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Rahim Moradi

Publications and source records attributed to Rahim Moradi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The afterglow of gamma-ray burst - supernova connections

The X-ray afterglow of several long gamma-ray bursts (LGRBs) associated with broad line type Ib/c supernovae (SNe) exhibits a standard non-thermal afterglow, commonly attributed to synchrotron emission from a relativistic jet, and an evolving thermal component whose physical origin is still debated. We investigate whether these thermal and non-thermal components can be described within a common analytical framework and whether their temporal evolution can provide insight into the physical connection between relativistic jets and SN ejecta. We combine a phenomenological description of the synchrotron emission of the non-thermal energy associated with the relativistic jet with a diffusion model describing the thermal evolution of the jet-affected portion of the SN ejecta. The resulting coupled system is solved analytically, leading to closed-form expressions for both non-thermal and thermal luminosities. We apply the model to the following systems: GRB 060218A/SN 2006aj and GRB 171205A/SN 2017iuk. The proposed formalism reproduces the main features of both thermal and non-thermal light curves. In both systems, the thermal luminosity follows a temporal evolution similar to that of the non-thermal component up to the plateau phase. The inferred thermal energy stored in the jet-affected ejecta is found to be a fraction of the energy coupled to the observed non-thermal emission. The characteristic timescales obtained from the fits suggest a direct link between the evolution of the jet and the thermal response of the expanding ejecta. Although simplified, the proposed framework provides a unified analytical description of LGRB afterglows and their thermal counterparts and offers a useful tool for investigating the physical connection between relativistic jets and SNe Ib/c.

astro-ph.HE

Relativistic \(^{56}\text{Ni}\) Decay Lines in GRB 221009A

Long Gamma Ray Bursts are thought to originate from the core collapse of massive stars that give rise to energetic broad-lined Type Ic supernovae. The brightest burst ever recorded, GRB 221009A, has been linked to a broad-lined Type Ic supernova through late-time observations by the James Webb Space Telescope. An emission line evolving from $\sim$37 to $\sim$6~MeV is detected during the prompt phase. We propose that this time-evolving line is consistent with Doppler-boosted radioactive decay of nickel synthesized in the associated supernova and entrained in the relativistic jet, corresponding to the boosted 158~keV decay branch. We also report evidence for an additional higher-energy excess near $\sim$24~MeV at 290--300~s, detected at moderate statistical significance and consistent with the boosted 270~keV decay branch. The observed kinematics and flux evolution are compatible with expectations from radioactive decay, providing direct spectroscopic evidence linking prompt emission to supernova nucleosynthesis.

astro-ph.HE

Machine Phenomenology: A Simple Equation Classifying Fast Radio Bursts

This work shows how human physical reasoning can guide machine-driven symbolic regression toward discovering empirical laws from observations. As an example, we derive a simple equation that classifies fast radio bursts (FRBs) into two distinct Gaussian distributions, indicating the existence of two physical classes. This human-AI workflow integrates feature selection, dimensional analysis, and symbolic regression: deep learning first analyzes CHIME Catalog 1 and identifies six independent parameters that collectively provide a complete description of FRBs; guided by Buckingham-$\pi$ analysis and correlation analysis, humans then construct dimensionless groups; finally, symbolic regression performed by the machine discovers the governing equation. When applied to the newer CHIME Catalog, the equation produces consistent results, demonstrating that it captures the underlying physics. This framework is applicable to a broad range of scientific domains.

astro-ph.IM

The Origin of Cross-Energy-Similar FRED Profiles in Gamma-Ray Bursts Pulses

To understand the physical mechanisms underlying the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRB), single FRED (Fast-Rise-Exponential-Decay) profile GRBs serve as an ideal sample, as they origin from single epoch central engine activity. These GRBs have been found to exhibit a peculiar morphology-including the elegant cross-energy-similarity across energy bands and the recently discovered composite nature-challenging nearly all existing radiation mechanisms, sparking widespread curiosity about their origins. Here we propose a physical model which includes radiation locations sequentially triggered by propagating magnetic perturbations. It naturally explains all observed properties of these GRBs, including the self-similar FRED profile, multi-band aligned subpulses, hard-to-soft spectral evolution, local intensity tracking, and increasing subpulse durations. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that the duration of these GRBs is not reflecting the activity timescale of the central engine, reconciling recent challenges to the traditional merger-short/collapsar-long dichotomy of GRBs.

astro-ph.HE

BREAKFAST: A Framework for general joint BA duty and follow-up guidance of multiple $\gamma$-ray monitors

With the growing number of gamma-ray monitors in operation, several research teams have adopted a strategy of joint operation and scientific duty to improve efficiency. A successful example is the GECAM-HXMT-SVOM (GHS) constellation collaboration, which sets a precedent for other gamma-ray monitor constellations. However, joint duty also presents challenges to Burst Advocates (BAs), including the increased number of triggers and, more importantly, the frequent switching between various systems due to incompatibilities among different missions, which complicates the situation. To address the current requirements of multi-wavelength and multi-messenger astronomy, we developed a customized framework for unified trigger processing within the GHS joint duty, named "BA's Rapid Evaluation and Analysis Kit for Formulating Alerts and Summary Tools" (BREAKFAST). This framework incorporates a series of automated, semi-automated, and manual pipelines designed to rapidly process triggers of prompt emissions in the gamma-ray band from different instruments, while maintaining flexible compatibility for future missions. The pursuit of BREAKFAST goes beyond merely providing trigger processing for BAs. BREAKFAST also aims to filtering high-value targets and guiding follow-up telescopes through rapid analysis and reporting, thus serving as an important bridge between prompt emission observations and afterglow observations. To this end, a suite of comprehensive analysis modules is included in BREAKFAST, particularly the specially designed module that predicts X-ray afterglow brightness based on prompt emission properties. The framework's effectiveness has already been demonstrated in recent observational campaigns, and it is expected to play a significant role in the discovery and observation of peculiar transients in the future.

astro-ph.IM

On the Ultra-Long Gamma-Ray Transient GRB 250702B/EP250702

GRB 250702B/EP250702a is an interesting long-duration gamma-ray transient whose nature is in debate. To obtain a full picture in gamma-ray band, we implement a comprehensive targeted search of burst emission in a wide window of 30 days jointly with Insight-HXMT, GECAM and Fermi/GBM data within the ETJASMIN framework. In gamma-ray band, we find there is a 50-second precursor about 25 hours before the 4-hour main burst, which generally consists of 4 emission episodes. Remarkably, we find that the soft X-ray emission (after the main burst) decays as a power-law with start time aligning with the last episode of main emission and index of -5/3 perfectly consistent with the canonical prediction of fallback accretion. We conclude that the properties of precursor, main burst and the following soft X-ray emission strongly support the atypical collapsar Ultra-Long Gamma-Ray Burst (ULGRB) scenario rather than the Tidal Disruption Event (TDE), and all these gamma-ray and soft X-ray emission probably originate from relativistic jet whose luminosity is dominated by the fallback accretion rate during the death collapse of a supergiant star.

astro-ph.HE

Investigating the Dainotti Relation in Gamma-Ray Bursts through Multipolar Electromagnetic Radiation

The Dainotti relation empirically connects the isotropic plateau luminosity ($L_X$) in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) X-ray afterglows to the rest-frame time at which the plateau ends ($T_a^*$), enabling both the standardization of GRBs and their use as cosmological probes. However, the precise physical mechanisms underlying this correlation remain an active area of research. Although magnetars, highly magnetized neutron stars, have been proposed as central engines powering GRB afterglows, traditional dipole spin-down radiation models fail to account for the full diversity of observed behaviors. This limitation necessitates a more comprehensive framework. We propose that multipolar magnetic field emissions from magnetars offer a plausible explanation for the Dainotti relation. Unlike simple dipole fields, higher-order multipolar configurations enable more complex energy dissipation processes. The coexistence of multiple components can plausibly explain the range of afterglow decay indices found from a sample of 238 GRBs with plateau features from the Swift-XRT database up to the end of December 2024, the majority of which deviate from the dipolar prediction of $\alpha = -2$, and more crucially, the spin-down physics yields a link between $L_X$ and $T_a^*$ in a way that preserves the Dainotti correlation with a slope of $b = - 1$, independent of the specific multipole order. Moreover, we find that the inclusion of higher order multipoles can explain the range of plateau energies found in the Dainotti relations. Thus, a unified picture emerges in which multipolar fields are able to reproduce both the slope and the normalization of the correlation.

astro-ph.HE

Evolution of the Three Spectral Components in the Prompt Emission of GRB 240825A

The prompt emission of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) could be composed of different spectral components, such as a dominant non-thermal Band component in the keV-MeV range, a subdominant quasi-thermal component, and an additional hard non-thermal component extending into the GeV range. The existence and evolutionary behaviors of these components could place strong implication on physical models, such as ejecta composition and dissipation processes. Although numerous GRBs have been found to exhibit one or two spectral components, reports of GRBs containing all three components remain rare. In this letter, based on the joint observations of GRB 240825A from multiple gamma-ray telescopes, we conduct a comprehensive temporal and spectral analysis to identify the presence and evolution of all three components. The bulk Lorentz factor of this bright and relatively short-duration burst is independently calculated using the thermal and hard non-thermal components, supporting a jet penetration scenario. The multi-segment broken powerlaw feature observed in the flux light curves suggests the presence of an early afterglow in the keV-MeV band and hints at a possible two-jet structure. Furthermore, the observed transition from positive to negative on the spectral lag can be interpreted as an independent evolution of the soft and hard components, leading to misalignment in the cross-correlation function (CCF) analysis of pulses.

astro-ph.HE

On the Feasibility of Deriving Pseudo-Redshifts of Gamma-ray Bursts from Two Phenomenological Correlations

Accurate knowledge of gamma-ray burst (GRB) redshifts is essential for studying their intrinsic properties and exploring their potential application in cosmology. Currently, only a small fraction of GRBs have independent redshift measurements, primarily due to the need of rapid follow-up optical/IR spectroscopic observations. For this reason, many have utilized phenomenological correlations to derive pseudo-redshifts of GRBs with no redshift measurement. In this work, we explore the feasibility of analytically deriving pseudo-redshifts directly from the Amati and Yonetoku relations. We simulate populations of GRBs that (i) fall perfectly on the phenomenological correlation track, and (ii) include intrinsic scatter matching observations. Our findings indicate that, in the case of the Amati relation , the mathematical formulation is ill-behaved so that it yields two solutions within a reasonable redshift range $z \in [0.1, 10] $. When realistic scatter is included, it may result in no solution, or the redshift error range is excessively large. In the case of the Yonetoku relation, while it can result in a unique solution in most cases, the large systematic errors of the redshift calls for attention, especially when attempting to use pseudo redshifts to study GRB population properties.

astro-ph.HE

Multimessenger signatures of a deformed magnetar in gamma-ray bursts

We study the evolution of a newly formed magnetized neutron-star (NS) as a power source of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in the light of both gravitational-wave (GW) and electromagnetic (EM) radiations. The compressible and incompressible fluids are employed in order to model the secular evolution of stable Maclaurian spheroids. It is shown that the GW and EM emissions evolve as a function of eccentricity and rotational frequency with time. We find that the luminosity characteristics crucially depend on NS parameters such as magnitude and structure of magnetic field, ellipticity and the equation of state (EoS) of the fluid. The presence of X-ray flares, whose origins are not yet well understood, can be captured in our model regarding some specific nuclear EoSs. Our model allowing us to explain flares that occur within the wide range of $ 10$ to $10^4$ s and the peak EM luminosity in the order of $10^{46}$ - $10^{51}$ $\rm \text{erg} s^{-1}$ by using a reasonable set of parameters, such as magnetic field strength around $10^{14}-10^{16}$ G, the quadrupole-to-dipole ratio of magnetic field up to 500. By applying our model to a sample of GRB X-ray flares observed by the Swift/X-ray Telescope, we try to constraint the crucial parameters of a deformed magnetar via a Marcov Chain Monte Carlo fitting method. Our analysis shows that ongoing and upcoming joint multimessenger detections can be used to understand the nature of a GRB's central engine and its evolution at the early times of the burst formation.

astro-ph.HE

A new subclass of gamma-ray burst originating from compact binary merger

Type I gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are believed to originate from compact binary merger usually with duration less than 2 seconds for the main emission. However, recent observations of GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A indicate that some merger-origin GRBs could last much longer. Since they show strikingly similar properties (indicating a common mechanism) which are different from the classic "long"-short burst (e.g. GRB 060614), forming an interesting subclass of type I GRBs, we suggest to name them as type IL GRBs. By identifying the first peak of GRB 230307A as a quasi-thermal precursor, we find that the prompt emission of type IL GRB is composed of three episodes: (1) a precursor followed by a short quiescent (or weak emission) period, (2) a long-duration main emission, and (3) an extended emission. With this burst pattern, a good candidate, GRB 170228A, was found in the Fermi/GBM archive data, and subsequent temporal and spectral analyses indeed show that GRB 170228A falls in the same cluster with GRB 211211A and GRB 230307A in many diagnostic figures. Thus this burst pattern could be a good reference for rapidly identifying type IL GRB and conducting low-latency follow-up observation. We estimated the occurrence rate and discussed the physical origins and implications for the three emission episodes of type IL GRBs. Our analysis suggests the pre-merger precursor model, especially the super flare model, is more favored for type IL GRBs.

astro-ph.HE

Can AI Understand Our Universe? Test of Fine-Tuning GPT by Astrophysical Data

ChatGPT has been the most talked-about concept in recent months, captivating both professionals and the general public alike, and has sparked discussions about the changes that artificial intelligence (AI) will bring to the world. As physicists and astrophysicists, we are curious about if scientific data can be correctly analyzed by large language models (LLMs) and yield accurate physics. In this article, we fine-tune the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) model by the astronomical data from the observations of galaxies, quasars, stars, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and the simulations of black holes (BHs), the fine-tuned model demonstrates its capability to classify astrophysical phenomena, distinguish between two types of GRBs, deduce the redshift of quasars, and estimate BH parameters. We regard this as a successful test, marking the LLM's proven efficacy in scientific research. With the ever-growing volume of multidisciplinary data and the advancement of AI technology, we look forward to the emergence of a more fundamental and comprehensive understanding of our universe. This article also shares some interesting thoughts on data collection and AI design. Using the approach of understanding the universe - looking outward at data and inward for fundamental building blocks - as a guideline, we propose a method of series expansion for AI, suggesting ways to train and control AI that is smarter than humans.

astro-ph.IM

Multipolar Electromagnetic Emission of Newborn Magnetar

It is generally recognized that the electromagnetic multipolar emission from magnetars can be used to explain radiation from Soft Gamma Repeaters (SGRs) or Anomalous X-ray Pulsars (AXPs), but they have little impact on the spindown of magnetars. We here present a comprehensive analytical solution for the neutron star multipolar electromagnetic fields and their associated expected luminosities. We find that for newborn millisecond magnetars, the spin-down luminosity from higher multipolar components can match or even exceed that from the dipole component. Such high-intensity radiation will undoubtedly affect related astrophysical phenomena at the birth of a magnetar. We show that the spin-down luminosity from multipoles can well explain the majority of Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) afterglows, from the plateau starting at several hundred seconds till the normal decay phase lasting for many years. The fitted magnetar parameters for GRB afterglows are all typical values, with spins in the millisecond range and magnetic field strengths in the order of $10^{14} - 10^{15}$ Gauss. Our results in turn, provide support for the hypothesis that GRBs originate from the birth of magnetars with a few millisecond period, thus deepening our understanding of the complex magnetic field structure and the equation of state of magnetars.

astro-ph.HE

Introduction of Machine Learning for Astronomy (Hands-on Workshop)

This article is based on the tutorial we gave at the hands-on workshop of the ICRANet-ISFAHAN Astronomy Meeting. We first introduce the basic theory of machine learning and sort out the whole process of training a neural network. We then demonstrate this process with an example of inferring redshifts from SDSS spectra. To emphasize that machine learning for astronomy is easy to get started, we demonstrate that the most basic CNN network can be used to obtain high accuracy, we also show that with simple modifications, the network can be converted for classification problems and also to processing gravitational wave data.

astro-ph.IM

A Brief Review of Binary Driven Hypernova

Binary driven hypernova (BdHN) models long gamma-ray burst (GRBs) as occurring in the binary systems involving a carbon-oxygen core (CO$_{\rm core}$) and a companion neutron star (NS) or a black hole (BH). This model, first proposed in 2012, succeeds and improves upon the fireshell model and the induced gravitational collapse (IGC) paradigm. After nearly a decade of development, the BdHN model has reached a nearly complete structure, explaining all the observables of long bursts into its theoretical framework, and has given a refined classification of long GRBs according to the original properties of the progenitors. In this article, we present a summary of the BdHN model and the physical processes at work in each of the envisaged Episodes during its occurrence and lifetime, duly contextualized in the framework of GRB observations.

astro-ph.HE

"Double-tracking" Characteristic of the Spectral Evolution of GRB 131231A: Synchrotron Origin?

The characteristics of the spectral evolution of the prompt emission of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are closely related to the radiation mechanism (synchrotron or photosphere), are still an unsolved subject. Here, by performing the detailed time-resolved spectral fitting of GRB 131231A, which has a very bright and well-defined single pulse, some interesting spectral evolution features have been found. (i) Both the low-energy spectral index $α$ and the peak energy $E_{\rm p}$ exhibit the "flux-tracking" pattern ("double-tracking" characteristics). (ii) The parameter relations, i.e., $F$ (the energy flux)-$α$, $F$-$E_{\rm p}$, and $E_{\rm p}$-$α$, along with the analogous Yonetoku $E_{\rm p}$-$L_{γ,\rm iso}$ relation for the different time-resolved spectra, show strong monotonous (positive) correlations, both in the rising and the decaying phases. (iii) The values of $α$ do not exceed the synchrotron limit ($α$= -2/3) in all slices across the pulse, favoring the synchrotron origin. We argue that the one-zone synchrotron emission model with the emitter streaming away at a large distance from the central engine can explain all of these special spectral evolution characteristics.

astro-ph.HE

GRB 190114C: An Upgraded Legend

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 190114C first resembles the legendary GRB 130427A: Both are strong sources of GeV emission, exhibiting consistent GeV spectral evolution, and almost identical in detail for the morphology of light-curves in X-ray, gamma-ray and GeV bands, inferring a standard system with different scales. GRB 190114C is richer than GRB 130427A: a large percentage of $\sim 30\%$ energy is thermal presenting in the gamma-ray prompt emission, making it as one of the most thermal-prominent GRBs; Moreover, GRB 190114C extends the horizon of GRB research, that for the first time the ultra-high energy TeV emission ($> 300$~GeV) is detected in a GRB as reported by the MAGIC team. Furthermore, GRB 190114C urges us to revisit the traditional theoretical framework, since most of the GRB's energy may emit in the GeV and TeV range, not in the conventional MeV range. Since GRB 190114C confidently supports that MeV and GeV emissions have the same origin, it helps to establish a new comprehensive acceleration and radiation mechanism. Overall, GRB 190114C refreshes our GRB knowledge and challenges our current GRB theoretical interpretation.

astro-ph.HE

Charged cosmological black hole

The cosmological black holes are black holes living not in an asymptotically flat universe but in an expanding spacetime. They have a rich dynamics in particular for their mass and horizon. In this article we perform a natural step in investigating this new type of black hole: we consider the possibility of a \textit{charged} cosmological black hole. We derive the general equations of motion governing its dynamics and report a new analytic solution for the special case of the charged Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi equations of motion that describe a charged cosmological black hole. We then study various relevant quantities for the characterization of the black hole such as the C-function, the effect of the charge on the black hole flux and the nature of the singularity. We also perform numerical investigations to strengthen our results. Finally we challenge a model of gamma ray burst within our framework.

gr-qc