next previous
Up: The early afterglow


4 Discussion


The early afterglow multi-wavelength radiation could provide interesting and invaluable information on the extreme relativistic conditions that occur at this stage. The emission from the forward shock, which continues later as the observed afterglow signals is in the $\gamma$-rays or X-rays. The reverse shock emission could have a strong, short living, optical component which we expect to be brighter than 15th magnitude. Some of the current basic ideas concerning the fireball models should be revised if such signals will not be seen by new detectors that should become operational in the near future.


Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the US-Israel BSF 95-328 and by a grant from the Israeli Space Agency. R.S. thanks the Sherman Fairchild Foundation for support.



next previous
Up: The early afterglow

Copyright The European Southern Observatory (ESO)