A Unified Model for GRB Prompt Emission from Optical to γ-Rays: Exploring GRBs as Standard Candles
Abstract
The origin of prompt emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) remains to be an open question. Correlated prompt optical and γ-ray emission observed in a handful of GRBs strongly suggests a common emission region, but failure to adequately fit the broadband GRB spectrum prompted the hypothesis of different emission mechanisms for the low- and high-energy radiations. We demonstrate that our multi-component model for GRB γ-ray prompt emission provides an excellent fit to GRB 110205A from optical to γ-ray energies. Our results show that the optical and highest γ-ray emissions have the same spatial and spectral origin, which is different from the bulk of the X- and softest γ-ray radiation. Finally, our accurate redshift estimate for GRB 110205A demonstrates promise for using GRBs as cosmological standard candles.
- Publication:
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The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 2016
- DOI:
- 10.3847/2041-8205/831/1/L8
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1606.07193
- Bibcode:
- 2016ApJ...831L...8G
- Keywords:
-
- acceleration of particles;
- black hole physics;
- distance scale;
- gamma-ray burst: general;
- radiation mechanisms: non-thermal;
- radiation mechanisms: thermal;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- Astrophysics - Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 6 pages of article (4 figures and 1 table). Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters on 2016 August 31 and published on 2016 October 27