Abstract
Recent particle-in-cell simulations suggest that a large fraction of the energy dissipated in a relativistic shock is deposited into a Maxwellian distribution of electrons that is connected to the high-energy power-law tail. Here, we explore the observational implications of such a mixed thermal-nonthermal particle distribution for the afterglow and prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts. When the Maxwellian component dominates the energy budget, the afterglow lightcurves show a very steep decline phase followed by a more shallow decay when the characteristic synchrotron frequency crosses the observed band. The steep decay appears in the X-rays at ~100 sec after the burst and is accompanied by a characteristic hard-soft-hard spectral evolution that has been observed in a large number of early afterglows. If internal shocks produce a similar mixed electron distribution, a bump is expected at the synchrotron peak of the nu*f_nu spectrum.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
