Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Jan 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21335205r&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #352.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.493
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Our understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and their afterglows has progressed dramatically over the last few years in thanks to the Swift mission and progress in prompt follow-up observations. These advances have lead to frequent nearly complete coverage at optical and X-ray wavelengths starting shortly after the bursts often lasting for weeks. This dissertation explores the properties of X-ray afterglows in the context of the canonical X-ray afterglow model with particular emphasis on the lack of expected jet collimation signature that was commonly seen in pre-Swift optical observations. We find that with slight modifications to the canonical X-ray afterglow model in the context of the Fireball model, by testing many permutations of the closure relations, we can find many more jet breaks than are initially obvious from the data. The deficit can be largely resolved when accounting for observing biases. The properties of jet collimation measured from GRB afterglows strongly affect the inferred energetics of the bursts, which has important theoretical implications. We study the extraordinary naked-eye GRB 080319B as an example of a burst with unusual observational properties of the prompt emission and afterglow that suggest a more complex two-component jet structure then what is typically assumed. Finally, we explore the expectations for GRB afterglow observations if all GRBs have this two-component structure but are commonly seen off-axis.
Burrows David N.
Racusin Judith L.
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