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Sub-TeV or TeV γ -rays have been convincingly detected in the afterglows of some gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The relativistic jet associated with GRBs may be surrounded by a cocoon and thus the thermal photons of the cocoon pervading the emission region of the jet can be upscattered to the very-high-energy regime (e.g., sub-TeV/TeV) by the electrons in the jet. In this scenario, the electrons in the jet cool down and thus the jet emission in the low-energy regime, e.g., the X-ray or optical, may be suppressed. In this paper, we study the effect of the cocoon's thermal photons on the jet emission in the low-energy regime. We find that the jet emission in the low-energy regime is significantly suppressed when the emission region of the jet is just encircled by a hot cocoon. Correspondingly, there is a sharp decay in the light curves of the jet emission in the low-energy regime, which can be understood to signify strong TeV emission in GRBs. Since the radius of the cocoon expands with the observer time t obs, the suppression of the jet emission in the low-energy regime may be relieved and thus the light curves of the jet emission would return to those of emission without a cocoon-external inverse-Compton cooling effect. For a long-lasting jet with power ∝ (1 + t obs / t c) α , an internal plateau followed by a sharp decay may generally appear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, giant flares (GFs) produced by magnetars have a very short-hard initial spike that is followed by a weak oscillatory phase. GFs from a nearby galaxy would appear as cosmic short-hard gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), such as GRB 200415A. In this paper, we search for GF-originated bursts in the Fermi GRB category and report GRB 210410A, which is presented with a very short-hard spike followed by an extended tail emission. In the E p, z − E iso plane, GRB 210410A with a duration of T 90 ∼ 48 s differs from long GRBs, might be classified as a short GRB with a redshift of z ∼ 0.28, and could be regarded as a GF with a distance of ∼2.7 Mpc. Here, E p, z , E iso, and L iso denote the rest-frame peak photon energy, the isotropic energy, and the isotropic luminosity of the burst, respectively. The radiation spectrum of GRB 210410A, similar to that of GRB 200415A, can be well fitted with a non-dissipative photospheric emission. However, GRB 210410A in the E p, z − L iso plane is beyond the death line of cosmic GRBs for non-dissipated photospheric emission with a general initial size of the fireball. Since the E p, z − L iso relation of GFs is far beyond the death line of cosmic GRBs, GRB 210410A may have originated from the same channel that produces GFs. We also perform the analysis and discuss both the highest photon energy event (4.2 GeV) and the extended tail emission in this burst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence indicates that the synchrotron radiation mechanism may be responsible for the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). In the synchrotron radiation scenario, the electron energy spectrum of the prompt emission is diverse in theoretical works and has not been estimated from observations in a general way (i.e., without specifying a certain physical model for the electron spectrum). In this paper, we creatively propose a method to directly estimate the electron spectrum for the prompt emission, without specifying a certain physical model for the electron spectrum in the synchrotron radiation scenario. In this method, an empirical function (i.e., a four-order Bézier curve jointed with a linear function at high energy) is applied to describe the electron spectrum in log–log coordinates. It is found that our empirical function can well mimic the electron spectra obtained in many numerical calculations or simulations. Then, our method can figure out the electron spectrum for the prompt emission without specifying a model. By employing our method on observations, taking GRB 180720B and GRB 160509A as examples, it is found that the obtained electron spectra are generally different from that in the standard fast-cooling scenario and even a broken power law. Moreover, the morphology of electron spectra in its low-energy regime varies with time in a burst and even in a pulse. Our proposed method provides a valuable way to confront the synchrotron radiation mechanism with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is generally believed that the variability of photospheric emission in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) traces that of the jet power. This work further investigates the variability of photospheric emission in a variable jet. By setting a constant η (dimensionless entropy of the jet), we find that the light curve of the photospheric emission shows a "tracking" pattern on the time profile of jet power. However, the relative variability is significantly low in the photospheric emission compared with that in the jet power. If the η is genetic variable, the variability of the photospheric emission is not only limited by the jet power but also affected by η strongly. It becomes complex and is generally different from that of the jet power. Moreover, the opposite phase may stand in the variabilities of the photospheric emission at different photon energies. We also find that the relative variability does not remain constant over the photon energies with an obvious reduction at a certain energy. This is consistent with the analysis of GRB 090902B in which an appreciable thermal component has been detected in a wide energy range. For several other GRBs coupling with the thermal component, we conservatively evaluate the variability of the thermal and nonthermal emission, respectively. Our results show that the relative variability of the thermal emission is likely comparable to that of the nonthermal emission for these bursts. In addition, the analysis of GRB 120323A reveals that the variability of the photospheric emission may be of the opposite phase from that of the nonthermal emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A structured jet is invoked to explain the afterglows and also the prompt emission of GRB 170817A. In this article, we stress that, for a precessing jet, the jet structure in the prompt emission phase and that in the afterglow phase may be different. The jet structure in the afterglow phase can be non-uniform even if a narrow uniform jet is presented in the prompt emission phase. We estimate the jet structure in the afterglow phase in the situation in which a narrow uniform precessing jet is launched from the central engine of the gamma-ray burst. With different precession angles, it is found that the structured jet can be roughly described as follows: a narrow uniform core with power-law wings and sharp cut-off edges, a Gaussian profile, a ring shape or another complex profile in energy per solid angle. Correspondingly, the afterglows for our structured jets are also estimated. We find that estimates of the intrinsic kinetic energy, the electron index and the jet opening angle based on the afterglows formed in a precessing system may be incorrect. Our obtained structured jet is likely to be revealed by future observations for a fraction of gravitational-wave-detected merging compact binary systems (e.g. black hole–neutron star mergers). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid temporal variability has been widely observed in the light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). One possible mechanism for such variability is related to the relativistic eddies in the jet. In this paper, we include the contribution of the inter-eddy medium together with the eddies to the gamma-ray emission. We show that the gamma-ray emission can either lead or lag behind the observed synchrotron emission, where the latter originates in the inter-eddy medium and provides most of the seed photons for producing gamma-ray emission through inverse Compton scattering. As a consequence, we argue that the lead/lag found in non-stationary short-lived light curves may not reveal the intrinsic lead/lag of different emission components. In addition, our results may explain the lead of gamma-ray emission with respect to optical emission observed in GRB 080319B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In accretion systems, outflows may have significant influence on luminosity fluctuations. In this paper, following Lyubarskii's general scheme, we revisit the power spectral density of luminosity fluctuations by taking into account the role of outflows. Our analysis is based on the assumption that the coupling between the local outflow and inflow is weak for accretion-rate fluctuations. We find that, for inflow mass accretion rate , the power spectrum of the flicker-noise component will present a power-law distribution p( f) ∝ f−(1 + 4 s/3) for advection-dominated flows. We also obtain descriptions of p( f) for both standard thin discs and neutrino-cooled discs, which show that the power-law index of a neutrino-cooled disc is generally larger than that of a photon-cooled disc. Furthermore, the relationship obtained between p( f) and s indicates the possibility of evaluating the strength of outflows through the power spectrum in X-ray binaries and gamma-ray bursts. In addition, we discuss the possible influence of outflow-inflow coupling on our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultra-long-duration gamma-ray burst GRB 111209A was found to be associated with a very luminous supernovae (SNe) SN 2011kl. The physics of GRB 111209A/SN 2011kl has been extensively studied in the literature, but such research has not yet settled down. By investigating in detail the characteristics of the X-ray light curve of GRB 111209A, coupled with the temporal and spectral features observed in SN 2011kl, we argue that a short-lived supramassive magnetar could be responsible for the initial shallow X-ray emission. Then the electromagnetic extraction of spin energy from a black hole (BH) results in the steeply declining X-ray flux when the magnetar collapses into a BH. A fraction of the envelope materials falls back and activates the accretion onto the newborn BH, which produces the X-ray rebrightening bump at late times. During this process, a centrifugally driven baryon-rich quasi-isotropic Blandford & Payne outflow from the revived accretion disk deposits its kinetic energy on the SN ejecta, which powers luminous SN 2011kl. Finally, we place a limitation on the magnetar's physical parameters based on the observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a self-consistent paradigm to interpret the striking features of nearby low-luminosity GRB 190829A. Its prompt gamma-ray lightcurve has two separated pulses. We propose that the interaction of the hard prompt gamma-ray photons (keV) of its initial pulse with the dusty medium (AV = 2.33) not only results in the second soft gamma-ray pulse (Ep ∼ 12 keV) but also makes a pre-accelerated e± -rich medium shell via the γγ annihilation. In this paradigm, we show that the observed radio, optical, and X-ray afterglow lightcurves are well-fitted with the forward shock model. Its jet is almost isotropic (θj > 1.0 rad) with a Lorentz factor of ∼35, and the electron density of the e± -rich medium shell is ∼15 cm−3, which is about seven times higher than the electron density of its normal surrounding medium. The GRB ejecta catches up with and propagates into the e± -rich medium shell at a region of R = (4.07–6.46) × 1016 cm. This results in a bright afterglow bump at ∼103 seconds after the GRB trigger. The predicted very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the synchrotron self-Compton process agrees with the H.E.S.S. observation. The derived broadband spectral energy distribution shows that GRB 190829A like nearby GRBs would be promising targets of the VHE gamma-ray telescopes, such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC, and CTA (Cerenkov Telescope Arrays). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to be powered by ultrarelativistic jets. If these jets encounter and accelerate excess electrons and positrons produced by particle dark matter (DM) annihilation, the observed electromagnetic radiation would be enhanced. In this paper, we study GRB afterglow emission with the presence of abundant DM under the weakly interacting massive particle annihilation conditions. We calculate the light curves and spectra of the GRB afterglows with different parameters, i.e., DM density, particle DM mass, annihilation channel, and electron density of the interstellar medium. We find that the effect of DM may become noticeable in the afterglow spectra if the circumburst has a low electron number density () and if the DM has a high number density (). According to the standard galaxy DM density profile, GRB afterglows with DM contribution might occur at distances of several to tens of parsecs from the centers of massive galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present very early ground-based optical follow-up observations of gamma-ray burst (GRB) 140423A, which was discovered by the Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) and by the Fermi/Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor. Its broadband afterglow was monitored by the Swift/X-Ray Telescope and ground-based optical telescopes from T0 + 70.96 s to 4.8 days after the Swift/BAT trigger. This is one more case of a prompt optical emission observation. The temporal and spectral joint fits of the multiwavelength light curves of GRB 140423A reveal that achromatic behavior is consistent with the external shock model, including a transition from a stellar wind to the interstellar medium (ISM) and energy injection. In terms of the optical light curves, there is an onset bump in the early afterglow with a rising index (peaking at s). It then decays with a steep index , and shows a steeper to flatter "transition" with at around T0 + 5000 s. The observed X-ray afterglow reflects achromatic behavior, as does the optical light curve. There is no obvious evolution of the spectral energy distribution between the X-ray and optical afterglows, with an average value of the photon index. This "transition" is consistent with an external shock model having the circumburst medium transition from a wind to the ISM, by introducing a long-lasting energy injection with a Lorentz factor stratification of the ejecta. The best parameters from Monte Carlo Markov Chain fitting are erg, , , , , cm, , , , , and. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 150910A was detected by Swift/Burst Alert Telescope (BAT), and then rapidly observed by Swift/XRT, Swift/Ultraviolet-Optical Telescope, and ground-based telescopes. We report Lick Observatory spectroscopic and photometric observations of GRB 150910A, and we investigate the physical origins of both the optical and X-ray afterglows, incorporating data obtained with BAT and XRT. The light curves show that the jet-emission episode lasts ∼360 s with a sharp pulse from BAT to XRT (Episode I). In Episode II, the optical emission has a smooth onset bump followed by a normal decay (αR,2 ≈ −1.36), as predicted in the standard external shock model, while the X-ray emission exhibits a plateau (αX,1 ≈ −0.36) followed by a steep decay (αX,2 ≈ −2.12). The light curves show obvious chromatic behavior with an excess in the X-ray flux. Our results suggest that GRB 150910A is an unusual GRB driven by a newly born magnetar with its extremely energetic magnetic dipole (MD) wind in Episode II, which overwhelmingly dominates the observed early X-ray plateau. The radiative efficiency of the jet prompt emission is ηγ ≈ 11%. The MD wind emission was detected in both the BAT and XRT bands, making it the brightest among the current sample of MD winds seen by XRT. We infer the initial spin period (P0) and the surface polar cap magnetic field strength (Bp) of the magnetar as 1.02 × 1015 G ≤ Bp ≤ 1.80 × 1015 G and 1 ms ≤ P0v ≤ 1.77 ms, and the radiative efficiency of the wind is ηw ≥ 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence rates of bright X-ray flares in z  < 1 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with or without observed supernovae (SNe) association were compared. Our Sample I: the z  < 1 long GRBs (LGRBs) with SNe association (SN-GRBs) and with early Swift /X-Ray Telescope (XRT) observations, consists of 18 GRBs, among which only two GRBs have bright X-ray flares. Our Sample II: for comparison, all the z  < 1 LGRBs without observed SNe association and with early Swift /XRT observations, consists of 45 GRBs, among which 16 GRBs present bright X-ray flares. Thus, the study indicates a lower occurrence rate of bright X-ray flares in Sample I (11.1 per cent) than in Sample II (35.6 per cent). In addition, if dim X-ray fluctuations are included as flares, then 16.7 per cent of Sample I and 55.6 per cent of Sample II are found to have flares, again showing the discrepancy between these two samples. We examined the physical origin of these bright X-ray flares and found that most of them are probably related to the central engine reactivity. To understand the discrepancy, we propose that such a lower occurrence rate of flares in the SN-GRB sample may hint at an energy partition among the GRB, SNe, and X-ray flares under a saturated energy budget of massive star explosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant X-ray bump of GRB 121027A observed by Swift is different from the typical X-ray flares in gamma-ray bursts. The observed structural variability in the rise and decay phases of the bump has four components. Of these four components, only the data in the bump from about 5300 to about 6100 s is of good enough quality to be analysed using the stepwise filter correlation method. A $86^{+5.9}_{-9.4} \rm s$ periodic oscillation is postulated, which is confirmed by the Lomb–Scargle method. A jet precession model is proposed to account for this variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]