Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow with Continuous Energy Injection: Signature of a Highly Magnetized Millisecond Pulsar
Year: 2001
Type: article
Abstract: We investigate the consequences of a continuously injecting central engine on the gamma-ray burst afterglow emission, focusing more specifically on a highly magnetized millisecond pulsar engine. For initial pulsar parameters within a certain region of the parameter space, the afterglow light curves are predicted to show a distinctive achromatic bump feature, the onset and duration of which range from minutes to months, depending on the pulsar and the fireball parameters. The detection of, or upper limits on, such features would provide constraints on the burst progenitor and on magnetar-like central engine models. An achromatic bump such as that in the GRB 000301C afterglow may be caused by a millisecond pulsar with P 0 = 3.4 ms and B p = 2.7 × 10 14 G.
Source: The Astrophysical Journal
DOI: 10.1086/320255
Authors: Bing Zhang, Peter Mészáros
Institution: Pennsylvania State University
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2132030095