Interaction of a Supernova Shock with the other Star in a Binary System

TL;DR

This paper models how a supernova shock interacts with a magnetized companion star, leading to current sheet formation, particle acceleration, and gamma-ray emission, supporting a cosmological GRB model.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed MHD model of shock-current sheet interaction in binary systems, explaining particle acceleration and gamma-ray production in GRBs.

Findings

Singularity forms in finite time in ideal MHD.

Electrons accelerate to energies around 10^4 mc^2.

Gamma-ray radiation peaks at hundreds of keV within a narrow angle.

Abstract

Interaction of a fast shock wave generated during a supernova explosion with a magnetized star-companion of the supernova precursor produces a current sheet. We consider the evolution of this current sheet and show that a singularity (shock) is formed in finite time within the ideal MHD framework. Charged particles (electrons) are accelerated in the vicinity of the singularity, and their distribution function has a plateau up to the energies of the order of $10^4 mc^2$. These fast particles radiate in the $\gamma$-range in the strong magnetic field of the current sheet ($B\simeq 10^6 G$). Radiation is concentrated within a narrow angle around the current sheet, $\Delta\theta \simeq 3\cdot 10^{-4}$, and its spectrum has the maximum at several hundreds of $keV$. Presented calculations confirm the model of cosmological GRBs proposed by Istomin & Komberg (2002).