Related papers: Some Observational Consequences of GRB Shock Model…
In models for gamma ray burst afterglows, it is normally assumed that the external shock strongly amplifies the magnetic field and that this field maintains a steady value throughout the shocked region. We discuss the effects of modifying…
Early optical observations of gamma-ray bursts can significantly contribute to the study of the central engine and physical processes therein. However, of the thousands observed so far, still only a few have data at optical wavelengths in…
The jet opening angle theta_jet and the bulk Lorentz factor Gamma_0 are crucial parameters for the computation of the energetics of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs). From the ~30 GRBs with measured theta_jet or Gamma_0 it is known that: (i) the real…
The afterglows to gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are due to synchrotron emission from shocks generated as an ultra-relativistic outflow decelerates. A forward and a reverse shock will form, however, where emission from the forward shock is well…
We investigate a scenario of photons scattering by electrons within a relativistic outflow. The outflow is composed of discrete shells with different speeds. One shell emits radiation for a short duration. Some of this radiation is…
Recent detections of GeV photons in a few GRBs by Fermi-LAT imply huge bulk Lorentz factors to avoid a large gamma gamma optical depth at high energy. Estimates can be as high as Gamma ~ 1000 in the most extreme cases. This puts severe…
The hard X-ray and gamma-ray phenomenology of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be explained by an external shock model where a single relativistic blast wave interacts with the surrounding medium. Besides reproducing the generic spectral…
Context: The origin of GRBs' prompt emission is highly debated. Proposed scenarios involve dissipation processes above or below the photosphere of an ultra-relativistic outflow. Aims: We search for observational features that would favour…
We study prompt optical emission from reverse shocks in the wind-type gamma-ray bursts. The emission is evaluated in both the thick and thin shell regimes. We discuss the angular time delay effect and the post-shock evolution of the…
Gamma-ray burst are thought to be produced by highly relativistic outflows. Although upper and lower limits for the outflow initial Lorentz factor $\Gamma_0$ are available, observational efforts to derive a direct determination of…
The prompt localization of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 050525A by {\em Swift} allowed the rapid follow-up of the afterglow. The observations revealed that the optical afterglow had a major rebrightening starting at $\sim 0.01$ days and ending at…
In the neutron-rich internal shocks model for Gamma-ray Burts (GRBs), the Lorentz factors (LFs) of ions shells are variable, so are the LFs of accompanying neutron shells. For slow neutron shells with a typical LF tens, the typical…
A number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) exhibit the late simultaneous bumps in their optical and Xray afterglows around the jet break. Its origin is unclear. Based on the following two facts, we suggest that this feature may sound a transition…
Most recent extragalactic models of gamma-ray bursts consider the expansion of a relativistic blast wave, emanating from a solar-mass type progenitor, into the surrounding interstellar medium as the site for their activity. The popular…
In the neutron-rich internal shocks model for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the Lorentz factors (LFs) of ion shells are variable, and so are the LFs of accompanying neutron shells. For slow neutron shells with a typical LF of approximate tens,…
A strong correlation is reported between gamma-ray burst (GRB) pulse lags and afterglow jet-break times for the set of bursts (seven) with known redshifts, luminosities, pulse lags, and jet-break times. This may be a valuable clue toward…
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.…
The plateaus observed in about one half of the early X-ray afterglows are the most puzzling feature in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected by Swift. By analyzing the temporal and spectral indices of a large X-ray plateau sample, we find that…
The energy dissipation mechanism within Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) outflows, driving their extremely luminous prompt $\gamma$-ray emission is still uncertain. The leading candidates are internal shocks and magnetic reconnection. While the…
The early X-ray afterglow for a significant number of gamma-ray bursts detected by the Swift satellite is observed to have a phase of very slow flux decline with time ($F_\nu \propto t^{-\alpha}$ with $0.2 \lesssim \alpha \lesssim 0.8$) for…