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http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/25228
Title: | A revised analysis of gamma-ray bursts' prompt efficiencies | Authors: | Beniamini, Paz Nava, Lara Piran, Tsvi |
Issue Date: | 2016 | Journal: | MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY | Number: | 461 | Issue: | 1 | First Page: | 51 | Abstract: | The prompt gamma-ray bursts' (GRBs) efficiency is an important clue on the emission mechanism producing the γ-rays. Previous estimates of the kinetic energy of the blast waves, based on the X-ray afterglow luminosity L<SUB>X</SUB>, suggested that this efficiency is large, with values above 90 per cent in some cases. This poses a problem to emission mechanisms and in particular to the internal shocks model. These estimates are based, however, on the assumption that the X-ray emitting electrons are fast cooling and that their Inverse Compton (IC) losses are negligible. The observed correlations between L<SUB>X</SUB> (and hence the blast wave energy) and E<SUB>γ, iso</SUB>, the isotropic equivalent energy in the prompt emission, has been considered as observational evidence supporting this analysis. It is reasonable that the prompt gamma-ray energy and the blast wave kinetic energy are correlated and the observed correlation corroborates, therefore, the notion L<SUB>X</SUB> is indeed a valid proxy for the latter. Recent findings suggest that the magnetic field in the afterglow shocks is significantly weaker than was earlier thought and its equipartition fraction, ∊<SUB>B</SUB>, could be as low as 10<SUP>-4</SUP> or even lower. Motivated by these findings we reconsider the problem, taking now IC cooling into account. We find that the observed L<SUB>X</SUB> - E<SUB>γ, iso</SUB> correlation is recovered also when IC losses are significant. For small ∊<SUB>B</SUB> values the blast wave must be more energetic and we find that the corresponding prompt efficiency is significantly smaller than previously thought. For example, for ∊<SUB>B</SUB> ∼ 10<SUP>-4</SUP> we infer a typical prompt efficiency of ∼15 per cent. | URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/25228 | URL: | https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/461/1/51/2595292 | ISSN: | 0035-8711 | DOI: | 10.1093/mnras/stw1331 | Bibcode ADS: | 2016MNRAS.461...51B | Fulltext: | open |
Appears in Collections: | 1.01 Articoli in rivista |
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stw1331.pdf | Pdf editoriale | 1.1 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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