Long-lived PeV–EeV neutrinos from gamma-ray burst blastwave

Abstract

Long duration gamma-ray bursts are powerful sources that can accelerate particles to ultrahigh energies. Acceleration of protons in the forward shock of the highly relativistic gamma-ray burst (GRB) blastwave allows PeV-EeV neutrino production by photopion interactions of ultrahigh energy protons with x-ray to optical photons of the GRB afterglow emission. Four different blastwave evolution scenarios are considered: adiabatic and fully radiative blastwaves in a constant density circumburst medium and in a wind environment with the particle density in the wind decreasing inversely proportional to the square of the radius from the center of the burst. The duration of the neutrino flux depends on the evolution of the blastwave and can last up to a day in the case of an adiabatic blastwave in a constant density medium. Neutrino fluxes from the three other blastwave evolution scenarios are also calculated. Diffuse neutrino fluxes calculated using the observed rate of long-duration GRBs are consistent with the recent IceCube upper limit on the prompt GRB neutrino flux below PeV. The diffuse neutrino flux needed to explain the two neutrino events at PeV energies recently detected by IceCube can partially come from the presented GRB blastwave diffuse fluxes. Future observations by IceCube and upcoming huge radio Askaryan experiments will be able to probe the flux models presented here or constrain the GRB blastwave properties.