2007/10/15 by C. Wigger, O. Wigger, E. Bellm +1
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #SAS software applications and methods #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/526410
published as The Astrophysical Journal, 675:553-565, 2008 March 1 · 41 pages, 13 figures; submitted to ApJ
arxiv created 2007/10/15 · openalex publication_date 2008/03/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
GRB 021206 is one of the brightest GRBs ever observed. Its prompt emission, as measured by RHESSI , shows an unexpected spectral feature. The spectrum has a peak energy of about 700 keV and can be described by a Band function up to 4.5 MeV. Above 4.5 MeV, the spectrum hardens again, so the Band function fails to fit the whole RHESSI energy range up to 17 MeV. Nor does the sum of a blackbody function plus a power law, even though such a function can describe a spectral hardening. The cannonball model, on the other hand, predicts such a hardening, and we found that it fits the spectrum of GRB 021206 perfectly. We also analyzed other strong GRBs observed by RHESSI , namely, GRBs 020715, 021008, 030329, 030406, 030519B, 031027, and 031111. We found that all their spectra can be fit by the cannonball model, as well as by a Band function.