Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics
Scientific paper
2006-06-17
Astrophys.J.650:1004-1019,2006
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astrophysics
16 pages, 5 embedded figures, apjgalley format, To appear in The Astrophysical Journal, Vol 649, October 1, 2006 issue
Scientific paper
10.1086/506960
The spectra obtained above 100 MeV by the EGRET experiment aboard the Compton Gamma-Ray Observatory for a handful of gamma-ray bursts has given no indication of any spectral attenuation that might preclude detection of bursts at higher energies. With the discovery of optical afterglows and counterparts to bursts in the last few years, enabling the determination of significant redshifts for these sources, it is anticipated that profound spectral attenuation will arise in the Gamma-Ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) energy band of 30 MeV-300 GeV for many if not most bursts. This paper explores time-dependent expectations for burst spectral properties in the EGRET/GLAST band, focusing on how attenuation of photons by pair creation internal to the source generates distinctive spectral signatures. The energy of spectral breaks and the associated spectral indices provide valuable information that constrains the bulk Lorentz factor of the GRB outflow at a given time. Moreover, the distinct temporal behavior that is present for internal attenuation is easily distinguished from extrinsic absorption due to intervening cosmic background fields. These characteristics define palpable observational goals for both spaced-based hard gamma-ray experiments such as GLAST, and ground-based Cherenkov telescopes, and strongly impact the observability of bursts above 300 MeV.
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