic energy into radiation via the formation of shocks within the wind itself. Such "internal shocks" can occur if…
A radiative mechanism is proposed for magnetic flares near luminous accreting black holes. It is based on recent first-principle simulations of magnetic reconnection, which show a hierarchical chain of fast-moving plasmoids. The…
We investigate graviton radiation in gravitational scattering at small impact parameters $b<R\equiv 2G\sqrt{s}$ and extreme energies $s\gg M_P^2$, a regime in which classical collapse is thought to occur, and thus radiation may be…
The origin of prompt emission in GRBs is not yet well understood. The simplest and most popular model is Synchrotron, Self-Compton (SSC) emission produced by internal shocks inside an ultra-relativistic jet. However, recent observations of…
We calculate the inelastic scattering rates and the hot electron inelastic mean free paths for both monolayer and bilayer graphene on a polar substrate. We study the quasiparticle self-energy by taking into account both electron-electron…
Internal shocks provide a plausible heating mechanism in the jets of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Shocks occurring below the jet photosphere are mediated by radiation. It was previously found that radiation mediated shocks (RMSs) inside GRB…
Internal shocks are a leading candidate for the dissipation mechanism that powers the prompt $\gamma$-ray emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In this scenario a compact central source produces an ultra-relativistic outflow with varying…
The Coma cluster exhibits evidence for a high-energetic non-thermal particle population. At frequencies >1 GHz recent radio halo observations confirm a significant spectral steepening of the volume-integrated emission. We calculate the…
We present a physical framework that can account for most of the observed spectral properties of the prompt gamma-ray burst emission. This includes the variety of spectral shapes, shape evolutions, and spectral correlations between flux and…
X-ray spectroscopy of cooling-flow clusters reveal an unexpected deficit of soft X-ray emission lines from gas at ~1/3 of the ambient plasma temperature, across a wide range of X-ray luminosities and virial temperatures. We propose excess…