arXiv subjects

F. Daigne

Publications and source records attributed to F. Daigne.

70 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

The redshift distribution of SWIFT Gamma-Ray Bursts: evidence for evolution

We predict the redshift distribution of long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) with Monte Carlo simulations. Our improved analysis constrains free parameters with three kinds of observation: (i) the log(N)-log(P) diagram of BATSE bursts; (ii) the peak energy distribution of bright BATSE bursts; (iii) the HETE2 fraction of X-ray rich GRBs and X-ray flashes. The statistical analysis of the Monte Carlo simulation results allow us to carefully study the impact of the uncertainties in the GRB intrinsic properties on the redshift distribution. The comparison with SWIFT data then leads to the following conclusions. The Amati relation should be intrinsic, if observationally confirmed by SWIFT. The progenitor and/or the GRB properties have to evolve to reproduce the high mean redshift of SWIFT bursts. Our results favor an evolution of the efficiency of GRB production by massive stars, that would be ~6-7 times higher at z~7 than at z~2. We finally predict around 10 GRBs detected by SWIFT at redshift z>6 for a three year mission. These may be sufficient to open a new observational window over the high redshift Universe.

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arXiv2006

Afterglow calculation in the electromagnetic model for gamma-ray bursts

We compute the afterglow of gamma-ray bursts produced by purely electromagnetic outflows to see if it shows characteristic signatures differing from those obtained with the standard internal/external shock model. Using a simple approach for the injection of electromagnetic energy to the forward shock we obtain the afterglow evolution both during the period of activity of the central source and after. Our method equally applies to a variable source. Afterglow light curves in the visible and X-ray bands are computed both for a uniform medium and a stellar wind environment. They are brighter at early times than afterglows obtained with the internal/external shock model but relying only on these differences to discriminate between models is not sufficient.

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arXiv2006

The ECLAIRs micro-satellite mission for gamma-ray burst multi-wavelength observations

Gamma-ray bursts (GRB), at least those with a duration longer than a few seconds are the most energetic events in the Universe and occur at cosmological distances. The ECLAIRs micro-satellite, to be launched in 2009, will provide multi-wavelength observations of GRB, to study their astrophysics and to use them as cosmological probes. Furthermore in 2009 ECLAIRs is expected to be the only space borne instrument capable of providing a GRB trigger in near real-time with sufficient localization accuracy for GRB follow-up observations with the powerful ground based spectroscopic telescopes available by then. A "Phase A study" of the ECLAIRs project has recently been launched by the French Space Agency CNES, aiming at a detailed mission design and selection for flight in 2006. The ECLAIRs mission is based on a CNES micro-satellite of the "Myriade" family and dedicated ground-based optical telescopes. The satellite payload combines a 2 sr field-of-view coded aperture mask gamma-camera using 6400 CdTe pixels for GRB detection and localization with 10 arcmin precision in the 4 to 50 keV energy band, together with a soft X-ray camera for onboard position refinement to 1 arcmin. The ground-based optical robotic telescopes will detect the GRB prompt/early afterglow emission and localize the event to arcsec accuracy, for spectroscopic follow-up observations.

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arXiv2005

The circumstellar environment of Wolf-Rayet stars & Gamma-ray burst afterglows

We study the evolution of the circumstellar medium of massive stars. We pay particular attention to Wolf-Rayet stars that are thought to be the progenitors of some long Gamma-Ray Bursts. We detail the mass-loss rates we use in our stellar evolution models and how we estimate the stellar wind speeds during different phases. With these details we simulate the interactions between the wind and the interstellar medium to predict the circumstellar environment around the stars at the time of core-collapse. We then investigate how the structure of the environment might affect the GRB afterglow. We find that when the afterglow jet encounters the free-wind to stalled-wind interface that rebrightening occurs and a bump is seen in the afterglow light curve. However our predicted positions of this interface are too distant from the site of the GRB to reach while the afterglow remains observable. The values of the final-wind density, A_{*}, from our stellar models are similar to the values inferred from observed afterglow lightcurves and those from observed Wolf-Rayet stars. However we do not reproduce the lowest observed A_{*} values below 0.3. For these cases we suggest that the progenitors could have been a WO type Wolf-Rayet star, be in a close binary or very low metallicity star. Finally we turn our attention to the matter of stellar wind material producing absorption lines in the afterglow spectra. We discuss the observational signatures of two Wolf-Rayet stellar types, WC and WO, in the afterglow lightcurve and spectra. We also indicate how it may be possible to constrain the initial mass and metallicity of a GRB progenitor by using the inferred wind density and wind velocity.

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arXiv2005

On the nature of X-Ray Flashes

We discuss the origin of X-Ray Flashes (XRFs), a recently discovered class of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Using a simplified model for internal shocks we check if XRFs can be intrinsically soft due to some specific values of the parameters describing the relativistic outflow emerging from the central engine. We generate a large number of synthetic events and find that XRFs are obtained when the contrast Gamma_max/Gamma_min of the Lorentz factor distribution is small while the average Lorentz factor Gamma is large. A few XRFs may be GRBs at large redshifts but we exclude this possibility for the bulk of the population. If outflows with a small contrast are commonly produced, even a large population of XRFs could be explained. If conversely the Lorentz factor distribution within the wind is broad, one should then rely on extrinsic causes, such as viewing angle effects or high redshift.

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arXiv2004

The ECLAIRs micro-satellite for multi-wavelength studies of gamma-ray burst prompt emission

The cosmological revolution of 1997 has established that (at least long duration) gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are among the most energetic events in the Universe and occur at cosmological distances. The ECLAIRs micro-satellite, to be launched in 2009, will provide multi-wavelength observations for astrophysical studies of GRB and for their possible use as cosmological probes. It is expected to be the only space borne GRB trigger available for ground based robotic telescopes operational at that time. This paper presents the ECLAIRs project and its status. An X/gamma-ray camera onboard ECLAIRs with a wide field of view of 2 sr, will detect ~100 GRB/yr in the 4-50 keV energy range, localize the GRB with a precision of ~10 arcmin on the sky, and transmit this information to the ground in near real-time, as a GRB trigger for ground based optical telescopes. Inspired by the INTEGRAL imager IBIS, it is based on a CdTe detection plane covering 1000 cm^2, placed 35 cm below a coded mask. An optical camera, sensitive to magnitude-15 stars, covering up to 1/4th of the X/gamma-ray camera's field of view, will observe the prompt emission and a possible precursor of ~10 GRB/yr in the visible-band. Used in a continuous acquisition mode at a rate of ~5 images/s dumped into an on-board memory, a GRB event sent by the X/gamma-ray camera triggers a seek-back in memory for the GRB optical precursor. The full X/gamma-ray and visible-band data of a GRB are sent to ground when a high data-rate telemetry ground receiver is reachable.

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arXiv2003

The X-ray flaring activity of the galactic nucleus observed with XMM-Newton

We report the results of XMM-Newton observations of Sgr A*, the radiative counterpart of the massive black hole at the nucleus of our Galaxy, performed in the frame of the guaranteed time survey program of the Galactic Center region. The discovery of bright X-ray flares from Sgr A* with Chandra in October 2000 have opened new perspectives to understand the processes at work in this object and in general in black holes accreting at low accretion rates. We report here the important results obtained with XMM-Newton on the Sgr A* high-energy flaring activity and we discuss the implications on the models and the future observational perspectives.

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arXiv2003

A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton

The compact radio source Sgr A*, believed to be the counterpart of the massive black hole at the Galactic nucleus, was observed to undergo rapid and intense flaring activity in X-rays with Chandra in October 2000. We report here the detection with XMM-Newton EPIC cameras of the early phase of a similar X-ray flare from this source, which occurred on 2001 September 4. The source 2-10 keV luminosity increased by a factor ~ 20 to reach a level of 4 10$^{34}$ erg s$^{-1}$ in a time interval of about 900 s, just before the end of the observation. The data indicate that the source spectrum was hard during the flare and can be described by simple power law of slope ~ 0.7. This XMM-Newton observation confirms the results obtained by Chandra, suggests that, in Sgr A*, rapid and intense X-ray flaring is not a rare event and therefore sets some constraints on the emission mechanism models proposed for this source.

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arXiv2002

A New X-Ray Flare from the Galactic Nucleus Detected with the XMM-Newton Photon Imaging Cameras

Sgr A*, the compact radio source, believed to be the counterpart of the massive black hole at the galactic nucleus, was observed to undergo rapid and intense flaring activity in X-rays with Chandra in October 2000. We report here the detection with XMM-Newton EPIC cameras of the early phase of a similar X-ray flare from this source, which occurred on September 4, 2001. The source 2-10 keV luminosity increased by a factor about 20 to reach a level of 4 10^{34} erg s^{-1} in a time interval of about 900 s, just before the end of the observation. The data indicate that the source spectrum was hard during the flare. This XMM-Newton observation confirms the results obtained by Chandra and suggests that, in Sgr A*, rapid and intense X-ray flaring is not a rare event. This can constrain the emission mechanism models proposed for this source, and also implies that the crucial multiwavelength observation programs planned to explore the behaviour of the radio/sub-mm and hard X-ray/gamma-ray emissions during the X-ray flares, have a good chance of success.

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arXiv2002

XMM-Newton observation of the bursting pulsar GRO J1744-28 in quiescence

The XMM-Newton X-ray observatory performed a pointed observation of the bursting pulsar GRO J1744-28 in April 2001 for about 10 ks during a program devoted to the scan of the Galactic center region. After the discovery of this source by BATSE in December 1995 during a very active bursting phase, it has been in quiescence since April 1997. We present here the first detection of GRO J1744-28 in its quiescent state at a position which is consistent with previous high-energy positions (but not consistent with a proposed IR counterpart). The observed luminosity of the source in quiescence is about 6 orders of magnitude weaker than the luminosity in outburst.

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arXiv2001

Stationary equatorial MHD flows in general relativity

We derive a new formulation of the fully general relativistic equations describing a stationary equatorial MHD outflow from a rotating central object. The wind solution appears as a level contour of a `Bernoulli' function fixed by the requirements that it must pass through the slow and fast critical points. This approach is the general relativistic extension to the classical treatment of Sakurai (1985). We discuss in details how the efficiency of the magnetic to kinetic energy conversion depends mainly on the geometry of the flux tubes and show that the magnetic acceleration can work very well under some conditions. We show how this tool can be used for the study of several astrophysical phenomena, among which gamma-ray bursts.

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arXiv2000

Gamma-ray bursts from internal shocks in a relativistic wind: an hydrodynamical study

The internal shock model for gamma-ray bursts involves shocks taking place in a relativistic wind with a very inhomogeneous initial distribution of the Lorentz factor. We have developed a 1D lagrangian hydrocode to follow the evolution of such a wind and the results we have obtained are compared to those of a simpler model presented in a recent paper (Daigne & Mochkovitch 1998) where all pressure waves are suppressed in the wind so that shells with different velocities only interact by direct collisions. The detailed hydrodynamical calculation essentially confirms the conclusion of the simple model: the main temporal and spectral properties of gamma-ray bursts can be reproduced by internal shocks in a relativistic wind.

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arXiv2000

Large scale magnetic fields and their dissipation in GRB fireballs

We consider possible geometries of magnetic fields in GRB outflows, and their evolution with distance from the source. For magnetically driven outflows, with an assumed ratio of magnetic to kinetic energy density of order unity, the field strengths are sufficient for efficient production of gamma-rays by synchrotron emission in the standard internal shock scenario, without the need for local generation of small scale fields. In these conditions, the MHD approximation is valid to large distances (>10^19cm). In outflows driven by nonaxisymmetric magnetic fields, changes of direction of the field cause dissipation of magnetic energy by reconnection. This dissipation takes place outside the photosphere of the outflow, and can convert a significant fraction of the magnetic energy flux into radiation.

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arXiv1999

The origin of the relativistic wind in gamma-ray bursts: MHD flow from a disk orbiting a stellar mass black hole ?

We compute the mass loss rate from a disk orbiting a stellar mass black hole assuming the flow is guided along magnetic field lines attached to the disk. We then estimate the Lorentz factor of the wind at infinity. We find that the Lorentz factor can reach high values only if severe constraints on the field geometry and the conditions of energy injection are satisfied. We discuss our results in the context of different scenarios for gamma-ray bursts. We mention a risk of 'contamination' of the Blandford-Znajek process by wind material emitted from the disk.

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arXiv1999

Theoretical interpretation of the X-ray properties of GRB960720

BeppoSAX observations of the single pulse burst GRB960720 have allowed a detailed study of its X-ray properties: pulse width in different energy bands, spectral evolution from 2 to 700 keV, etc. We show that the early (0-5s) X-ray emission and the gamma-rays are well explained by internal shocks in a relativistic wind while the late (5-20s) X-ray emission could come from the reverse shock generated in the wind when it interacts with the external medium. The results for a medium of uniform density are compared to the observations.

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arXiv1998

Gamma-ray bursts from internal shocks in a relativistic wind: temporal and spectral properties

We construct models for gamma-ray bursts where the emission comes from internal shocks in a relativistic wind with a highly non uniform distribution of the Lorentz factor. We follow the evolution of the wind using a very simplified approach where a large number of layers interact by direct collisions but where all pressure waves have been suppressed. We suppose that the magnetic field and the electron Lorentz factor reach large equipartition values in the shocks. Synchrotron photons emitted by the relativistic electrons have a typical energy in the gamma-ray range in the observer frame. Synthetic bursts are constructed as the sum of the contributions from all the internal elementary shocks and their temporal and spectral properties are compared to the observations. We reproduce the diversity of burst profiles, the ``FRED'' shape of individual pulses and the short time scale variability. Synthetic bursts also satisfy the duration-hardness relation and individual pulses are found to be narrower at high energy, in agreement with the observations. These results suggest that internal shocks in a relativistic wind may indeed be at the origin of gamma-ray bursts. A potential problem is however the relatively low efficiency of the dissipation process. If the relativistic wind is powered by accretion from a disc to a stellar mass black hole it implies that a substantial fraction of the available energy is injected into the wind.

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