Issue |
Astron. Astrophys. Suppl. Ser.
Volume 138, Number 3, September 1999
Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Afterglow Era Contents Rome, November 3-6, 1998
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 527 - 528 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/aas:1999339 | |
Published online | 15 September 1999 |
Quasi–thermal comptonization and GRBs
1
Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, via Bianchi 46, I-23807 Merate, Italy
2
S.I.S.S.A., via Beirut 2-4, I-34014, Italy
Received:
18
December
1998
Accepted:
26
January
1999
Quasi–thermal Comptonization in internal shocks formed between
relativistic shells can account for the high energy emission of
gamma–ray bursts (GRB). This is the dominant cooling mechanism if
the typical energy of the emitting particles is achieved either
through the balance between heating and cooling or as a result of
electron–positron (e) pair production. Both processes yield
sub/mildly relativistic energies. In this case the synchrotron
spectrum is self–absorbed, providing the seed photons for the
Comptonization process, whose spectrum is flat [
const] ,
ending either in an exponential cutoff or a Wien peak.
Key words: gamma rays: bursts / radiation mechanisms: non–thermal, thermal / X-rays: general
© European Southern Observatory (ESO), 1999