Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase
Thanks to the rapid follow-up observations by the Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT), a good part of gamma-ray bursts' (GRBs) high-latitude emission have been observed in the X-ray band. Some even show a dropdown decay after this period, which strongly indicates the edge of the jet is corresponding to...
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada032 |
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| author | Qian Xu Dong-Jie Liu Yuan-Chuan Zou |
| author_facet | Qian Xu Dong-Jie Liu Yuan-Chuan Zou |
| author_sort | Qian Xu |
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| description | Thanks to the rapid follow-up observations by the Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT), a good part of gamma-ray bursts' (GRBs) high-latitude emission have been observed in the X-ray band. Some even show a dropdown decay after this period, which strongly indicates the edge of the jet is corresponding to the breaking time. This study constrains the jet opening angles of GRBs by analyzing the very steep decay phase in the early X-ray afterglow. Using data from Swift/XRT, we identified GRBs with significant breaks in their light curves and applied a broken power-law model to describe the decay phases. Assuming a spherical and isotropic emitting surface, we set constraints on the radiation radius ( R _γ ) to estimate jet opening angles ( θ _jet ) from the breaking time. Our results indicate that jet opening angles can be constrained, although they are sensitive to the assumed radiation radius. This approach provides yet another method for estimating GRB jet opening angles. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-f8852e3ca8fa42e2a5aae0f3dc6bfcfd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-f8852e3ca8fa42e2a5aae0f3dc6bfcfd2025-01-14T08:07:45ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0197911110.3847/1538-4357/ada032Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay PhaseQian Xu0Dong-Jie Liu1Yuan-Chuan Zou2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5400-3261School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China ; zouyc@hust.edu.cnSchool of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China ; zouyc@hust.edu.cnSchool of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology , Wuhan 430074, People's Republic of China ; zouyc@hust.edu.cn; Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of ChinaThanks to the rapid follow-up observations by the Swift X-Ray Telescope (XRT), a good part of gamma-ray bursts' (GRBs) high-latitude emission have been observed in the X-ray band. Some even show a dropdown decay after this period, which strongly indicates the edge of the jet is corresponding to the breaking time. This study constrains the jet opening angles of GRBs by analyzing the very steep decay phase in the early X-ray afterglow. Using data from Swift/XRT, we identified GRBs with significant breaks in their light curves and applied a broken power-law model to describe the decay phases. Assuming a spherical and isotropic emitting surface, we set constraints on the radiation radius ( R _γ ) to estimate jet opening angles ( θ _jet ) from the breaking time. Our results indicate that jet opening angles can be constrained, although they are sensitive to the assumed radiation radius. This approach provides yet another method for estimating GRB jet opening angles.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada032Gamma-ray burstsRelativistic jets |
| spellingShingle | Qian Xu Dong-Jie Liu Yuan-Chuan Zou Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase The Astrophysical Journal Gamma-ray bursts Relativistic jets |
| title | Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase |
| title_full | Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase |
| title_fullStr | Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase |
| title_full_unstemmed | Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase |
| title_short | Constraining the Gamma-Ray Burst Jet Opening Angle Based on the Very Steep Decay Phase |
| title_sort | constraining the gamma ray burst jet opening angle based on the very steep decay phase |
| topic | Gamma-ray bursts Relativistic jets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ada032 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT qianxu constrainingthegammarayburstjetopeninganglebasedontheverysteepdecayphase AT dongjieliu constrainingthegammarayburstjetopeninganglebasedontheverysteepdecayphase AT yuanchuanzou constrainingthegammarayburstjetopeninganglebasedontheverysteepdecayphase |