A review of solar type Ⅲ radio bursts

Solar type III radio bursts are an important diagnostic tool in the understanding of solar accelerated electron beams. They are a signature of propagating beams of nonthermal electrons in the solar atmosphere and the solar system. Consequently, they provide information on electron acceleration and transport, and the conditions of the background ambient plasma they travel through. We review the observational properties of type III bursts with an emphasis on recent results and how each property can help identify attributes of electron beams and the ambient background plasma. We also review some of the theoretical aspects of type III radio bursts and cover a number of numerical efforts that simulate electron beam transport through the solar corona and the heliosphere.

Verification of Short-Term Predictions of Solar Soft X-ray Bursts for the Maximum Phase (2000-2001) of Solar Cycle 23

We present a verification of the short-term predictions of solar X-ray bursts for the maximum phase (2000–2001) of Solar Cycle 23, issued by two prediction centers. The results are that the rate of correct predictions is about equal for RWC-China and WWA; the rate of too high predictions is greater for RWC-China than for WWA, while the rate of too low predictions is smaller for RWC-China than for WWA.

Extending the correlation of L_R-L_X to gamma-ray bursts

The well-known correlation between radio luminosity （LR） and X-ray luminosity （Lx）, LR/LX 10^-5, holds for a variety of objects, such as active galactic nuclei, Galactic black holes, solar flares and cool stars. Here we extend the relation to gamma-ray bursts （GRBs） and find that the GRBs also obey a similar LR - LX relation, with a slightly different slope of LR ∝ LX^1.1. This relation implies that the explosions that occur on different scales may have a common underlying origin.

Statistical Properties of X-Ray Bursts from SGR J1935+2154 Detected by Insight-HXMT

As one class of the most important objects in the universe,magnetars can produce a lot of different frequency bursts including X-ray bursts.In Cai et al.,75 X-ray bursts produced by magnetar SGR J1935+2154 during an active period in 2020 are published,including the duration and net photon counts of each burst,and waiting time based on the trigger time difference.In this paper,we utilize the power-law model,dN(x)/dx∝(x+x_0)~((-α)_x),to fit the cumulative distributions of these parameters.It can be found that all the cumulative distributions can be well fitted,which can be interpreted by a self-organizing criticality theory.Furthermore,we check whether this phenomenon still exists in different energy bands and find that there is no obvious evolution.These findings further confirm that the X-ray bursts from magnetars are likely to be generated by some self-organizing critical process,which can be explained by a possible magnetic reconnection scenario in magnetars.

Constraints on generalized Chaplygin gas model including gamma-ray bursts

Generalized Chaplygin gas （whose equation of state is PGCG = -A/ρGCG^α） was proposed as a candidate for unification of dark energy and dark matter. We investigate constraints on this model with the latest observed data. We test the model with type-Ia supernovae （SNe Ia）, cosmic microwave background （CMB） anisotropy, X-ray gas mass fractions in clusters, and gamma-ray bursts （GRBs）. We calibrate the GRB luminosity relations without assuming any cosmological models using SNe Ia. We show that GRBs can extend the Hubble diagram to higher redshifts （z 〉 6）. The GRB Hubble diagram is well behaved and delineates the shape of the Hubble diagram well. We measure As≡A/ρGCG,0^α＋1 =0.68-0.08^＋0.04（where PGCG,0 is the energy density today） and α=-0.22 -0.13^＋0.15 at the 1σ confidence level using all the datasets. Our results rule out the standard Chaplygin gas model （α = 1） at the 3σ confidence level. The ACDM is allowed at the 2σ confidence level. We find that acceleration could have started at a redshift of z - 0.70. The concordance of the generalized Chaplygin gas model with the age estimate of an old high redshift quasar is found. In addition, we show that GRBs can break the degeneracy between the generalized Chaplygin gas model and the XCDM model.

Effects of Magnetic Fields on Neutrino-dominated Accretion Model for Gamma-ray Bursts

Many models of gamma-ray bursts suggest a common central engine; a black hole of several solar masses accreting matter from a disk at an accretion rate from 0.01 to 10 M⊙s^-1, the inner region of the disk is cooled by neutrino emission and large amounts of its binding energy are liberated, which could trigger the fireball. We improve the neutrino- dominated accreting flows by including the effects of magnetic fields. We find that more than half of the liberated energy can be extracted directly by the large-scale magnetic fields in the disk, and it turns out that the temperature of the disk is a bit lower than the neutrino-dominated accreting flows without magnetic field. Therefore, the outflows are magnetically-dominated rather than neutrino dominated. In our model, the neutrino mechanism can fuel some GRBs （not the brightest ones）, but cannot fuel X-ray flares. The magnetic processes （both BZ and electromagnetic luminosity from a disk） are viable mechanisms for most of GRBs and their following X-ray flares.

Stellar reaction rate of 55Ni（p,γ）56Cu in Type I X-ray bursts

56Cu is close to the waiting-point nucleus 56Ni and lies on the rapid proton capture（rp） process path in Type I X-ray bursts（XRBs）. In this work, we obtained a revised thermonuclear reaction rate of 55Ni（p,γ）56Cu in the temperature region relevant to XRBs. This rate was recalculated based on the recent experimental level structure in 56Cu, the recently measured proton separation energy of Sp = 579.8（7.1） keV, together with shell-model calculation, and the mirror nuclear structure in 56Co. The associated uncertainties in the rates were estimated by a Monte Carlo method. Our revised rate is significantly different from the recent results, which were partially based on experimental results; in addition, we found that a result in a previous work was incorrect. We recommend our revised rate to be incorporated in the future astrophysical network calculations.

Not enough evidence to support the correlation between gamma-ray bursts and foreground galaxy clusters in the Swift Era

The correlation between distant Gamma-Ray Bursts （GRBs） and foreground galaxy clusters is re-examined by using the well localized （with an accuracy down to a few arcsec） Swift/XRT GRBs. The galaxy clusters are compiled from both the X-ray selected ROSAT brightest cluster sample （BCS） and the BCS extension by requiring δ ≥ 0° and b ≥ 20°. The Swift/XRT GRBs fulfilling the above selection criteria are cross-correlated with the clusters. Both Nearest-Neighbor analysis and the angular two-point cross-correlation function show that there is not enough evidence supporting the correlation between the GRBs and foreground clusters. We suggest that the non-correlation is probably related to the GRB number-flux relation slope.

Latest cosmological constraints on Cardassian expansion models including the updated gamma-ray bursts

We constrain the Cardassian expansion models from the latest observa- tions, including the updated Gamma-ray bursts （GRBs）, which are calibrated using a cosmology independent method from the Union2 compilation of type Ia supernovae （SNe Ia）. By combining the GRB data with the joint observations from the Union2 SNe Ia set, along with the results from the Cosmic Microwave Background radia- tion observation from the seven-year Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe and the baryonic acoustic oscillation observation galaxy sample from the spectroscopic Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release. we find significant constraints on the model oarameters of the original Cardassian model ΩM0=0.282-0.014^0.015,n=0.03-0.05^＋0.05 and n=-0.16-3.26^＋0.25,β=0.76-0.58^＋0.34 of the modified polytropic Cardassian model, which are consistent with the ACDM model in a l-or confidence region. From the reconstruction of the deceleration parameter q（z） in Cardassian models, we obtain the transition redshift ZT = 0.73 ± 0.04 for the original Cardassian model and ZT = 0.68 ± 0.04 for the modified polytropic Cardassian model.

Statistical studies of optically dark gamma-ray bursts in the Swift era

We compare the properties of optically dark GRBs, defined by the optical-to-X- ray spectral indexβox 〈 0.5, and normal ones discovered by the Swift satellite before the year 2008 in a statistical way, using data collected from the literature and online databases. Our sample includes 200 long bursts, 19 short bursts, and 10 with measured high redshifts （z ≥ 4）. The ratio of dark bursts is found to be -10% - 20%, and is similar among long bursts, short ones, and the high-z sub-sample. The result for long bursts is consistent with both the pre-Swift sample and studies by other authors on smaller Swift samples. The existence of dark short GRBs is pointed out for the first time. The X-ray derived hydrogen column densities of dark GRBs clearly prefer large values compared with those of normal bursts. This supports the dust extinction scenario as the main cause of dark GRBs. Other possibilities like very high redshifts and non-standard emission mechanisms are less likely, although not fully excluded.

A report on TypeⅡX-ray bursts from SMC X-1

We study RXTE PCA data for the high mass X-ray binary source SMC X-1 between 2003–10 and 2003–12 when the source was in its high states.The source is found to be frequently bursting which can be seen as flares in lightcurves that occur at a rate of one every 800 s, with an average of 4–5 Type Ⅱ X-ray bursts per hour.We note that typically a burst was short, lasting for a few tens of seconds in addition to a few long bursts spanning more than a hundred seconds that were also observed.The flares apparently occupied 2.5% of the total observing time of 225.5 ks.We note a total of 272 flares with mean FWHM of the flare ～21 s.The rms variability and aperiodic variability are independent of flares.As observed, the pulse profiles of the lightcurves do not change their shape, implying that there is no change in the geometry of an accretion disk due to a burst.The hardness ratio and rms variability of lightcurves exhibit no correlation with the flares.The flare fraction shows a positive correlation with the peak-to-peak ratio of the primary and secondary peaks of the pulse profile.The observed hardening or softening of the spectrum cannot be correlated with the flaring rate but may be due to the interstellar absorption of X-rays as evident from the change in hydrogen column density(n_H).It is found that the luminosity of the source increases with the flaring rate.Considering that the viscous timescale is equal to the mean recurrence time of flares, we fixed the viscosity parameter α ～ 0.16.

A Test on Different Types of the Time Curve of Hardness Ratio of Gamma-Ray Bursts based on the Curvature Effect

We analyzed a sample of 66 gamma-ray bursts （GRBs） and statistically confirmed the prediction on the time curve of the hardness ratio of GRBs made by Qin et al. based on the curvature effect. In their analysis, GRB pulses are divided into three types according to the shape of their raw hardness ratio （RHR） time curves, defined as to include the background counts to the signal counts, so as to make use of counts within small time intervals. Of the three types, very hard sources exhibit a perfect pulse-like profile （type 1）, hard bursts possess a pulse-like profile with a dip in the decay phase （type 2）, and soft bursts show no pulse-like profile but have only a dipped profile （type 3）. In terms of the conventional hardness ratio, type 3 sources are indeed generally softer than those of type 1 and type 2, in agreement with the prediction. We found that the minimum value of RHR is sensitive in distinguishing the different types. We propose that GRB pulses can be classified according to the minimum value of RHR and that the different type sources may be connected with different strengths of the shock or/and the magnetic field.

The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for three redshift distributions of long gamma-ray bursts in the Swift Era

We investigate redshift distributions of three long burst samples, with the first sample containing 131 long bursts with observed redshifts, the second including 220 long bursts with pseudo-redshifts calculated by the variability-luminosity relation, and the third including 1194 long bursts with pseudo-redshifls calculated by the lag-luminosity relation, respectively. In the redshift range 0-1 the Kolmogorov-Smirnov probability of the observed redshift distribution and that of the variability-luminosity relation is large. In the redshift ranges 1-2, 2-3, 3-6.3 and 0-37, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov probabilities of the redshift distribution from lag-luminosity relation and the observed redshift distribution are also large. For the GRBs, which appear both in the two pseudo-redshift burst samples, the KS probability of the pseudo-redshift distribution from the lag-luminosity relation and the observed reshift distribution is 0.447, which is very large. Based on these results, some conclusions are drawn： i） the V-Liso relation might be more believable than the τ-Liso relation in low redshift ranges and the τ-Liso relation might be more real than the V-Liso relation in high redshift ranges; ii） if we do not consider the redshift ranges, the τ-Liso relation might be more physical and intrinsical than the V-Liso relation.

X-ray plateaus followed by sharp drops in GRBs 060413, 060522, 060607A and 080330: Further evidences for central engine afterglow from gamma-ray bursts

The X-ray afterglows of GRBs 060413, 060522, 060607A and 080330 are characterized by a plateau followed by a very sharp drop. The plateau could be explained within the framework of the external forward shock model but the sharp drop can not. We interpret the plateau as the afterglows of magnetized central engines, plausibly magnetars. In this model, the X-ray afterglows are powered by the internal magnetic energy dissipation and the sudden drop is caused by the collapse of the magnetar. Accordingly, the X-ray plateau photons should have a high linear polarization, which can be tested by future X-ray polarimetry.

Gamma-ray bursts and their links with supernovae and cosmology

Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous explosions in the Universe, whose origin and mechanism are the focus of intense interest. They appear connected to su- pernova remnants from massive stars or the merger of their remnants, and their bright- ness makes them temporarily detectable out to the largest distances yet explored in the universe. After pioneering breakthroughs from space and ground experiments, their study is entering a new phase with observations from the recently launched Fermi satellite, as well as the prospect of detections or limits from large neutrino and gravitational wave detectors. The interplay between such observations and theoretical models of gamma-ray bursts is reviewed, and cosmology. as well as their connections to supernovae

Delayed onset and fast rise of prompt optical-UV emission from gamma-ray bursts in molecular clouds

Observations imply that long ＂y-ray bursts （GRBs） originate from the explo- sions of massive stars, therefore they may occur in the molecular clouds where their progenitors were born. We show that the prompt optical-UV emission from GRBs may be delayed due to dust extinction, which can explain the observed optical delayed on- set and fast rise in GRB 080319B well. The density and the size of the molecular cloud around GRB 080319B are roughly constrained to be ~ 103 cm-z and ~ 8 pc, respectively. We also investigate other GRBs with prompt optical-UV data, and find similar values of the densities and sizes of the local molecular clouds. Future obser- vations of prompt optical-UV emission from GRBs on a timescale of subseconds, e.g. by UFFO-Pathfinder and SVOM-GWAC, will provide more evidence and probes of the local environments of GRBs.

X-ray and optical plateaus following the main bursts in GRBs and SNe Ⅱ-P: a hint about similar late injection behaviors?

We analyze the emission plateaus in the X-ray afterglow light curves of gamma-ray bursts （GRBs） and those in the optical light curves of type Ⅱ plateau su- pernovae （SNe Ⅱ-P） in order to study whether they have similar late energy injection behaviors. We show that correlations of bolometric energies （or luminosities） between the prompt explosions and the plateaus for the two phenomena are similar. The energy emitted by SNe II-P are at the lower end of the range of possible energies for GRBs. The bolometric energies （or luminosities） in the prompt phase Eexpl （or Lexpl） and in the plateau phase E_plateau （or L_plateau） share relations of E_expl ∝E _0.73±0.14_plateau and L_expl ∝ L^-0.70_plateau. These results may indicate a similar late energy injection behavior that produces the observed plateaus in these two phenomena.

A Detailed Study on the Equal Arrival Time Surface Effect in Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglows

Due to the relativistic motion of gamma-ray burst remnant and its deceleration in the circumburst medium, the equal arrival time surfaces at any moment are not spherical, rather, they are distorted ellipsoids. This will leave some imprints in the afterglows. We study the effect of equal arrival time surfaces numerically for various circumstances, i.e., isotropic fireballs, collimated jets, density jumps and energy injection events. For each case, a direct comparison is made between including and not including the effect. For isotropic fireballs and jets viewed on axis, the effect slightly hardens the spectra and postpones the peak time of the afterglows, but does not change the shapes of the spectra and light curves significantly. In the cases of a density jump or an energy injection, the effect smears out the variations in the afterglows markedly.

Study of temporal evolution of emission spectrum in a steeply rising submillimeter burst

The temporal evolution of a spectrum during a steeply rising submillimeter（THz） burst that occurred on 2003 November 2 was investigated in detail for the first time.Observations show that the flux density of the THz spectrum increased steeply with frequency above 200 GHz.Their average rising rates reached a value of 235 sfu GHz^（-1）（corresponding to spectral index α of 4.8） during the burst.The flux densities reached about 4 000 and 70 000 sfu at 212 and 405 GHz at the maximum phase,respectively.The emissions at 405 GHz maintained such a continuous high level that they largely exceeded the peak values of the microwave（MW） spectra during the main phase.Our studies suggest that only energetic electrons with a low-energy cutoff of~ 1 MeV and number density of ~ 10~6-10~8 cm^（-3） can produce such a strong and steeply rising THz component via gyrosynchrotron radiation based on numerical simulations of burst spectra in the case of a nonuniform magnetic field.The electron number density N,derived from our numerical fits to the THz temporal evolution spectra,increased substantially from 8 ×10~6 to 4 × 10~8 cm^（-3）,i.e.,the N value increased 50 times during the rise phase.During the decay phase it decreased to 7 ×10~7 cm^（-3）,i.e.,it decreased by about five times from the maximum phase.The total electron number decreased an order of magnitude from the maximum phase to the decay phase.Nevertheless,the variation in amplitude of N is only about one time in the MW emission source during this burst,and the total electron number did not decrease but increased by about 20%during the decay phase.Interestingly,we find that the THz source radius decreased by about 24%while the MW source radius,on the contrary,increased by 28%during the decay phase.

Broad-band spectroscopy of the transient X-ray binary pulsar KS 1947+300 during 2013 giant outburst: Detection of pulsating soft X-ray excess component

We present the results obtained from detailed timing and spectral studies of the Be/X-ray binary pulsar KS 1947＋300 during its 2013 giant outburst. We used data from Suzaku observations of the pulsar at two epochs, i.e. on 2013 October 22 （close to the peak of the outburst） and 2013 November 22. X- ray pulsations at - 18.81 s were clearly detected in the light curves obtained from both observations. Pulse periods estimated during the outburst showed that the pulsar was spinning up. The pulse profile was found to be single-peaked up to -10 keV beyond which a sharp peak followed by a dip-like feature appeared at hard X-rays. The dip-like feature has been observed up to -70 keV. The 1-110 keV broad-band spectroscopy of both observations revealed that the best-fit model was comprised of a partially absorbed Negative and Positive power law with EXponential cutoff （NPEX） continuum model along with a blackbody component for the soft X-ray excess and two Gaussian functions at 6.4 and 6.7 keV for emission lines. Both the lines were identified as emission from neutral and He-like iron atoms. To fit the spectra, we included the previously reported cyclotron absorption line at 12.2 keV. From the spin-up rate, the magnetic field of the pulsar was estimated to be -1.2 x 10^12 G and found to be comparable to that obtained from the detection of the cyclotron absorption feature. Pulse-phase resolved spectroscopy revealed the pulsating nature of the soft X-ray excess component in phase with the continuum flux. This confirms that the accretion column and/or accretion stream are the most probable regions of the soft X-ray excess emission in KS1947＋300. The presence of the pulsating soft X-ray excess in phase with continuum emission may be the possible reason for not observing the dip at soft X-rays.