Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs
The complex structure of the light curves of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) has made theidentification of breaks, and the interpretation of the blast wave caused by the burst, moredifficult than in the pre-Swift era. We aim to identify breaks, which are possibly hidden, andto constrain the blast wave...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
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Oxford University Press
2009
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| Online Access: | http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/395/1/580.full.pdf+html http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41356 |
| _version_ | 1848756123047297024 |
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| author | Curran, Peter Starling, R. van der Horst, A. Wijers, R. |
| author_facet | Curran, Peter Starling, R. van der Horst, A. Wijers, R. |
| author_sort | Curran, Peter |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | The complex structure of the light curves of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) has made theidentification of breaks, and the interpretation of the blast wave caused by the burst, moredifficult than in the pre-Swift era. We aim to identify breaks, which are possibly hidden, andto constrain the blast wave parameters; electron energy distribution, p, density profile of thecircumburst medium, k, and the continued energy injection index, q. We do so by comparingthe observed multiwavelength light curves and X-ray spectra of our sample to the predictionsof the blast wave model. We can successfully interpret all of the bursts in our sample of 10,except two, within this framework and we can estimate, with confidence, the electron energydistribution index for 6 of the sample. Furthermore, we identify jet breaks in a number of thebursts. A statistical analysis of the distribution of p reveals that, even in the most conservativecase of least scatter, the values are not consistent with a single, universal value. The valuesof k suggest that the circumburst density profiles are not drawn from only one of the constantdensity or wind-like media populations. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:07:11Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-41356 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:07:11Z |
| publishDate | 2009 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-413562017-09-13T14:09:29Z Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs Curran, Peter Starling, R. van der Horst, A. Wijers, R. radiation mechanisms: non-thermal – gamma rays: bursts – X-rays: bursts The complex structure of the light curves of Swift Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) has made theidentification of breaks, and the interpretation of the blast wave caused by the burst, moredifficult than in the pre-Swift era. We aim to identify breaks, which are possibly hidden, andto constrain the blast wave parameters; electron energy distribution, p, density profile of thecircumburst medium, k, and the continued energy injection index, q. We do so by comparingthe observed multiwavelength light curves and X-ray spectra of our sample to the predictionsof the blast wave model. We can successfully interpret all of the bursts in our sample of 10,except two, within this framework and we can estimate, with confidence, the electron energydistribution index for 6 of the sample. Furthermore, we identify jet breaks in a number of thebursts. A statistical analysis of the distribution of p reveals that, even in the most conservativecase of least scatter, the values are not consistent with a single, universal value. The valuesof k suggest that the circumburst density profiles are not drawn from only one of the constantdensity or wind-like media populations. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41356 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.14578.x http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/395/1/580.full.pdf+html Oxford University Press unknown |
| spellingShingle | radiation mechanisms: non-thermal – gamma rays: bursts – X-rays: bursts Curran, Peter Starling, R. van der Horst, A. Wijers, R. Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title | Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title_full | Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title_fullStr | Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title_short | Testing the blast wave model with Swift GRBs |
| title_sort | testing the blast wave model with swift grbs |
| topic | radiation mechanisms: non-thermal – gamma rays: bursts – X-rays: bursts |
| url | http://mnras.oxfordjournals.org/content/395/1/580.full.pdf+html http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/41356 |