Electromagnetic Catastrophe in Ultrarelativistic Shocks and the Prompt Emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts

The principal paradigm for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) suggests that the prompt transient gamma-ray signal arises from multiple shocks internal to the relativistic expansion. This paper explores how GRB prompt emission spectra can constrain electron (or ion) acceleration properties at the relativistic shocks that pertain to GRB models. The array of possible high-energy power-law indices in accelerated populations is highlighted, focusing on how spectra above 1 MeV can probe the f...

We present a study of the intermediate regime between ultra-relativistic and nonrelativistic flow for gamma-ray burst afterglows. The hydrodynamics of spherically symmetric blast waves is numerically calculated using the AMRVAC adaptive mesh refinement code. Spectra and light curves are calculated using a separate radiation code that, for the first time, links a parametrisation of the microphysics of shock acceleration, synchrotron self-absorption and electron cooling to a hi...

The prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) is widely thought to be radiation from accelerated electrons, but an appreciably larger amount of energy could be carried by accelerated protons, particularly if GRBs are the sources of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). We model the expected photon spectra for such "proton-dominated" GRBs in the internal shock scenario through Monte Carlo simulations, accounting for various processes related to high-energy electrons and pro...

The Gamma-Ray Bursts - GRBs are one of the most energetic astronomical events in the universe that have not yet an adequate explanation of what kind of mechanism is carried out. This question motivates the astronomical community to do radiation measurements associated with the GRBs. They also are doing physical models to explain the temporal behavior of these observational results. The community are looking for an appropriate explanation of GRBs origin. This thesis presents...

We provide a comprehensive review of major developments in our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, with particular focus on the discoveries made within the last fifteen years when their true nature was uncovered. We describe the observational properties of photons from the radio to multi-GeV bands, both in the prompt emission and the afterglow phases. Mechanisms for the generation of these photons in GRBs are discussed and confronted with observations to shed light on the phys...

We construct an analytic model for the breakout of a relativistic radiation mediated shock from a stellar wind, and exploit it to calculate the observational diagnostics of the breakout signal. The model accounts for photon escape through the finite optical depth wind, and treats the fraction of downstream photons escaping to infinity as an adiabatic parameter that evolves in a quasi-steady manner. It is shown that the shock is mediated by radiation even when a large fraction...

We investigate the interaction of nonthermal ions (protons and nuclei) accelerated in an ultrarelativistic blastwave with the pre-existing magnetic field of the medium into which the blastwave propagates. While particle acceleration processes such as diffusive shock acceleration can accelerate ions and electrons, the accelerated electrons suffer larger radiative losses. Under certain conditions, the ions can attain higher energies and reach farther ahead of the shock than the...

A large variety of explosions result in mildly or ultra relativistic shock breakouts. Here we calculate the luminosity and spectrum that these breakouts produce. In order to do so we improve an analytic description of relativistic radiation mediated shocks and follow the system from the breakout itself, through the planar phase and into the spherical phase. We limit our calculation to cases where the post breakout acceleration of the gas ends during the planar phase. (i.e., t...

We include a general form for the scattering mean free path in a nonlinear Monte Carlo model of relativistic shock formation and Fermi acceleration. Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, as well as analytic work, suggest that relativistic shocks tend to produce short-scale, self-generated magnetic turbulence that leads to a scattering mean free path (mfp) with a stronger momentum dependence than the mfp ~ p dependence for Bohm diffusion. In unmagnetized shocks, this turbulence ...

Monte Carlo techniques are used to model nonlinear particle acceleration in parallel collisionless shocks of various speeds, including mildly relativistic ones. When the acceleration is efficient, the backreaction of accelerated particles modifies the shock structure and causes the compression ratio, r, to increase above test-particle values. Modified shocks with Lorentz factors less than about 3 can have compression ratios considerably greater than 3 and the momentum distrib...