arXiv subjects

Peter Meszaros

Publications and source records attributed to Peter Meszaros.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Radio Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts and Hypernovae at High Redshift, and their Potential for 21-cm Absorption Studies

We investigate the radio afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and hypernovae (HNe) at high redshifts and quantify their detectability, as well as their potential usefulness for 21 cm absorption line studies of the intergalactic medium (IGM) and intervening structures. We examine several sets of source and environment model parameters that are physically plausible at high redshifts. The radio afterglows of GRBs would be detectable out to z ~ 30, while the energetic HNe could be detectable out to z ~ 20 even by the current Very Large Array (VLA). We find that the 21 cm absorption line due to the diffuse neutral IGM is difficult to detect even by the proposed Square Kilometer Array (SKA), except for highly energetic sources. We also find that the 21 cm line due to collapsed gas clouds with high optical depth may be detected on rare occasions.

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arXiv2004

High energy neutrinos from radio-quiet AGNs

Most active galactic nuclei (AGN) lack prominent jets, and show modest radio emission and significant X-ray emission which arises mainly from the galactic core, very near from the central black hole. We use a quantitative scenario of such core-dominated radio-quiet AGN, which attributes a substantial fraction of the X-ray emission to the presence of abortive jets involving the collision of gas blobs in the core. Here we investigate the consequences of the acceleration of protons in the shocks from such collisions. We find that protons will be accelerated up to energies above the pion photoproduction threshold on both the X-rays and the UV photons from the accretion disk. The secondary charged pions decay, producing neutrinos. We predict significant fluxes of TeV-PeV neutrinos, and show that the AMANDA II detector is already constraining several important astrophysical parameters of these sources. Larger cubic kilometer detectors such as IceCube will be able to detect such neutrinos in less than one year of operation, or otherwise rule out this scenario.

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arXiv2004

Extended GeV-TeV Emission around Gamma-Ray Burst Remnants, and the Case of W49B

We investigate the high-energy photon emission around Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) remnants caused by ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) from the GRBs. We apply the results to the recent report that the supernova remnant W49B is a GRB remnant in our Galaxy. If this is correct, and if GRBs are sources of UHECRs, a natural consequence of this identification would be a detectable TeV photon emission around the GRB remnant. The imaging of the surrounding emission could provide new constraints on the jet structure of the GRB.

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arXiv2004

Gravitational Wave and X-ray Signals from Stellar Disruption by a Massive Black Hole

Gravitational waves and X-ray flares are expected from tidal disruption of stars by a massive black hole. Using a relativistic smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, we investigate the fate of main sequence and Helium stars in plunge orbits passing near Schwarzschild or a Kerr black holes of 10^5-6 Msun. We show that quadrupole gravitational waves emitted during the tidal disruption process are described reasonable well by a point particle approximation even in the strong encounter case. An additional hydrodynamic calculation based on the Godunov method indicates that shocks develop for sufficiently high tidal compressions. The shock-heating results in an X-ray flare, which for solar-type stars disrupted by 10^6Msun black holes is in the keV range, associated with the gravitational wave signal. The hardness and duration of the X-ray flare may serve as a diagnostic of the mass of the central black hole.

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arXiv2004

GeV and higher energy photon interactions in gamma-ray burst fireballs and surroundings

We have calculated the opacities and secondary production mechanisms of high energy photons arising in gamma-ray burst internal shocks, using exact cross-sections for the relevant processes. We find that for reasonable choices of parameters, photons in the range of 10's to 100's of GeV may be emitted in the prompt phase. Photons above this range are subject to electron-positron pair production with fireball photons and would be absent from the spectrum escaping the gamma-ray burst. We find that, in such cases, the fireball becomes optically thin again at ultra-high energies ($\gtrsim$ PeV). On the other hand, for sufficiently large fireball bulk Lorentz factors, the fireball is optically thin at all energies. Both for $γγ$ self-absorbed and optically thin cases, the escaping high energy photons can interact with infra-red and microwave background photons to produce delayed secondary photons in the GeV-TeV range. These may be observable with GLAST, or at low redshifts with ground-based air Cherenkov telescopes. Detection of the primary prompt spectrum constrains the bulk Lorentz factor, while detection of delayed secondary gamma-rays would provide a consistency check for the primary spectrum and the bulk Lorentz factor as well as constraints on the intergalactic magnetic field strength.

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arXiv2004

High Energy Emission from the Double Pulsar system J0737-3039

We discuss the effects of particle acceleration at the bow shocks expected in the binary pulsar system J0737-3039, due to the wind from pulsar A interacting with both the interstellar medium (ISM), and with the magnetosphere of pulsar B. In this model, we find that the likeliest source for the X-rays observed by Chandra is the emission from the shocked wind of pulsar A as it interacts with the ISM. In this case, for favorable model parameter values, better statistics might help Chandra marginally resolve the source. A consequence of the model is a power law high energy spectrum extending up to $\lesssim$ 60 keV, at a level of $\sim 2 \times 10^{-13}$ erg cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$.

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arXiv2003

Early afterglow, magnetized central engine, and a quasi-universal jet configuration for long GRBs

Two separate topics are discussed. (1) We describe the classifications of the long GRB early afterglow lightcurves within the framework of the fireball shock model, focusing on the interplay between the reverse and forward shock emission components. We will also provide evidence that the central engine of at least two bursts are entrained with strong magnetic fields, and discuss the implications of this result for our understanding of the GRB phenomenon; (2) We argue that the current gamma-ray burst (GRB) and X-ray flash (XRF) data are consistent with a picture that all GRB-XRF jets are structured and quasi-universal, with a typical Gaussian-like jet structure.

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arXiv2003

Quasi-universal Gaussian jets: a unified picture for gamma-ray bursts and X-ray flashes

An observed correlation Ep \propto (E_{iso})^{1/2} extending from Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) to X-ray flashes (XRFs) poses problems both for a power-law universal jet model where the energy per solid angle decreases as the inverse square of the angle respect to the jet axis, and for a conical jet model with a uniform energy density within the jet beam and a sharp energy cut-off at the jet edge. Here we show that the current GRB-XRF prompt emission/afterglow data can be understood in terms of a picture in which the GRB-XRF jets are quasi-universal and structured, with a Gaussian-like or similar structure, i.e., one where the jet has a characteristic angle, with a mild variation of energy inside and a rapid (e.g. exponential) decrease of energy outside of it. A Monte Carlo simulation shows that the current data is compatible with such a quasi-universal Gaussian jet with a typical opening angle of 5.7(+3.4)(-2.1) degrees, and with a standard jet energy of about log (E_j/1 erg)= 51.1+-0.3. According to this model, the true-to-observed number ratio of the whole GRB-XRF population is about 14 with the current instrumental sensitivity.

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arXiv2003

A Characteristic Dense Environment or Wind Signature in Prompt GRB Afterglows

We discuss the effects of synchrotron self-absorption in the prompt emission from the reverse shock of GRB afterglows occurring in a dense environment, such as the wind of a massive stellar progenitor or a dense ISM in early galaxies. We point out that, when synchrotron losses dominate over inverse Compton losses, the higher self-absorption frequency in a dense environment implies a bump in the reverse shock emission spectrum, which can result in a more complex optical/IR light curve than previously thought. This bump is prominent especially if the burst ejecta is highly magnetized. In the opposite case of low magnetization, inverse Compton losses lead to a prompt X-ray flare. These effects give a possible new diagnostic for the magnetic energy density in the fireball, and for the presence of a dense environment.

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arXiv2003

Gamma-Ray Bursts: Progress, Problems & Prospects

The cosmological gamma-ray burst (GRB) phenomenon is reviewed. The broad observational facts and empirical phenomenological relations of the GRB prompt emission and afterglow are outlined. A well-tested, successful fireball shock model is introduced in a pedagogical manner. Several important uncertainties in the current understanding of the phenomenon are reviewed, and prospects of how future experiments and extensive observational and theoretical efforts may address these problems are discussed.

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arXiv2003

Neutrino Tomography of Gamma Ray Bursts and Massive Stellar Collapses

Neutrinos at energies above TeV can serve as probes of the stellar progenitor and jet dynamics of gamma ray bursts arising from stellar core collapses. They can also probe collapses which do not lead to gamma-rays, which may be much more numerous. We calculate detailed neutrino spectra from shock accelerated protons in jets just below the outer stellar envelope, before their emergence. We present neutrino flux estimates from such pre-burst jets for two different massive stellar progenitor models. These should be distinguishable by IceCube, and we discuss the implications.

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arXiv2003

Neutrino signatures of the supernova - gamma ray burst relationship

We calculate the TeV-PeV neutrino fluxes of gamma-ray bursts associated with supernovae, based on the observed association between GRB 030329 and supernova SN 2003dh. The neutrino spectral flux distributions can test for possible delays between the supernova and the gamma-ray burst events down to much shorter timescales than what can be resolved with photons. As an illustrative example, we calculate the probability of neutrino induced muon and electron cascade events in a km scale under-ice detector at the South Pole, from the GRB 030329. Our calculations demonstrate that km scale neutrino telescopes are expected to detect signals that will allow to constrain supernova-GRB models.

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arXiv2003

High Energy Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Bursts with Precursor Supernovae

The high energy neutrino signature from proton-proton and photo-meson interactions in a supernova remnant shell ejected prior to a gamma-ray burst provides a test for the precursor supernova, or supranova, model of gamma-ray bursts. Protons in the supernova remnant shell, and photons entrapped from a supernova explosion or a pulsar wind from a fast-rotating neutron star remnant provide ample targets for protons escaping the internal shocks of the gamma-ray burst to interact and produce high energy neutrinos. We calculate the expected neutrino fluxes, which can be detected by current and future experiments.

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arXiv2003

Gamma-ray burst early optical afterglows: implications for the initial Lorentz factor and the central engine

Early optical afterglows have been observed from GRB 990123, GRB 021004, and GRB 021211, which reveal rich emission features attributed to reverse shocks. It is expected that Swift will discover many more early afterglows. Here we investigate in a unified manner both the forward and the reverse external shock emission components, and introduce a straightforward recipe for directly constraining the initial Lorentz factor of the fireball using early optical afterglow data. The scheme is largely independent of the shock microphysics. We identify two types of combinations of the reverse and forward shock emission, and explore their parameter regimes. We also discuss a possible diagnostic for magnetized ejecta. There is evidence that the central engine of GRB 990123 is strongly magnetized.

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arXiv2003

Neutrino-Driven Explosions in GRBs and Hypernovae

We study the physics behind the neutrino-driven mechanism for gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae, deriving the critical density at which these outbursts occur in the collapsar model. The agreement between this derivation and results from past collapsar simulations (MacFadyen & Woosley 2000) is excellent, implying that we have captured the essential physics. We then use this derivation to study a range of progenitors for collapsar gamma-ray bursts. We derive how much of the star will accrete onto the black hole core before the infall density drops below this critical density, leading to an estimate of the remnant black hole mass for GRBs and hypernovae. We also estimate the time delays between gravity wave or neutrino signals and the onset of the explosion or burst event. This derivation, combined with future observational constraints, provides a physical insight into the structure of the GRB progenitor.

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arXiv2003

Gravitational Radiation from Gamma-Ray Burst Progenitors

We study gravitational radiation from various proposed gamma-ray burst (GRB) progenitor models, in particular compact mergers and massive stellar collapses. These models have in common a high angular rotation rate, and the final stage involves a rotating black hole and accretion disk system. We consider the in-spiral, merger and ringing phases, and for massive collapses we consider the possible effects of asymmetric collapse and break-up, as well bar-mode instabilities in the disks. We calculate the strain and frequency of the gravitational waves expected from various progenitors, at distances based on occurrence rate estimates. Based on simplifying assumptions, we give estimates of the probability of detection of gravitational waves by the advanced LIGO system from the different GRB scenarios.

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arXiv2003

Polarized Gravitational Waves from Gamma-Ray Bursts

Significant gravitational wave emission is expected from gamma-ray bursts arising from compact stellar mergers, and possibly also from bursts associated with fast-rotating massive stellar core collapses. These models have in common a high angular rotation rate, and observations provide evidence for jet collimation of the photon emission, with properties depending on the polar angle, which may also be of relevance for X-ray flashes. Here we consider the gravitational wave emission and its polarization as a function of angle which is expected from such sources. We discuss possible correlations between the burst photon luminosity, or the delay between gravitational wave bursts and X-ray flashes, and the polarization degree of the gravitational waves.

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arXiv2002

Some recent developments in gamma-ray burst afterglow and prompt emission models

Extensive observational campaigns of afterglow hunting have greatly enriched our understanding of the gamma-ray burst (GRB) phenomenon. Efforts have been made recently to explore some afterglow properties or signatures that will be tested by the on-going or the future observational campaigns yet come. These include the properties of GRB early afterglows in the temporal domain; the GeV-TeV afterglow signatures in the spectral domain; as well as a global view about the GRB universal structured jet configuration. These recent efforts are reviewed. Within the standard cosmological fireball model, the very model(s) responsible for the GRB prompt emission is (are) not identified. These models are critically reviewed and confronted with the current data.

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