Other
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aipc.1133..434t&link_type=abstract
GAMMA-RAY BURST: Sixth Huntsville Symposium. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 1133, pp. 434-436 (2009).
Other
Gamma-Ray Sources, Gamma-Ray Bursts, Photometric, Polarimetric, And Spectroscopic Instrumentation, Radiation Belts
Scientific paper
The emission mechanism and the origin and structure of magnetic fields in gamma-ray burst (GRB) jets are among the most important open questions concerning the nature of the central engine of GRBs. In spite of extensive observational efforts, these questions remain to be answered and are difficult or even impossible to infer with the spectral and lightcurve information currently collected. Polarization measurements will lead to unambiguous answers to several of these questions. Recent developments in X-ray and γ-ray polarimetry techniques have demonstrated a significant increase in sensitivity enabling several new mission concepts, e.g. POET (Polarimeters for Energetic Transients), providing wide field of view and broadband polarimetry measurements. If launched, missions of this kind would finally provide definitive measurements of GRB polarizations. We perform Monte Carlo simulations to derive the distribution of GRB polarizations in three emission models; the synchrotron model with a globally ordered magnetic field (SO model), the synchrotron model with a locally random magnetic field (SR model), and the Compton drag model (CD model). The results show that POET, or other polarimeters with similar capabilities, can constrain the GRB emission models by using the statistical properties of GRB polarizations. In particular, the ratio of the number of GRBs for which the polarization degrees can be measured to the number of GRBs that are detected (Nm/Nd) and the distributions of the polarization degrees (II) can be used as the criteria. If Nm/Nd>30% and II is clustered between 0.2 and 0.7, the SO model will be favored. If instead Nm/Nd<15%, then the SR or CD model will be favored. If several events with II>0.8 are observed, then the CD model will be favored.
Bloser P. E.
Hill James E.
Ioka Kunihito
McConnell Mark L.
Nakamura Takashi
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