Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts: Short vs. Long GRBs

TL;DR

This study compares the luminosity and energetics of short and long gamma-ray burst afterglows using Swift-era data, highlighting differences and similarities to pre-Swift observations.

Contribution

It provides the first comparative analysis of Swift-era afterglow luminosities and energetics for short and long GRBs, expanding understanding of their properties.

Findings

Short and long GRB afterglows show distinct luminosity profiles.

Energetic differences are significant between the two GRB types.

Swift-era data reveals new insights compared to pre-Swift observations.

Abstract

We compiled a large sample of Swift-era photometric data on long (Type II) and short (Type I) GRB afterglows. We compare the luminosity and energetics of the different samples to each other and to the afterglows of the pre-Swift era. Here, we present the first results of these studies.