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Title: An inverse Compton origin for the 55 GeV photon in the late afterglow of GRB 130907A

Abstract

The extended high-energy gamma-ray (>100 MeV) emission which occurs well after the prompt gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is usually explained as the afterglow synchrotron radiation. Here we report the analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of GRB 130907A. A 55 GeV photon compatible with the position of the burst was found about 5 hr after the prompt phase. The probability that this photon is associated with GRB 130907A is higher than 99.96%. The energy of this photon exceeds the maximum synchrotron photon energy at this time and its occurrence thus challenges the synchrotron mechanism as the origin for the extended high-energy >10 GeV emission. Modeling of the broadband spectral energy distribution suggests that such high energy photons can be produced by the synchrotron self-Compton emission of the afterglow.

Authors:
;  [1]
  1. School of Astronomy and Space Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22356584
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 788; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; AFTERGLOW; COSMIC GAMMA BURSTS; EMISSION; ENERGY SPECTRA; GAMMA RADIATION; GEV RANGE; MEV RANGE; PHOTONS; PROBABILITY; SIMULATION; SYNCHROTRON RADIATION

Citation Formats

Tang, Qing-Wen, Wang, Xiang-Yu, and Tam, Pak-Hin Thomas, E-mail: xywang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: phtam@phys.nthu.edu.tw. An inverse Compton origin for the 55 GeV photon in the late afterglow of GRB 130907A. United States: N. p., 2014. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/156.
Tang, Qing-Wen, Wang, Xiang-Yu, & Tam, Pak-Hin Thomas, E-mail: xywang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: phtam@phys.nthu.edu.tw. An inverse Compton origin for the 55 GeV photon in the late afterglow of GRB 130907A. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/156
Tang, Qing-Wen, Wang, Xiang-Yu, and Tam, Pak-Hin Thomas, E-mail: xywang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: phtam@phys.nthu.edu.tw. 2014. "An inverse Compton origin for the 55 GeV photon in the late afterglow of GRB 130907A". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/156.
@article{osti_22356584,
title = {An inverse Compton origin for the 55 GeV photon in the late afterglow of GRB 130907A},
author = {Tang, Qing-Wen and Wang, Xiang-Yu and Tam, Pak-Hin Thomas, E-mail: xywang@nju.edu.cn, E-mail: phtam@phys.nthu.edu.tw},
abstractNote = {The extended high-energy gamma-ray (>100 MeV) emission which occurs well after the prompt gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is usually explained as the afterglow synchrotron radiation. Here we report the analysis of Fermi Large Area Telescope observations of GRB 130907A. A 55 GeV photon compatible with the position of the burst was found about 5 hr after the prompt phase. The probability that this photon is associated with GRB 130907A is higher than 99.96%. The energy of this photon exceeds the maximum synchrotron photon energy at this time and its occurrence thus challenges the synchrotron mechanism as the origin for the extended high-energy >10 GeV emission. Modeling of the broadband spectral energy distribution suggests that such high energy photons can be produced by the synchrotron self-Compton emission of the afterglow.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/788/2/156},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22356584}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 788,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014},
month = {Fri Jun 20 00:00:00 EDT 2014}
}