Sub-Photospheric Emission from Relativistic Radiation Mediated Shocks in GRBs

TL;DR

This paper proposes that the prompt thermal emission in GRBs originates from relativistic radiation mediated shocks below the photosphere, with the energy dissipation location influencing observed spectral features.

Contribution

It introduces a model where sub-photospheric relativistic shocks produce thermal and nonthermal emission components in GRBs, explaining observed spectral diversity.

Findings

In some GRBs, significant energy dissipates below the photosphere.

Relativistic radiation mediated shocks can produce spectra with low thermal peaks and broad nonthermal components.

Photon production in these shocks is negligible, affecting spectral shape.

Abstract

It is proposed that the prompt emission observed in bursts that exhibit a thermal component originates from relativistic radiation mediated shocks that form below the photosphere of the GRB outflow. It is argue that such shocks are expected to form in luminous bursts via collisions of shells that propagate with moderate Lorentz factors $\Gamma\lesssim 500$. Faster shells will collide above the photosphere to form collisionless shocks. We demonstrate that in events like GRB 090902B a substantial fraction of the explosion energy is dissipated below the photosphere, in a region of moderate optical depth $\tau\lesssim300$, whereas in GRB 080916C the major fraction of the energy dissipates above the photosphere. We show that under conditions anticipated in many GRBs, such relativistic radiation mediated shocks convect enough radiation upstream to render photon production in the shock transition negligible, unlike the case of shock breakout in supernovae. The resulting spectrum, as measured in the shock frame, has a relatively low thermal peak, followed by a broad, nonthermal component extending up to the KN limit.