Ring-Shaped Jets in Gamma-Ray Bursts

When the axis of a gamma-ray burst （GRB） does not coincide with the spin axis of its source, there may result a ring-shaped jet. Using some refined jet dynamics, we calculate multi-wavelength afterglow light curves for such ring-shaped jets. In the R-band we find an obvious break in the afterglow light curve due to the beaming effect and the break is affected by many parameters, such as the electron energy fraction ζe, the magnetic energy fraction ζB^2, the width of ring △θ and the medium number density n. The overall light curve can be divided into three power-law stages, i.e., an ultra-relativistic stage, an after-break stage and a deep Newtonian stage. For each stage the power-law index is larger in the ring-shaped jet than in the corresponding conical jet.

X-ray Emission Lines in GRB Afterglows: Evidence for a Two-component Jet Model

X-ray emission lines have been observed in X-ray afterglows of several T-ray bursts （GRBs）. It is a major breakthrough for understanding the nature of the progenitors. It has been proposed that the X-ray emission lines can be well explained by the Geometry-Dominated models, but in these models the illuminat- ing angle is much larger than that of the collimated jet of the GRB. For GRB 011211, we have obtained an illuminating angle of about 0 - 45°, while the angle of the GRB jet is only 3.6°. So we propose that the outflow of GRBs with emission lines should have two distinct components： a wide component that illuminates the reprocessing material and produces the emission lines and a narrow one that produces the GRB. Observations show the energy for producing the emission lines is higher than that of the GRB. In this case, when the wide component dominates the afterglows, a bump should appear in the GRB afterglow. For GRB 011211, the bump should occur within 0.05 days of the GRB, which is obviously too early for the observation to catch it. Alongside the X-ray emission lines there should also be a bright emission component between the UV and the soft X-rays. These features can be tested by the Swift satellite in the near future.

A two-component jet model based on the Blandford-Znajek and Blandford-Payne processes

We propose a two-component jet model consistent with the observations of several gamma ray bursts （GRBs） and active galactic nuclei （AGNs）. The jet consists of inner and outer components, which are supposed to be driven by the Blandford- Znajek （BZ） and Blandford-Payne （BP） processes, respectively. The baryons in the BP jet are accelerated centrifugally via the magnetic field anchored in the accretion disk. The BZ jet is assumed to be entrained in a fraction of accreting matter leaving the inner edge of the accretion disk, and the baryons are accelerated in the conversion from electromagnetic energy to kinetic energy. By fitting the Lorentz factors of some GRBs （GRB 030329, GRB 051221A and GRB 080413B） and AGNs （Cen A, Mkn 501 and Mkn 421） with this model, we constrain the physical parameters related to the accretion and outflow of these two kinds of objects. We conclude that the spine/sheath structure of the jet from these sources can be interpreted naturally by the BZ and BP processes.

Constraint on the counter-jet emission in gamma-ray burst afterglows from GRB 980703

We present a numerical investigation of emission from the receding jet of gamma-ray bursts.It is found that the peak time of the receding jet emission is significantly affected by synchrotron self-absorption in radio wavelengths.However,the receding jet component is generally very weak.It is observable mainly for those nearby events in a dense environment.Although GRB 980703 has been observed in radio wavelengths for more than 1000 days,we argue that the receding jet emission still has not been detected for this event.Actually,it is completely submerged by the host galaxy.

Magnetic reconnection acceleration of astrophysical jets for different jet geometries

The acceleration mechanisms of relativistic jets are of great importance for understanding various astrophysical phenomena such as gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei and microquasars. One of the most popular scenarios is that the jets are initially Poynting-flux dominated and succumb to magnetohydrodynamic instability leading to magnetic reconnections. We suggest that the reconnection timescale and efficiency could strongly depend on the geometry of the jet, which determines the length scale on which the orientations of the field lines change. In contrast to a usually- assumed conical jet, the acceleration of a collimated jet can be found to be more rapid and efficient （i.e. a much more highly saturated Lorentz factor can be reached） while the jets with lateral expansion show the opposite behavior. The shape of the jet could be formed due to the lateral squeezing on the jet by the stellar envelope of a collapsing massive star or the interaction of the jet with stellar winds.

GRB jet beaming angle statistics

Existing theory and models suggest that a Type I （merger） GRB should have a larger jet beaming angle than a Type II （collapsar） GRB, but so far no statistical evidence is available to support this suggestion. In this paper, we obtain a sample of 37 beaming angles and calculate the probability that this is true. A correction is also devised to account for the scarcity of Type I GRBs in our sample. The probability is calculated to be 83% without the correction and 71% with it.

Gamma-Ray Bursts: Afterglows and Central Engines

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most intense transient gamma-ray events in the sky; this, together with the strong evidence (the isotropic and inhomogeneous distribution of GRBs detected by BASTE) that they are located at cosmological distances, makes them the most energetic events ever known. For example, the observed radiation energies of some GRBs are equivalent to the total convertion into radiation of the mass energy of more than one solar mass. This is thousand times stronger than the energy of a supernova explosion. Some unconventional energy mechanism and extremely high conversion efficiency for these mysterious events are required. The discovery of host galaxies and association with supernovae at cosmological distances by the recently launched satellite of BeppoSAX and ground based radio and optical telescopes in GRB afterglow provides further support to the cosmological origin of GRBs and put strong constraints on their central engine. It is the aim of this article to review the possible central engines, energy mechanisms, dynamical and spectral evolution of GRBs, especially focusing on the afterglows in multi-wavebands.

Effect of Conversion Efficiency on Gamma-Ray Burst Energy

Beaming effect makes it possible that gamma-ray bursts have a standardenergy, but the gamma-ray energy release is sensitive to some parameters. Our attention is focusedon the effect of the gamma ray conversion efficiency (η_γ), which may range between 0.01 and 0.9,and which probably has a random value for different GRBs under certain conditions. Making use of theafterglow data from the literature, we carried out a complete correction to the conical openingangle formula. Within the framework of the conical jet model, we ran a simple Monte Carlo simulationfor random values of η_γ, and found that the gamma-ray energy release is narrowly clustered,whether we use a constant value of η_γ or random values for different gamma-ray bursts.

On the Evolution of the Apparent Size of Gamma-Ray Burst Remnants

The remnants of two gamma-ray bursts, GRB 030329 and GRB 041227, have been resolved by Very Long Baseline Interferometry observations. The radio counterparts were observed to expand with time. These observations provide an important way to test the dynamics of the standard fireball model. We show that the observed size evolution of these two events cannot be explained by a simple jet model, rather, it can be satisfactorily explained by the two-component jet model. It strongly hints that gamma-ray burst ejecta may have complicated structures.

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.

伽玛射线暴:各向同性火球还是柱形喷流?

多数伽玛射线暴的光学余辉衰减较平缓且光变曲线未见明显拐折,通常认为它们产生于各向同性火球, GRBs 970228、970508、971214、980329及980703等就是典型的例子.但柱型喷流模型其实也能对这类伽玛射线暴的余辉给出极好的拟合,因此它们完全有可能产生于柱形喷流,而并非一定是来自各向同性火球.

星风和柱形喷流对伽玛射线暴余辉的联合作用

假设介质的数密度随激波半径呈幂律分布:next∝R-K.基于统一动力学模型和柱形喷流模型,用数值计算方法系统计算了K=2(即星风环境下)的动力学量随时间的演化,并计算了光学余辉和射电余辉随时间的演化,得出了相关的规律.

Long-term continuous energy injection in the afterglow of GRB 060729

A long plateau phase and an amazing level of brightness have been observed in the X-ray afterglow of GRB 060729. This peculiar light curve is likely due to longterm energy injection in external shock. Here, we present a detailed numerical study of the energy injection process of magnetic dipole radiation from a strongly magnetized millisecond pulsar and model the multi-band afterglow observations. It is found that this model can successfully explain the long plateaus in the observed X-ray and optical afterglow light curves. The sharp break following the plateaus could be due to the rapid decline of the emission power of the central pulsar. At an even later time （～ 5×10^6 s）, an obvious jet break appears, which implies a relatively large half opening angle of θ ～ 0.3 for the GRB ejecta. Due to the energy injection, the Lorentz factor of the outflow is still larger than two even at 10^7 s after the GRB trigger, making the X-ray afterglow of this burst detectable by Chandra even 642 d after the burst.

喷流和星风对γ射线暴余辉的联合作用

持续时标较长的γ射线暴 (Gamma RayBurst)起源于大质量恒星的塌缩 ,这是目前对γ射线暴能源机制的流行看法 .在大质量恒星周围的星风环境又是不可避免 ,而现在普遍认为γ射线暴存在着喷流 .在这两点基础之上 ,详细地计算了喷流在星风环境下的演化 .在计算时 ,由于传统的描述喷流的动力学公式在跨相对论时存在着严重的问题 ,利用了修正过的公式 .最后 ,将星风环境的演化结果同均匀介质环境及Livio和Waxman的结果做了比较 ,得到以下结论 :( 1 )在星风环境下 ,即使一直计算到 1 0 9s,流量密度都没有显著变平的趋势 .( 2 )光变曲线在γ =1 /θ0 的附近没有出现拐折 (此处θ0 为喷流的初始半张角 ) .( 3)当激波处在跨相对论阶段的时候 ,光变曲线出现拐折 .( 4 )与均匀介质相比 ,星风环境当中的流量密度较小 .

Observational signature of a wind bubble environment for double neutron star mergers

During the in-spiral stage of a compact binary, a wind bubble could be blown into the interstellar medium, if electromagnetic radiation due to the binary orbital motion is strong enough. Therefore, shortduration gamma-ray bursts(SGRBs) due to double neutron star mergers would in principle happen in a wind bubble environment, which can influence the propagation of the SGRB jet and consequent afterglow emission. By calculating the dynamics and synchrotron radiation of the jet-driven external shock, we reveal that an abrupt jump could appear in the afterglow light curves of SGRBs and the observational time of the jump is dependent on the viewing angle. This light curve jump provides an observational signature to constrain the radius of the wind bubble and thus the power of the electromagnetic radiation of the binary,by combining with gravitational wave detection.

New Evidence, Conditions, Instruments &Experiments for Gravitational Theories

Two significant findings compel a rethink of physical theories. First, using a 7-billion-year-old gamma-ray burst, Nemiroff (2012) showed that quantum foam could not exists. And second, Solomon (2011) showed that gravitational acceleration is not associated with the gravitating mass, that gravitational acceleration g is determined solely by τ the change in time dilation over a specific height multiplied by c2 or g = τc2. Seeking consistency with Special Theory of Relativity, as means to initiate this rethink, this paper examines 12 inconsistencies in physical theories that manifest from empirical data. The purpose of this examination is to identify how gravitational theories need to change or be explored, to eliminate these 12 inconsistencies. It is then proposed that spacetime is much more sophisticated than just a 4-dimensional continuum. And, that the Universe consists of at least two layers or “kenos” (Greek for vacuous), the 4-dimensional kenos, spacetime (x, y, z, t) and the 3-dimensional kenos, subspace (x, y, z) that are joined at the space coordinates (x, y, z). This explains why electromagnetic waves are transverse, and how probabilities are implemented in Nature. This paper concludes by proposing two new instruments and one test, to facilitate research into gravitational fields, the new torsion-, tension- and stress-free near field gravity probe, the gravity wave telescope, and a non-locality test.

Modeling the radio and optical/NIR afterglows of GRB 980703:A numerical study

Extensive multi-band afterglow data are available for GRB 980703. Especially,its radio afterglow was very bright and was monitored until more than 1000 days after the trigger time. Additionally,there is no obvious special feature,i.e.,no rebrightenings,no plateau,and no special steep decay or slow decay in the multi-band afterglow light curves. All these conditions make GRB 980703 a precious sample in gammaray burst research. Here we use the observational data of GRB 980703 to test the standard fireball model in depth. It is found that the model can give a satisfactory explanation to the multi-band and overall afterglow light curves. The beaming angle of GRB 980703 is derived as ～ 0.23 radian,and the circum-burst medium density is ～ 27 cm-3. The total isotropic equivalent kinetic energy of the ejecta is ～ 3.8 × 1052 ergs. A rest-frame extinction of AV ～ 2.5 mag in the host galaxy is also derived.

The early high-energy afterglow emission from short GRBs

We calculate the high energy afterglow emission from short Gamma-Ray Bursts(SGRBs) in the external shock model.There are two possible components contributing to the high energy afterglow:electron synchrotron emission and synchrotron self-Compton(SSC) emission.We find that for typical parameter values of SGRBs,the early high-energy afterglow emission in 10 MeV-10 GeV is dominated by synchrotron emission.For a burst occurring at redshift z = 0.1,the high-energy emission can be detectable by Fermi LAT if the blast wave has energy E ≥ 1051 ergs and the fraction of electron energy εe≥ 0.1.This provides a possible explanation for the high energy tail of SGRB 081024B.

双高斯喷流结构及其形成过程:来自GRB 170817A余辉的限制

短时标伽马射线暴(简称短暴)GRB 170817A是人类发现的第一个与引力波事件成协的伽马暴,为深入研究短暴的发生机制提供了宝贵的机会,其中它的多波段余辉辐射很可能展示了喷流的角向结构.而有关短暴的大样本统计研究表明,如果用高斯函数来唯象描述喷流结构,很可能需要引入两个高斯函数才能够把GRB170817A的辐射和其他普通的短暴统一起来.换言之,GRB 170817A的瞬时辐射很可能来自具有更大张角的额外喷流成分.因此,为了检验这种双高斯喷流结构和GRB 170817A余辉数据的相容性,本文计算了该喷流结构在偏轴观测下的多波段余辉,发现外高斯成分的引入能够很好地解释GRB 170817A余辉数据的早期上扬趋势.在此基础上,我们还计算了喷流在并合抛射物中的传播和突破过程,表明这些过程可以自然导致观测限制所得的双高斯喷流结构,从而展现出了模型的整体自洽性.此外,对喷流传播过程的观测限制也为我们了解并合抛射物的性质提供了新的线索.