Gamma-Ray Bursts: Relativistic shells or central engines?
In many models of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) relativistic shells are responsible for the overall envelope of emission. The authors use kinematics and symmetry to calculate the time history and spectral evolution expected from a relativistic shell including effects from intrinsic variations in the shell`s intensity and spectra. They find that the decay phase of an envelope is produced by photons delayed by the shell`s curvature. These delayed photons are produced by regions that are off-axis such that the spectra evolve according to a universal function ({proportional_to} T{sup {minus}1}) regardless of intrinsic variations in the rest frame of the shell. They compare these predictions to the overall envelope of emission of GRBs. The observed spectra evolve faster ({approximately} T{sup {minus}3}). Intrinsic variations cannot make the spectra evolve that fast, which adds strength to the shell symmetry problem: models, in particular, the external shock model, that involve relativistic shells must either confine the material to narrow pencil beams, be very inefficient, or break the local spherical symmetry so that the shell acts like a parallel slab. In the case of the internal shock models involving winds (i.e., central engines), it will probably be easier to break the local spherical symmetry, but the none must postulate nearly continuous energy generation at 10{sup 51} erg s{sup {minus}1} lasting up to hundreds of seconds at the central site.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 515644
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-97-1675; CONF-9703111-1; ON: DE97008181; TRN: AHC29718%%159
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: All-sky x-ray observations in the next decade workshop, Tokyo (Japan), Mar 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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