2008/11/28 by Ramesh Narayan, Pawan Kumar
Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae #Space Science and Extraterrestrial Life #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00624.x
Submitted to MNRAS
arxiv created 2008/11/28 · openalex publication_date 2009/02/13 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract A popular paradigm to explain the rapid temporal variability observed in gamma-ray burst (GRB) light curves is the internal shock model. We propose an alternative model in which the radiating fluid in the GRB shell is relativistically turbulent with a typical eddy Lorentz factor γt. In this model, all pulses in the gamma-ray light curve are produced at roughly the same distance R from the centre of the explosion. The burst duration is ∼R/cΓ2, where Γ is the bulk Lorentz factor of the expanding shell, and the duration of individual pulses in the light curve is ∼R/cΓ2γ2t. The model naturally produces highly variable light curves with ∼γ2t individual pulses. Even though the model assumes highly inhomogeneous conditions, nevertheless the efficiency for converting jet energy to radiation is high.