伽马射线暴的光度-光变复杂度关系

伽马射线暴的光变复杂度是描述其光变曲线复杂程度的物理量.由已知红移的伽马射线暴,Reichart等人发现其光变复杂度与各向同性光度之间有正相关性(LαVα,α在1.77～3.5之间),即光变越复杂,光度越高.此相关性类似于造父变星的周光关系,可用来估计伽马暴的距离和红移.调研、分析了各种光变复杂度的定义、算法和光变复杂度-各向同性光度关系的拟合结果,最后对光变复杂度和光度之间的关系做了总结和展望.     

X-ray emission lines in the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts

We computed the thermal time-dependent X-ray spectrum of a hot plasma in the vicinity of a gamma-ray burst (GRB). An allowance for time-dependent processes in a hot rarefied plasma is shown to strongly affect the observed spectrum. These computations can give an alternative explanation for the observed X-ray emission lines in the early afterglows of GRBs (e.g., GRB 011211). Our technique allows the GRB collimation angle and the environment clumpiness parameters to be independently constrained.     

Time-resolved spectral analysis of prompt emission from long gamma-ray bursts with GeV emission

We performed detailed time-resolved spectroscopy of bright long gammaray bursts(GRBs)which show significant GeV emissions(GRB 080916C,GRB090902B and GRB 090926A).In addition to the standard Band model,we also use a model consisting of a black body and a power law to fit the spectra.We find that for the latter model there are indications of an additional soft component in the spectra.While previous studies have shown that such models are required for GRB 090902B,here we find that a composite spectral model consisting of two blackbodies and a power law adequately fits the data of all the three bright GRBs.We investigate the evolution of the spectral parameters and find several interesting features that appear in all three GRBs,like(a)temperatures of the blackbodies are strongly correlated with each other,(b)fluxes in the black body components are strongly correlated with each other,(c)the temperatures of the black body trace the profile of the individual pulses of the GRBs,and(d)the characteristics of power law components like the spectral index and the delayed onset bear a close similarity to the emission characteristics in the GeV regions.We discuss the implications of these results and the possibility of identifying the radiation mechanisms during the prompt emission of GRBs.     

Constraints on the luminosities of gamma-ray bursts

Constraints are found on the gamma-ray burst luminosity function from an analysis of the combined BATSE/PVO intensity distribution. If bursts originate in an extended Galactic halo, then the intrinsic luminosity range is narrow, with bursts spanning only a factor of five or less in luminosity. If bursts originate in a simple Friedmann cosmology with = 1 and = 0, then very few luminosity constraints exist.National Research Council Fellow at NASA/MSFC     

High-energy afterglow emission from gamma-ray bursts

We calculate the very high-energy (sub-GeV to TeV) inverse Compton emission of GRB afterglows. We argue that this emission provides a powerful test of the currently accepted afterglow model. We focus on two processes: synchrotron self-Compton emission within the afterglow blast wave, and external inverse Compton emission which occurs when flare photons (produced by an internal process) pass through the blast wave. We show that if our current interpretations of the Swift X-ray telescope (XRT) data are correct, there should be a canonical high-energy afterglow emission light curve. Our predictions can be tested with high-energy observatories such as GLAST , Whipple, HESS and MAGIC. Under favourable conditions we expect afterglow detections in all these detectors.     

Anisotropy in the sky distribution of short gamma-ray bursts

We analyze the sky distribution of various types of cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs): short, long, and intermediate; they are determined by burst duration T ₉₀ (T ₉₀ is the time during which 90% of the burst energy is accumulated). We have found an anisotropy in the distribution of intermediate (2 s < T ₉₀ < 8 s) and short (T ₉₀ < 8 s) GRBs in the form of spots with an enhanced GRB concentration near the Galactic coordinates l=115° and b=30°. Given the BATSE nonuniform exposure function, the statistical significance of the anisotropy is 99.89% for intermediate GRBs and 99.99% for short GRBs. Thus, we suggest that this anisotropy has a natural origin and is not caused by BATSE instrumental effects.     

Determining the acceleration height of the electrons responsible for bremsstrahlung gamma-ray bursts with energies above 10 MeV during the solar flares of April 2, 1982, and March 26, 1991

We determined the acceleration height of the electrons that produced short high-energy gamma-ray bursts with E _γ > 10 MeV during the development of the solar flares on March 26, 1991, and April 2, 1982. In both cases, the height was found to be h _acc<4×10⁹ cm. This result suggests that the low acceleration location is a typical and, possibly, necessary condition for electron acceleration up to tens and hundreds of MeV. We describe two different methods of height determination that are based on a multi-wave analysis of flares.     

Ultrahigh-energy gamma-ray emission from the Geminga pulsar

In 1996–1997, the Geminga pulsar was observed at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory with a ground-based gamma-ray telescope. An analysis of the observational data suggests that this object is a source of ultrahigh-energy gamma rays. An analysis of the temporal distribution of gamma-ray photons by an epoch-folding technique reveals a periodicity in the gamma-ray emission with a period of 0.237 s.     

The statistical properties of cosmic gamma-ray bursts

Recent localizations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GBRs) are studied taking into account the estimations of their intensities. The increase of the avergage intensity of GRBs along galactic longitudesl=220–260° andl=40–80° is found. It may be associated with the Orion spiral arm and the central region of the Galaxy. Corresponding enhancement of the number of intense GRBs for directions along the Orion arm is also found. Astrophysical conclusions from this possible galaxy-scale distribution of GRBs are discussed.     

A simple test of the external shock model for the prompt emission in gamma-ray bursts

It is demonstrated here that if the prompt GRB emission is produced by the simplest version of the external shock model, a specific relation should prevail between the observed duration, isotropic equivalent energy, and photon peak energy. In essence, this relation arises because both the burst duration and the typical energy of the emitted synchrotron photons depend on the same combination of the, usually poorly constrained, external density at the deceleration radius, n_dec, and initial bulk Lorentz factor, Γ₀. This has the fortunate consequence of making the relation independent of both Γ₀ and n_dec. Unless the efficiency of electron acceleration is very low, synchrotron gamma-rays from the external shock would fail to meet the current observational constraints for the vast majority of GRBs, including those with a smooth, single peak temporal profile. This argues either against an external shock origin for the prompt emission in GRBs or for changes in our understanding of the microphysical and radiation processes occurring within the shocked region.     

Oscillation structure of gamma-ray bursts and their possible origin

It is hypothesized that thermonuclear burning of the matter from the envelope of a massive compact star accreting onto a hot neutron star produced by spherically symmetric collapse of a stellar iron core can proceed in oscillation mode (much as is the case during thermal explosions of carbon-oxygen cores in lower mass stars). Local density oscillations near the neutron-star surface can generate shock waves; in these shocks, the electron-positron plasma is stratified from the remaining matter, and shells of an expanding relativistic fireball with an oscillation time scale in cosmological gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) of ～10^?2 s are formed. It is pointed out that the GRB progenitors can be nonrotating massive Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars whose collapse, according to observational data, can proceed without any substantial envelope ejection.     

γ射线暴X射线耀发的研究进展

射线暴是宇宙中恒星尺度的最剧烈爆发现象。γ射线暴瞬时辐射结束后,进入余辉辐射阶段。X射线耀发是γ射线暴X射线辐射衰减过程中出现的短时标闪耀现象。X射线耀发的脉冲轮廓具有不对称性,其上升时标小于下降时标。在部分γ射线暴中,X射线耀发的亮度达到瞬时辐射的亮度。X射线耀发的持续时间与峰值时间具有线性关系。X射线耀发的光谱比X射线余辉的光谱硬。早期X射线耀发与晚期X射线耀发相比,其脉冲轮廓较窄,光谱较硬。X射线耀发产生的物理过程类似于γ射线暴瞬时辐射的物理过程。在火球(fireball)模型中,内部壳层之间发生碰撞,产生的内激波加速电子,电子的同步辐射产生X射线耀发。当火球扫过星际介质,外激波加速电子时,电子的同步辐射也可产生X射线耀发。在光球(photospere)模型中,能量耗散发生在光学厚的区域,热辐射的光谱峰值落在X射线能段附近,γ射线暴的喷流在光球半径处会产生X射线耀发。如果γ射线暴喷流由坡印亭能流主导,喷流就会与星际介质相互作用,磁场的不稳定性使磁场发生耗散,产生的能量形成X射线耀发。γ射线暴的喷流具有几何效应。一部分同步辐射可能发生在喷流辐射面的高纬度处。由于曲率效应(curva...     

Investigation of gamma-ray bursts with known redshifts: Statistical analysis of parameters

Observational parameters of the optical and gamma-ray emissions from 58 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with discovered afterglows and known redshifts are analyzed. The distributions of these parameters and pair correlations between them are studied. Approximately half of the objects exhibit a relatively slow decrease in the optical flux at initial afterglow phases (with a power-law index in the decay law α < 1). Correlations have been found between the luminosities, energies, and durations of the optical and gamma-ray emissions, which can be explained by the presence of universal features in the light curves. A correlation of the peak luminosity for afterglows with the redshift and an anticorrelation of their durations with the redshift have been found for the first time. Against the background of a weak z dependence of the total afterglow energy, this effect can be explained by cosmological evolution of the GRB environment, which determines the rate of optical energy release.     

Analysis of the spatial distribution of gamma-ray bursts in their host galaxies

We compare the radial distributions of known localized gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) relative to the centers of their host galaxies with the distributions of known objects in nearby galaxies (supernovae of various types, X-ray binaries), the hypothetical dark-matter profiles, and the distribution of luminous matter in galaxies in the model of an exponential disk. By comparing the moments of empirical distributions, we show that the radial distribution of GRBs in galaxies differs significantly from that of other sources. We suggest a new statistical method for comparing empirical samples that is based on estimating the number of objects within a given radius. The exponential disk profile was found to be in best agreement with the radial distribution of GRBs. The distribution of GRBs relative to the centers of their host galaxies also agrees with the dark matter profile at certain model parameters.     

Observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts with the main detector of the SIGMA telescope onboard the Granat Observatory

We present the observations of cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with the main detector of the SIGMA telescope onboard the Granat Observatory from January 1990 through September 1994. The observations were carried out in the energy range 35–1300 keV. We detected 36 GRBs and 31 high-energy solar flares during this period. No GRB fell within the main field of view; they were all recorded by the “secondary optics” of the telescope. The SIGMA telescope recorded relatively bright bursts with peak fluxes of 10^?6–10^?4 erg s^?1 cm^?2 in the 100–500-keV energy band. Stable detector background allows the long-term variability of GRB sources on a time scale of ～1000 s to be studied. The results of our search for early afterglows of GRBs are presented. The flux averaged over all bursts in the interval 100–800 s after the main event is 0.36±0.14 counts s^?(35–300 keV), suggesting that there is soft gamma-ray emission on this time scale after a considerable number of GRBs.