Work

Hydrodynamic Timescales and Temporal Structure of Gamma-Ray Bursts

Year: 1995

Type: article

Abstract: We calculate the hydrodynamic timescales for a spherical ultrarelativistic shell that is decelerated by the ISM and discuss the possible relations between these timescales and the observed temporal structure in γ-ray bursts. We suggest that the bursts' duration is related to the deceleration time, the variability is related to the ISM inhomogeneities, and that precursors are related to internal shocks within the shell. Good agreement can be achieved for these quantities with reasonable, not fine-tuned, astrophysical parameters. The difference between Newtonian and relativistic reverse shocks may lead to the observed bimodal distribution of bursts' durations.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.1086/309835

Authors: Re'em Sari, Tsvi Piran

Institutions: Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center, University of California, Santa Barbara

Language: English

Topic: Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Harvard University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Award: Institute for Theoretical Physics