TY - JOUR
T1 - Baryon loading of gamma-ray burst by neutron pickup
AU - Levinson, Amir
AU - Eichler, David
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank E. Derishev and the referee for useful discussions. This research was supported by the Arnow Chair of Astrophysics at Ben Gurion University and by an Adler Fellowship awarded by the Israel Science Foundation.
PY - 2003/9/1
Y1 - 2003/9/1
N2 - It is proposed that the baryons in gamma-ray burst (GRB) fireballs originate as "pickup" neutrons that leak in sideways from surrounding baryonic matter and convert to protons in a collision avalanche. The asymptotic Lorentz factor is estimated and, in the absence of collimation, is shown to be angle-dependent. Reasonable agreement is obtained with existing limits on the GRB baryonic component. The charged decay and collision products of the neutrons become ultrarelativistic immediately, and an ultra-high-energy neutrino burst is produced with an efficiency that can exceed 0.5. Other signatures may include lithium, beryllium, and/or boron lines in the supernova remnants associated with GRBs and the high polarization of the gamma rays.
AB - It is proposed that the baryons in gamma-ray burst (GRB) fireballs originate as "pickup" neutrons that leak in sideways from surrounding baryonic matter and convert to protons in a collision avalanche. The asymptotic Lorentz factor is estimated and, in the absence of collimation, is shown to be angle-dependent. Reasonable agreement is obtained with existing limits on the GRB baryonic component. The charged decay and collision products of the neutrons become ultrarelativistic immediately, and an ultra-high-energy neutrino burst is produced with an efficiency that can exceed 0.5. Other signatures may include lithium, beryllium, and/or boron lines in the supernova remnants associated with GRBs and the high polarization of the gamma rays.
KW - Gamma rays: Bursts
KW - Gamma rays: Theory
KW - Radiation mechanisms: Nonthermal
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0141457679&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/378487
DO - 10.1086/378487
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AN - SCOPUS:0141457679
SN - 0004-637X
VL - 594
SP - L19-L22
JO - Astrophysical Journal
JF - Astrophysical Journal
IS - 1 II
ER -