Gamma-ray Burst Sources Research Articles

Direct Evidence for Preburst Stage of Gamma-Ray Burst from GRB 221009A Data

Previous research on Lorentz invariance violation in photons from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) suggested a scenario where multi-GeV photons could be emitted before lower-energy photons at the GRB source frame. This implies the existence of a new preburst phase in addition to the traditionally identified prompt and afterglow stages observed in earlier studies. In this study, we present direct evidence for this novel preburst phase in GRBs based on recent observations of GRB 221009A. Our analysis leverages data from the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and Large Area Telescope detectors of the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, as well as data from the KM2A detector of the Large High Altitude Air-shower Observatory.

Magnetars as powering sources of gamma-ray burst associated supernovae, and unsupervized clustering of cosmic explosions

ABSTRACT We present the semi-analytical light curve modelling of 13 supernovae associated with gamma-ray bursts (GRB-SNe) along with two relativistic broad-lined (Ic-BL) SNe without GRB association (SNe 2009bb and 2012ap), considering millisecond magnetars as central-engine-based power sources for these events. The bolometric light curves of all 15 SNe in our sample are well-regenerated utilizing a χ2-minimization code, MINIM, and numerous parameters are constrained. The median values of ejecta mass (Mej), magnetar’s initial spin period (Pi), and magnetic field (B) for GRB-SNe are determined to be ≈5.2 M⊙, 20.5 ms, and 20.1 × 1014 G, respectively. We leverage machine learning (ML) algorithms to comprehensively compare the three-dimensional parameter space encompassing Mej, Pi, and B for GRB-SNe determined herein to those of H-deficient superluminous SNe (SLSNe-I), fast blue optical transients (FBOTs), long GRBs (LGRBs), and short GRBs (SGRBs) obtained from the literature. The application of unsupervized ML clustering algorithms on the parameters Mej, Pi, and B for GRB-SNe, SLSNe-I, and FBOTs yields a classification accuracy of ∼95 per cent. Extending these methods to classify GRB-SNe, SLSNe-I, LGRBs, and SGRBs based on Pi and B values results in an accuracy of ∼84 per cent. Our investigations show that GRB-SNe and relativistic Ic-BL SNe presented in this study occupy different parameter spaces for Mej, Pi, and B than those of SLSNe-I, FBOTs, LGRBs, and SGRBs. This indicates that magnetars with different Pi and B can give birth to distinct types of transients.

Gravitational-wave Radiation from the Magnetar-driven Supernovae

Rapidly spinning magnetars are potential candidates for the energy source of supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts and the most promising sources for continuous gravitational waves (GWs) detected by ground-based GW detectors. Continuous GWs can be radiated from magnetars due to magnetic-induced deformation or fluid oscillations, compatible with magnetic dipole (MD) radiation for spin-down energy. In this paper, we investigate the diverse light curves of magnetar-driven SNe in the scenario that the spin-down is dominated by GW radiation and/or MD radiation. By simulating the light curves of SNe and employing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method, we constrain the parameters of the magnetars and SN explosions and show that the signature of GW radiation may be indicated by the bolometric luminosity curves of SNe Ic-BL 2007ru and 2009bb. We find that the ellipticity of magnetars in the order of 10−3 can be induced by the magnetic field of ∼1016 G. If such continuous GWs associated with SNe can be detected in the future by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, this would be a smoking gun for a magnetar engine powering SNe.

Topology-induced quantum transition in multiparticle systems in vicinity of a black hole

The qualitative change of the type of particle trajectory homotopy in close vicinity of general-relativistic gravitational singularity affects quantum statistics in systems of identical indistinguishable particles at passing the photon sphere rim of a Schwarzschild black hole. This causes a local departure from the Pauli exclusion principle, which results in some high energy effects manifesting themselves when the matter is falling into a black hole. The release of the energy can take place at the rim of the photon sphere of a black hole due to the decay of Fermi spheres in highly compressed fermion systems entering this region. The effect is observable at activity of quasars or at collapses of neutron star mergers. The related supplementation to conventional models of the accretion disc luminosity by additional radiation from close vicinity of the event horizon of a massive black hole powering super-luminous quasar is proposed and compared with observations. The source of short-lasting gamma-ray bursts has been also identified at collapses of unstable neutron star mergers due to the decay of Fermi sphere of neutrons. The duration and spectrum of the related e-m radiation bursts estimated by the Fermi golden rule for the Fermi sphere decay agree with observations. The quantum statistics effect contributes also to the radiation of transients of micro-quasars and short lasting brightening episodes in closer active galactic nuclei. The proposed quantum effect changes the premises for the current discussion of the information paradox and hypothesis of the black hole firewall.

Propagation of a Realistic Magnetar Jet through a Binary Neutron Star Merger Medium and Implications for Short Gamma-Ray Bursts

The origin of short gamma-ray bursts is associated with outflows powered by the remnant of a binary neutron star merger. This remnant can be either a black hole or a highly magnetized, fast-spinning neutron star, also known as a magnetar. Here we present the results of two relativistic magnetohydrodynamical simulations aimed at investigating the large-scale dynamics and propagation of magnetar collimated outflows through the medium surrounding the remnant. The first simulation evolves a realistic jet by injecting external simulation data, while the second evolves an analytical model jet with similar properties for comparison. We find that both outflows remain collimated and successfully emerge through the static medium surrounding the remnant. However, they fail to attain relativistic velocities and only reach a mean maximum speed of ∼0.7c for the realistic jet and ∼0.6c for the analytical jet. We also find that the realistic jet has a much more complex structure. The lack of highly relativistic speeds, which makes these jets unsuitable as short gamma-ray burst sources, is due to numerical limitations and is not general to all possible magnetar outflows. A jet like the one we study, however, could give rise to or augment a blue kilonova component. In addition, it would make the propagation of a relativistic jet easier, should one be launched after the neutron star collapses into a black hole.

The capability of water Cherenkov detectors arrays of the LAGO project to detect Gamma-Ray Burst and high energy astrophysics sources

Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are one of the brightest transient events detected, with energies in their prompt phase ranging from keV to GeV. Theoretical models predict emissions at higher energies in the early times of the afterglow emission, and recently GRB190114C was the first GRB detected at TeV energies by the MAGIC experiment. The Latin American Giant Observatory (LAGO) operates a network of water Cherenkov detectors (WCD) at different sites in Latin America. Spanning over different altitudes and geomagnetic rigidity cutoffs, the geographic distribution of the LAGO sites, combined with the new electronics for control, atmospheric sensing, and data acquisition, allows the realization of diverse astrophysics studies at a regional scale. LAGO WCDs located at high altitudes possess good sensitivity to electromagnetic secondary radiation, which is the main expected signature of this kind of high-energy event on the ground. Due to the characteristics of the WCD and the wide field of view, LAGO possesses a large aperture high-duty cycle. In this work, we present the results of the sensitivity of LAGO small arrays of WCDs for the detection of events like GRB190114C. Also, we extend the study to other TeV galactic emitters, such as pulsar wind nebulas, TeV-halos, and some additional sources with unidentified categorizations. These are interesting sources to study taking advantage of the long-term monitoring capabilities of LAGO. We use a dedicated simulation process: ARTI, a toolkit developed by LAGO for high-energy air showers, MEIGA, a framework to simulate the response of the detectors, and oneDataSim, the new high-performance computing and cloud-based implementation of our simulation framework.

Light speed variation from GRB 221009A

It is postulated in Einstein’s relativity that the speed of light in vacuum is a constant for all observers. However, the effect of quantum gravity could bring an energy dependence of light speed, and a series of studies on high-energy photon events from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs) suggest a light speed variation with E LV = 3.6 × 1017 GeV or a bound E LV ≥ 3.6 × 1017 GeV. From the newly observed gamma-ray burst GRB 221009A, we find that a 99.3 GeV photon detected by Fermi-Large Area Telescope (LAT) is coincident with the sharp spike in the light curves detected by both Fermi-Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) and HEBS under the above scenario of light speed variation, suggesting an option that this high-energy photon was emitted at the same time as a sharp spike of low-energy photon emission at the GRB source. Thus this highest energy photon event detected by Fermi-LAT during the prompt emission of GRBs might be considered as an optional signal for the linear form modification of light speed in cosmological space.

A Model of Accelerated Expansion of the Universe Based on the Idea about a Hypothetical 4-Dimensial Substance with an Inverse Population of Energy Levels

Based on the idea of hypothetical 4-dimensial substance with an inverse population of energy levels, a model of accelerated expansion of the Universe has been developed, which describes Hubble diagrams with great accuracy for type Ia supernovae, quasars and gamma-ray burst sources at the Hubble parameter value of 67.7 km/s/Mpc, coinciding with the value obtained from analysis of inhomogeneities of relic radiation. Calculations at the Hubble parameter value of 73.5 km/s/Mpc, obtained using the ΛCDM model based on the analysis of data on type Ia supernovae and cepheids, differ markedly from the observed data. An explanation of the two values of the Hubble constant is proposed. It is shown that in this model, the magnitude of 13.8 billion years characterizes not the age of the Universe, but the time of propagation of light from those galaxes whose acceleration of removal has a minimal value. Based on the recently discovered curvature of the Universe, estimates are given of the lower limits of its size and lifetime, which turned out to be at least 270 billon years. The probability of transition from the excited state to the underlying energy levels of a hypothetical 4-dimensial substance, as well as the low of increasing energy density as a result of transitions to the underlying levels of this substance, is determined.

The Equations for Consciousness: A Reply to “Tracking the Travels,” a Review of Journey of the Mind

The Equations for Consciousness: A Reply to “Tracking the Travels,” a Review of <i>Journey of the Mind</i>

The neutrino pair annihilation around a massive source with an f(R) global monopole

In this work we investigate the neutrino pair annihilation around a gravitational object involving an f(R) global monopole. We derive and calculate the ratio meaning that the energy deposition per unit time is over that in the Newtonian case. It is found that the greater influence from f(R) theory leads more energy to set free from the annihilation with greater ratio value. It is important that the existence of global monopole makes a sharp increase in the ratio , causing heavier gamma-ray burst. We also discuss the derivative as a function of radius r of the star to show the similar features, that is the considerable modification of Einstein's gravity and the global monopole with unified theory order will raise the amount of more greatly. The stellar body with f(R) global monopole can be well qualified as a source of gamma-ray bursts. Moreover, we can select the factor to be comparable with the accelerating universe while regulating the parameter η for the global monopole in order to make the ratio curves coincide with the results from astronomy. It is possible to probe the monopole from astrophysical observations.

The emergence of diffused gamma-ray burst afterglows from the discs of active galactic nuclei

ABSTRACT The discs of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) have emerged as rich environments for the production and capture of stars and the compact objects that they leave behind. These stars produce long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) at their deaths, while frequent interactions among compact objects form binary neutron stars and neutron star–black hole binaries, leading to short GRBs upon their merger. Predicting the properties of these transients as they emerge from the dense environments of AGN discs is key to their proper identification and to better constrain the star and compact object population in AGN discs. Some of these transients would appear unusual because they take place in much higher densities than the interstellar medium. Others, which are the subject of this paper, would additionally be modified by radiation diffusion, since they are generated within optically thick regions of the accretion discs. Here, we compute the GRB afterglow light curves for diffused GRB sources for a representative variety of central black hole masses and disc locations. We find that the radiation from radio to ultraviolet and soft X-rays can be strongly suppressed by synchrotron self-absorption in the dense medium of the AGN disc. In addition, photon diffusion can significantly delay the emergence of the emission peak, turning a beamed, fast transient into a slow, isotropic, and dimmer one. These would appear as broad-band correlated AGN variability with a dominance at the higher frequencies. Their properties can constrain both the stellar populations within AGN discs and the disc structure.

A Search for Correlated Low-energy Electron Antineutrinos in KamLAND with Gamma-Ray Bursts

Abstract We present the results of a time-coincident event search for low-energy electron antineutrinos in the KamLAND detector with gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) from the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network and Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor. Using a variable coincidence time window of ±500 s plus the duration of each GRB, no statistically significant excess above the background is observed. We place the world’s most stringent 90% confidence level upper limit on the electron antineutrino fluence below 17.5 MeV. Assuming a Fermi–Dirac neutrino energy spectrum from the GRB source, we use the available redshift data to constrain the electron antineutrino luminosity and effective temperature.

Quantum mechanism of extremely high energy processes at neutron star collapse and of quasar luminosity

Using the braid group topological approach to quantum statistics we demonstrate that for strong gravitational field occurring in neutron star merger with mass exceeding the Tolman, Oppenheimer and Volkoff limit the quantum statistics of particles beneath the photon sphere decays, which results in an instant relief of quantum degeneracy pressure in the star. This causes a rapid shrink of the matter to a black hole with quite different quantum collective character of particles. The scheme of neutron Fermi sphere collapse is proposed as the possible isotropic source of short giant gamma-ray bursts. The similar quantum mechanism of collapse of Fermi spheres of electrons and protons in plasma of accretion disc in vicinity of the Schwarzschild horizon of galactic black hole is able to elucidate the giant luminosity of remote quasars. The efficiency of the mass to energy conversion via collapse of the Fermi sphere is ca. 30 %, not reachable for any other known physical process except of the matter-antimatter annihilation.

Evidence for Gravitational Lensing of GRB 200716C

Abstract Observationally, there is a small fraction of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with prompt emission observed by Fermi/GBM that are composed of two pulses. Occasionally, the distance to a GRB may be lensed when a high mass astrophysical object resides in the path between the GRB source and observer. In this paper, we describe GRB 200716C, which has a two-pulse emission and duration of a few seconds. We present a Bayesian analysis identifying gravitational lensing in both temporal and spectral properties, and calculate the time delay (Δt ∼ 1.92 s) and magnification (γ ∼ 1.5) between those two pulses based on the temporal fits. One can roughly estimate the lens mass to be about 2.4 × 105 M ⊙ in the rest frame. We also calculate the false alarm probability for this detection to be about 0.07% with trial factors, and a present-day number density of about 808Mpc−3 with an energy density Ω ∼ 1.4 × 10−3. If the first pulse of this GRB near the trigger time is indeed gravitationally echoed by a second pulse, GRB 200716C may be a short GRB candidate with extended emission.

Radiation by the superluminally moving current sheet in the magnetosphere of a neutron star

ABSTRACT The mechanism by which the radiation received from obliquely rotating neutron stars is generated remains an open question half a century after the discovery of pulsars. In contrast, considerable progress has recently been made in determining the structure of the magnetosphere that surrounds these objects: numerical computations based on the force-free, magnetohydrodynamic, and particle-in-cell formalisms have now firmly established that the magnetosphere of an oblique rotator entails a current sheet outside its light cylinder whose rotating distribution pattern moves with linear speeds exceeding the speed of light in vacuum. However, the role played by the superluminal motion of this current sheet in generating the multiwavelength, focused pulses of radiation that we receive from neutron stars is unknown. Here, we insert the description of the current sheet provided by the numerical simulations in the classical expression for the retarded potential and thereby calculate the radiation field generated by this source in the time domain. We find a radiation consisting of highly focused pulses whose salient features (brightness temperature, polarization, spectrum and profile with microstructure and with a phase lag between the radio and gamma-ray peaks) are strikingly similar to those of the emission received from pulsars. In addition, the flux density of this radiation diminishes with the distance D from the star as D−3/2 (rather than D−2) in certain latitudinal directions: a result that suggests that the high energetic requirements normally attributed to magnetars and the sources of fast radio bursts and gamma-ray bursts could be artefacts of the assumption that the radiation fields of all sources necessarily decay as predicted by the inverse-square law.

Pre-burst events of gamma-ray bursts with light speed variation

Previous researches on high-energy photon events from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) suggest a light speed variation v(E)=c(1−E/ELV) with ELV=3.6×1017 GeV, together with a pre-burst scenario that hight-energy photons come out about 10 seconds earlier than low-energy photons at the GRB source. However, in the Lorentz invariance violating scenario with an energy dependent light speed considered here, high-energy photons travel slower than low-energy photons due to the light speed variation, so that they are usually detected after low-energy photons in observed GRB data. Here we find four high-energy photon events which were observed earlier than low-energy photons from Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (FGST), and analysis on these photon events supports the pre-burst scenario of high energy photons from GRBs and the energy dependence of light speed listed above.

IKI GRB-FuN: observations of GRBs with small-aperture telescopes.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic and mysterious events in the Universe, which are observed in all ranges of electromagnetic spectrum. Most valuable results about physics of GRB are obtained by optical observations. GRBs are initially detected in gamma-rays with poor localization accuracy, and an optical counterpart should be found. The faster the counterpart is found, the more it can give to physics. This first phase, as a rule, corresponds to an early afterglow. The next phases of the observations are multicolor photometry, polarimetry, spectroscopy, and few days later the search for a supernova or kilonova associated with the GRB, and finally, observations of the host galaxy. To manage the problem of fast optical observations, telescopes with a small aperture are suitable. They can have a large field of view, which is necessary to cover initial localizations of GRBs. The sensitivity of the telescope+detector may be sufficient to record statistically significant light curve with fine time resolution. We describe one of the networks of telescopes with a small aperture IKI-GRB FuN, and present the results of early optical observation of GRB sources, and discuss the design requirements of the optical observations for effective GRB research in the next decade.

Evaluating MHD parameters of relativistic shock waves with particle-in-cell modeling

Relativistic plasma outflows are observed in gamma-ray burst sources, jets of active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae and supernovae explosions. Magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) shock waves inevitably result from interactions of such relativistic outflows with the ambient interstellar matter. The widely used single-fluid MHD description of relativistic shock waves is the main tool to study the global structure of such objects. However, to justify the validity of the global MHD models and to interpret the observed emission spectra of space objects with relativistic shocks, a kinetic description of electrons, positrons, and ions at microscales is needed. We model a plane relativistic shock propagating transverse to a regular magnetic field in the electron-ion plasmas with imposed turbulent fluctuations in the shock upstream. Namely we study the effect of the micro-scale plasma processes on macroscopic parameters of the mildly-relativistic shocks as the adiabatic index of the relativistic fluid in the shock downstream. The adiabatic index is a macroscopic parameter of the single-fluid MHD models commonly used for shock modeling at much longer hydrodynamical scales and it is especially important for the MHD modeling of the mildly-relativistic shocks.

Demographics of Neutron Stars in Young Massive and Open Clusters

Abstract Star clusters appear to be the ideal environment for the assembly of neutron star–neutron star (NS–NS) and black hole–neutron star (BH–NS) binaries. These binaries are among the most interesting astrophysical objects, being potential sources of gravitational waves (GWs) and gamma-ray bursts. We use for the first time high-precision N-body simulations of young massive and open clusters to study the origin and dynamical evolution of NSs, within clusters with different initial masses, metallicities, primordial binary fractions, and prescriptions for the compact object natal kicks at birth. We find that the radial profile of NSs is shaped by the BH content of the cluster, which partially quenches the NS segregation due to the BH-burning process. This leaves most of the NSs out of the densest cluster regions, where NS–NS and BH–NS binaries could potentially form. Due to a large velocity kick that they receive at birth, most of the NSs escape the host clusters, with the bulk of their retained population made up of NSs of ∼1.3 coming from the electron-capture supernova process. The details of the primordial binary fraction and pairing can smear out this trend. Finally, we find that a subset of our models produce NS–NS mergers, leading to a rate of ∼0.01–0.1 in the local universe, and compute an upper limit of ∼3 × 10−2–3 × 10−3 for the BH–NS merger rate. Our estimates are several orders of magnitude smaller than the current empirical merger rate from LIGO/Virgo, in agreement with the recent rate estimates for old globular clusters.

Mass ejection from neutron-star mergers

AbstractMerger of binary neutron stars and black hole-neutron star binaries is the promising source of short-hard gamma-ray bursts, the most promising site for the r-process nucleosynthesis, and the source of kilonovae. To theoretically predict the merger and mass ejection processes and resulting electromagnetic emission, numerical simulation in full general relativity (numerical relativity) is the unique approach. We summarize our current understanding for the processes of neutron-star mergers and subsequent mass ejection based on the results of long-term numerical-relativity simulations. We pay particular attention to the electron fraction of the ejecta.