Engineering topics

Houjun, Lue

Publications and source records attributed to Houjun, Lue.

6 records

DOE OSTI2013

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF GAMMA-RAY BURST OPTICAL EMISSION. II. AFTERGLOW ONSET AND LATE RE-BRIGHTENING COMPONENTS

We continue our systematic statistical study of various components of gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical light curves. We decompose the early onset bump and the late re-brightening bump with empirical fits and analyze their statistical properties. Among the 146 GRBs that have well-sampled optical light curves, the onset and re-brightening bumps are observed in 38 and 26 GRBs, respectively. It is found that the typical rising and decaying slopes for both the onset and re-brightening bumps are {approx}1.5 and {approx} - 1.15, respectively. No early onset bumps in the X-ray band are detected to be associated with the optical onset bumps, while an X-ray re-brightening bump is detected for half of the re-brightening optical bumps. The peak luminosity is anti-correlated with the peak time L{sub p}{proportional_to}t{sub p}{sup -1.81{+-}0.32} for the onset bumps and L{sub p}{proportional_to}t{sub p}{sup -0.83{+-}0.17} for the re-brightening bumps. Both L{sub p} and the isotropic energy release of the onset bumps are correlated with E{sub {gamma},iso}, whereas no similar correlation is found for the re-brightening bumps. These results suggest that the afterglow onset bumps are likely due to the deceleration of the GRB fireballs. Taking the onset bumps as probes for the properties of the fireballs and their ambient medium, we find that the typical power-law index of the relativistic electrons is 2.5 and the medium density profile behaves as n{proportional_to}r {sup -1} within the framework of the synchrotron external shock models. With the medium density profile obtained from our analysis, we also confirm the correlation between the initial Lorentz factor ({Gamma}{sub 0}) and E{sub iso,{gamma}} in our previous work. The jet component that produces the re-brightening bump seems to be on-axis and independent of the prompt emission jet component. Its typical kinetic energy budget would be about one order of magnitude larger than the prompt emission component, but with a lower {Gamma}{sub 0}, typically several tens.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF GAMMA-RAY BURST OPTICAL EMISSION. I. FLARES AND EARLY SHALLOW-DECAY COMPONENT

Well-sampled optical light curves of 146 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are compiled from the literature. By empirical fitting, we identify eight possible emission components and summarize the results in a 'synthetic' light curve. Both optical flare and early shallow-decay components are likely related to long-term central engine activities. We focus on their statistical properties in this paper. Twenty-four optical flares are obtained from 19 GRBs. The isotropic R-band energy is smaller than 1% of E{sub {gamma},iso}. The relation between the isotropic luminosities of the flares and gamma rays follows L{sup F}{sub R,iso}{proportional_to}L {sup 1.11{+-}0.27}{sub {gamma},iso}. Later flares tend to be wider and dimmer, i.e., w{sup F} {approx} t{sup F}{sub p}/2 and L{sup F}{sub R,iso}{proportional_to}[t{sup F}{sub p}/(1 + z)]{sup -1.15{+-}0.15}. The detection probability of the optical flares is much smaller than that of X-ray flares. An optical shallow-decay segment is observed in 39 GRBs. The relation between the break time and break luminosity is a power law, with an index of -0.78 {+-} 0.08, similar to that derived from X-ray flares. The X-ray and optical breaks are usually chromatic, but a tentative correlation is found. We suggest that similar to the prompt optical emission that tracks {gamma}-rays, the optical flares are also related to the erratic behavior of the central engine. The shallow-decay component is likely related to a long-lasting spinning-down central engine or piling up of flare materials onto the blast wave. Mixing of different emission components may be the reason for the diverse chromatic afterglow behaviors.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF FERMI GAMMA-RAY BURST DATA. II. E{sub p} EVOLUTION PATTERNS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR THE OBSERVED SPECTRUM-LUMINOSITY RELATIONS

We present a time-resolved spectral analysis of 51 long and 11 short bright gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) observed with the Fermi/Gamma-Ray Burst Monitor, paying special attention to E{sub p} evolution within each burst. Among eight single-pulse long GRBs, five show an evolution from hard to soft, while three show intensity tracking. The multi-pulse long GRBs have more complicated patterns. Statistically, the hard-to-soft evolution pulses tend to be more asymmetric than the intensity-tracking ones, with a steeper rising wing than the falling wing. Short GRBs have E{sub p} tracking intensity exclusively with the 16 ms time-resolution analysis. We performed a simulation analysis and suggest that for at least some bursts, the late intensity-tracking pulses could be a consequence of overlapping hard-to-soft pulses. However, the fact that the intensity-tracking pattern exists in the first pulse of the multi-pulse long GRBs and some single-pulse GRBs, suggests that intensity tracking is an independent component, which may operate in some late pulses as well. For the GRBs with measured redshifts, we present a time-resolved E{sub p} - L{sub {gamma},iso} correlation analysis and show that the scatter of the correlation is comparable to that of the global Amati/Yonetoku relation. We discuss the predictions of various radiation models regarding E{sub p} evolution, as well as the possibility of a precessing jet in GRBs. The data pose a great challenge to each of these models, and hold the key to unveiling the physics behind GRB prompt emission.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2012

LORENTZ-FACTOR-ISOTROPIC-LUMINOSITY/ENERGY CORRELATIONS OF GAMMA-RAY BURSTS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION

The bulk Lorentz factor of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) ejecta ({Gamma}{sub 0}) is a key parameter to understanding GRB physics. Liang et al. have discovered a correlation between {Gamma}{sub 0} and isotropic {gamma}-ray energy: {Gamma}{sub 0}{proportional_to}E{sup 0.25}{sub {gamma},iso,52}. By including more GRBs with updated data and more methods to derive {Gamma}{sub 0}, we confirm this correlation and obtain {Gamma}{sub 0} {approx_equal} 91E{sup 0.29}{sub {gamma},iso,52}. Evaluating the mean isotropic {gamma}-ray luminosities L{sub {gamma},iso} of the GRBs in the same sample, we discover an even tighter correlation {Gamma}{sub 0} {approx_equal} 249L{sup 0.30}{sub {gamma},iso,52}. We propose an interpretation to this later correlation. Invoking a neutrino-cooled hyperaccretion disk around a stellar mass black hole as the central engine of GRBs, we derive jet luminosity powered by neutrino annihilation and baryon loading from a neutrino-driven wind. Applying beaming correction, we finally derive {Gamma}{sub 0}{proportional_to}L{sup 0.22}{sub {gamma},iso}, which is consistent with the data. This suggests that the central engine of long GRBs is likely a stellar mass black hole surrounded by a hyper-accreting disk.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

A NEW CLASSIFICATION METHOD FOR GAMMA-RAY BURSTS

Recent Swift observations suggest that the traditional long versus short gamma-ray burst (GRB) classification scheme does not always associate GRBs to the two physically motivated model types, i.e., Type II (massive star origin) versus Type I (compact star origin). We propose a new phenomenological classification method of GRBs by introducing a new parameter {epsilon} = E{sub {gamma},iso,52}/E {sup 5/3}{sub p,z,2}, where E{sub {gamma},iso} is the isotropic gamma-ray energy (in units of 10{sup 52} erg) and E{sub p,z} is the cosmic rest-frame spectral peak energy (in units of 100 keV). For those short GRBs with 'extended emission', both quantities are defined for the short/hard spike only. With the current complete sample of GRBs with redshift and E{sub p} measurements, the {epsilon} parameter shows a clear bimodal distribution with a separation at {epsilon} {approx} 0.03. The high-{epsilon} region encloses the typical long GRBs with high luminosity, some high-z 'rest-frame-short' GRBs (such as GRB 090423 and GRB 080913), as well as some high-z short GRBs (such as GRB 090426). All these GRBs have been claimed to be of Type II origin based on other observational properties in the literature. All the GRBs that are argued to be of Type I origin are found to be clustered in the low-{epsilon} region. They can be separated from some nearby low-luminosity long GRBs (in 3{sigma}) by an additional T{sub 90} criterion, i.e., T{sub 90,z} {approx}< 5 s in the Swift/BAT band. We suggest that this new classification scheme can better match the physically motivated Type II/I classification scheme.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2010

CONSTRAINING GAMMA-RAY BURST INITIAL LORENTZ FACTOR WITH THE AFTERGLOW ONSET FEATURE AND DISCOVERY OF A TIGHT {Gamma}{sub 0}-E{sub {gamma},iso} CORRELATION

The onset of gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglow is characterized by a smooth bump in the early afterglow light curve as the GRB fireball is decelerated by the circumburst medium. We extensively search for GRBs with such an onset feature in their optical and X-ray light curves from the literature and from the catalog established with the Swift/XRT. Twenty optically selected GRBs and 12 X-ray-selected GRBs are obtained, among which 17 optically selected and 2 X-ray-selected GRBs have redshift measurements. We fit these light curves with a smooth broken power law and measure the width (w), rising timescale (t{sub r}), and decaying timescale (t{sub d}) at full width at half-maximum. Strong mutual correlations among these timescales and with the peak time (t{sub p}) are found. The ratio t{sub r}/t{sub d} is almost universal among bursts, but the ratio t{sub r}/t{sub p} varies from 0.3 to {approx}1. The optical peak luminosity in the R band (L{sub R,p}) is anti-correlated with t{sub p} and w in the burst frame, indicating a dimmer and broader bump peaking at a later time. The isotropic prompt gamma-ray energy (E{sub {gamma},iso}) is also tightly correlated with L{sub R,p} and t{sub p} in the burst frame. Assuming that the bumps signal the deceleration of the GRB fireballs in a constant density medium, we calculate the initial Lorentz factor ({Gamma}{sub 0}) and the deceleration radius (R{sub d}) of the GRBs with redshift measurements. The derived {Gamma}{sub 0} is typically a few hundreds, and the deceleration radius is R{sub dec} {approx} 2 x 10{sup 17} cm. More intriguingly, a tight correlation between {Gamma}{sub 0} and E{sub {gamma},iso} is found, namely {Gamma}{sub 0} {approx_equal} 182(E{sub {gamma},iso}/10{sup 52} erg){sup 0.25}. This correlation also applies to the small sample of GRBs which show the signature of the afterglow onset in their X-ray afterglow, and to two bursts (GRBs 990123 and 080319B) whose early optical emission is dominated by a reverse shock. The lower limits of {Gamma}{sub 0} derived from a sample of optical afterglow light curves showing a decaying feature from the beginning of the observation are also generally consistent with such a correlation. The tight lower limits of {Gamma}{sub 0} of GRBs 080916C and 090902B derived from the opacity constraints with Fermi/LAT observations are also consistent with the correlation at the 2{sigma} confidence level, but the short GRB 090510 is a clear outlier of this relation. This correlation may give insight to GRB physics and could serve as an indicator of {Gamma}{sub 0} for long GRBs without early afterglow detections. A comparison of the early X-ray and optical afterglow light curves shows that the early bright X-ray emission is usually dominated by a non-forward-shock component, but occasionally (for one case) the forward shock emission is observable, and an achromatic deceleration feature is observed. The superposition of the internal and external components in X-rays causes the diversity of the observed X-ray light curves.

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