Quark nova inside supernova: Application to GRBs and XROs

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a quark nova occurring inside an exploding star can produce observable X-ray emissions through shock breakout, potentially explaining certain X-ray transients and afterglow flares in gamma-ray bursts.

Contribution

It introduces a model where quark novae inside supernovae generate shock breakouts that can be observed as X-ray transients, offering an explanation for some X-ray afterglows and X-ray rich events.

Findings

Shock breakout from quark nova can produce observable X-ray signals.

This mechanism can explain X-ray afterglow flares in GRBs.

XRO 080109 may be an example of such an event.

Abstract

In this paper we consider a quark nova occurring inside an exploding star. The quark nova ejecta will shock when interacting with the stellar envelope. When this shock reaches the surface of the star, the energy is radiated away. We suggest that this energy may be seen in X-rays, and show here that this may explain some flares seen in the X-ray afterglow of long gamma ray bursts (GRBs). A quark nova inside an exploding star need not be followed by a GRB, or the GRB may not be beamed towards us. However, the shock breakout is likely not beamed and could be seen even in the absence of a GRB. We suggest that XRO 080109 is such an event in which a quark nova occurs inside an exploding star. No GRB is formed, but the break out of the shock leads to the XRO.