Abstract
If the efficiency for producing $\gamma$-rays is the same in short duration ($\siml 2$ s) Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) as in long duration GRBs, then the average kinetic energy of short GRBs must be $\sim 20$ times less than that of long GRBs. Assuming further that the relativistic shocks in short and long duration GRBs have similar parameters, we show that the afterglows of short GRBs will be on average 10--40 times dimmer than those of long GRBs. We find that the afterglow of a typical short GRB will be below the detection limit ($\siml 10 \microJy$) of searches at radio frequencies. The afterglow would be difficult to observe also in the optical, where we predict $R \simg 23$ a few hours after the burst. The radio and optical afterglow would be even fainter if short GRBs occur in a low-density medium, as expected in NS-NS and NS-BH merger models. The best prospects for detecting short-GRB afterglows are with early ($\siml 1$ day) observations in X-rays.
Highlights
Kouveliotou et al (1993) showed that the durations ofGamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have a bimodal distribution, with roughly a third of the observed bursts corresponding to a short duration (∼ 2 s) population. two-thirds be-Searches for transient X-ray, optical and radio afterglow emission have so far been largely limited to long duration bursts
The radio and optical afterglow would be even fainter if short Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) occur in a low-density medium, as expected in NS–NS and NS–black hole (BH) merger models
We expect the relativistic outflow of a long GRB to have about 20 times the kinetic energy of the outflow from a short GRB
Summary
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) have a bimodal distribution, with roughly a third of the observed bursts corresponding to a short duration Searches for transient X-ray, optical and radio afterglow emission have so far been largely limited to long duration bursts. This is because the Italian-Dutch BeppoSAX satellite and other presently active instruments, which have been used to obtain well-determined GRB coordinates, are sensitive only to bursts longer than a few seconds. Most of the X-ray follow-ups of long GRBs have been successful, and 35 X-ray afterglows have been detected so far (mid-2001). Among short GRBs, optical and radio searches for afterglows have so far been carried out for only four sources that happened to be well localized by the Interplanetary Network (Hurley et al 2001). The results may be useful for designing search strategies for afterglows of short GRBs
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