High energy component and polarization signatures of the central engine X-ray afterglow from Gamma-ray Bursts
Abstract
Thanks to the successful performance of the Swift satellite, it became clear that a good fraction of X-ray afterglow emission should be attributed to the activity of the central engine (i.e., the central engine afterglow). We review here the candidates of such a new kind of afterglow, and discuss the associated high energy emission and polarization signatures. We argue that the synchrotron-self Compton (SSC) radiation of the central engine X-ray afterglow may peak in GeV energies and are detectable for GLAST. The external inverse Compton (EIC) emission which occurs when central engine X-ray afterglow photons pass through the blast wave emission will give rise to long lasting but weak GeV plateaus. We also show that the polarization behaviors of the early X-ray and optical afterglow may be independent and very different. Exciting discoveries in the future X-ray polarimetry are very likely.
- Publication:
-
37th COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008cosp...37..850F