Maria Giovanna Dainotti

Determination of the Intrinsic Luminosity Time Correlation in the X-Ray Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which have been observed up to redshifts z 9.5, can be good probes of the early universe and have the potential to test cosmological models. Dainottis analysis of GRB Swift afterglow light curves with known redshifts and a definite X-ray plateau shows an anti-correlation between the rest-frame time when the plateau ends (the plateau end time) and the calculated luminosity at that time (or approximately an anti-correlation between plateau duration and luminosity). Here, we present an update of this correlation with a larger data sample of 101 GRBs with good light curves. Since some of this correlation could result from the redshift dependences of these intrinsic parameters, namely, their cosmological evolution, we use the Efron-Petrosian method to reveal the intrinsic nature of this correlation. We find that a substantial part of the correlation is intrinsic and describe how we recover it and how this can be used to constrain physical models of the plateau emission, the origin of which is still unknown. The present result could help to clarify the debated nature of the plateau emission.

Towards a standard gamma-ray burst: Tight correlations between the prompt and the afterglow plateau phase emission

To find out the astrophysical processes responsible for gamma-ray burst (GRB), it is crucial to discover and understand the relations between their observational properties. This work was performed in the GRB rest frames using a sample of 62 long Swift GRBs with known redshifts. Following the earlier analysis of the correlation between afterglow luminosity (L*a) and break time (T*a), we extend it to correlations between the afterglow and the prompt emission GRB physical parameters. We find a tight physical scaling between the mentioned afterglow luminosity L*a and the prompt emission mean luminosity 〈L*p〉45≡Eiso/T*45. The distribution, with the Spearman correlation coefficient reaching 0.95 for the most accurately fitted subsample, scales approximately as L*a∝〈L*p〉0.745. We have also analysed correlations of L*a with several prompt emission parameters, including the isotropic energy Eiso and the peak energy in the νFν spectrum, Epeak. As a result, we obtain significant correlations also between these quantities, discovering that the highest correlated GRB subsample in the afterglow analysis leads also to the highest prompt–afterglow correlations. Such events can be considered to form a sample of standard GRBs for astrophysics and cosmology.

Towards a standard gamma-ray burst: tight correlations between the prompt and the afterglow plateau phase emission

To find out the astrophysical processes responsible for gamma-ray burst (GRB), it is crucial to discover and understand the relations between their observational properties. This work was performed in the GRB rest frames using a sample of 62 long Swift GRBs with known redshifts. Following the earlier analysis of the correlation between afterglow luminosity (L*a) and break time (T*a), we extend it to correlations between the afterglow and the prompt emission GRB physical parameters. We find a tight physical scaling between the mentioned afterglow luminosity L*a and the prompt emission mean luminosity 〈L*p〉45≡Eiso/T*45. The distribution, with the Spearman correlation coefficient reaching 0.95 for the most accurately fitted subsample, scales approximately as L*a∝〈L*p〉0.745. We have also analysed correlations of L*a with several prompt emission parameters, including the isotropic energy Eiso and the peak energy in the νFν spectrum, Epeak. As a result, we obtain significant correlations also between these quantities, discovering that the highest correlated GRB subsample in the afterglow analysis leads also to the highest prompt–afterglow correlations. Such events can be considered to form a sample of standard GRBs for astrophysics and cosmology.

Constraining properties of GRB magnetar central engines using the observed plateau luminosity and duration correlation

An intrinsic correlation has been identified between the luminosity and duration of plateaus in the X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs; Dainotti et al. 2008), suggesting a central engine origin. The magnetar central engine model predicts an observable plateau phase, with plateau durations and luminosities being determined by the magnetic fields and spin periods of the newly formed magnetar. This paper analytically shows that the magnetar central engine model can explain, within the 1σ uncertainties, the correlation between plateau luminosity and duration. The observed scatter in the correlation most likely originates in the spread of initial spin periods of the newly formed magnetar and provides an estimate of the maximum spin period of ∼35 ms (assuming a constant mass, efficiency and beaming across the GRB sample). Additionally, by combining the observed data and simulations, we show that the magnetar emission is most likely narrowly beamed and has ≲20u2009peru2009cent efficiency in conversion of rotational energy from the magnetar into the observed plateau luminosity. The beaming angles and efficiencies obtained by this method are fully consistent with both predicted and observed values. We find that short GRBs and short GRBs with extended emission lie on the same correlation but are statistically inconsistent with being drawn from the same distribution as long GRBs, this is consistent with them having a wider beaming angle than long GRBs.

Study of Possible Systematics in the L*X-T* a Correlation of Gamma-ray Bursts

Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are the most energetic sources in the universe and among the farthest known astrophysical sources. These features make them appealing candidates as standard candles for cosmological applications so that studying the physical mechanisms for the origin of the emission and correlations among their observable properties is an interesting task. We consider here the luminosity L*X - break time Ta* (hereafter LT) correlation and investigate whether there are systematics induced by selection effects or redshift dependent calibra- tion. We perform this analysis both for the full sample of 77 GRBs with known redshift and for the subsample of GRBs having canonical X-ray light curves, hereafter called U0095 sample. We do not find any systematic bias thus con- firming the existence of physical GRB subclasses revealed by tight correlations of their afterglow properties. Furthermore, we study the possibility of applying the LT correlation as a redshift estimator both for the full distribution and for the canonical lightcurves. The large uncertainties and the non negligible intrin- sic scatter make the results not so encouraging, but there are nevertheless some hints motivating a further analysis with an increased U0095 sample.

Slope evolution of GRB correlations and cosmology

Gamma -ray bursts (GRBs) observed up to redshifts z > 9.4 can be used as possible probes to test cosmological models. Here we show how changes of the slope of the luminosity L � -break time T � a correlation in GRB afterglows, hereafter the LT correlation, affect the determination of the cosmological parameters. With a simulated data set of 101 GRBs with a central value of the correlation slope that differs on the intrinsic one by a 5σ factor, we find an overstimated value of the matter density parameter, M, compared to the value obtained with SNe Ia, while the Hubble constant, H0, best fit value is still compatible in 1σ compared to other probes. We show that this compatibility of H0 is due to the large intrinsic scatter associated with the simulated sample. Instead, if we consider a subsample of high luminous GRBs (HighL), we find that both the evaluation of H0 and M are not more compatible in 1σ and M is underestimated by the 13%. However, the HighL sample choice reduces dramatically the intrinsic scatter of the correlation, thus possibly identifying this sample as the standard canonical ‘GRBs’ confirming previous results presented in Dainotti et al. (2010,2011). Here, we consider the LT correlation as an example, but this reasoning can be extended also for all other GRB correlations. In literature so far GRB correlations are not corrected for redshift evolution and selection biases, therefore we are not aware of their intrinsic slopes and consequently how far the use of the observed correlations can influence the derived ‘best’ cosmological settings. Therefore, we conclude that any approach that involves cosmology should take into consideration only intrinsic correlations not the observed ones.

Constraining cosmological parameters by gamma-ray burst X-ray afterglow light curves

We present the Hubble diagram (HD) of 66 Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) derived using only data from their X-ray afterglow lightcurve. To this end, we use the recently updated LX -Ta correlation between the break time Ta and the X-ray luminosity LX measured at Ta calibrated from a sample of Swift GRBs with lightcurves well fitted by the Willingale et al. (2007) model. We then investigate the use of this HD to constrain cosmological parameters when used alone or in combination with other data showing that the use of GRBs leads to constraints in agreement with previous results in literature. We finally argue that a larger sample of high luminosity GRBs can provide a valuable information in the search for the correct cosmological model.

SPECTRAL AND POLARIZATION PROPERTIES OF PHOTOSPHERIC EMISSION FROM STRATIFIED JETS

We explore the spectral and polarization properties of photospheric emissions from stratified jets in which multiple components, separated by sharp velocity shear regions, are distributed in lateral directions. Propagation of thermal photons injected at a high optical depth region are calculated until they escape from the photosphere. It is found that the presence of the lateral structure within the jet leads to the nonthermal feature of the spectra and significant polarization signal in the resulting emission. The deviation from thermal spectra, as well as the polarization degree, tends to be enhanced as the velocity gradient in the shear region increases. In particular, we show that emissions from multicomponent jet can reproduce the typical observed spectra of gamma-ray bursts irrespective of the position of the observer when a velocity shear region is closely spaced in various lateral (θ) positions. The degree of polarization associated with the emission is significant (>few percent) at a wide range of observer angles and can be higher than 30%.

SELECTION EFFECTS IN GAMMA-RAY BURST CORRELATIONS: CONSEQUENCES ON THE RATIO BETWEEN GAMMA-RAY BURST AND STAR FORMATION RATES

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) visible up to very high redshift have become attractive targets as potential new distance indicators. It is still not clear whether the relations proposed so far originate from an unknown GRB physics or result from selection effects. We investigate this issue in the case of the L{sub X} -T{sub a}{sup ∗} (hereafter LT) correlation between the X-ray luminosity L{sub X} (T{sub a} ) at the end of the plateau phase, T{sub a} , and the rest-frame time T{sub a}{sup ∗}. We devise a general method to build mock data sets starting from a GRB world model and taking into account selection effects on both time and luminosity. This method shows how not knowing the efficiency function could influence the evaluation of the intrinsic slope of any correlation and the GRB density rate. We investigate biases (small offsets in slope or normalization) that would occur in the LT relation as a result of truncations, possibly present in the intrinsic distributions of L{sub X} and T{sub a}{sup ∗}. We compare these results with the ones in Dainotti et al. showing that in both cases the intrinsic slope of the LT correlation is ≈ – 1.0. This method is general andmorexa0» therefore relevant for investigating whether or not any other GRB correlation is generated by the biases themselves. Moreover, because the farthest GRBs and star-forming galaxies probe the reionization epoch, we evaluate the redshift-dependent ratio Ψ(z) = (1 + z){sup α} of the GRB rate to the star formation rate. We found a modest evolution –0.2 ≤ α ≤ 0.5 consistent with a Swift GRB afterglow plateau in the redshift range 0.99 < z < 9.4.«xa0less

Luminosity-time and luminosity-luminosity correlations for GRB prompt and afterglow plateau emissions

We present an analysis of 123 Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) with known redshifts possessing an afterglow plateau phase. We reveal that