Turbulence induced additional deceleration in relativistic shock wave propagation: implications for gamma-ray burst

TL;DR

This paper investigates how interstellar turbulence accelerates the deceleration of relativistic shock waves in gamma-ray bursts, affecting observational features like jet breaks and challenging their use as standard candles.

Contribution

It introduces the dynamic effect of turbulence on shock deceleration, revealing faster deceleration and earlier jet breaks, impacting gamma-ray burst models and interpretations.

Findings

Shock deceleration is faster with turbulence.

Earlier jet breaks in light curves due to turbulence.

Luminosity relations of gamma-ray bursts are intrinsically scattered.

Abstract

The late afterglow of gamma-ray burst is believed to be due to progressive deceleration of the forward shock wave driven by the gamma-ray burst ejecta propagating in the interstellar medium. We study the dynamic effect of interstellar turbulence on shock wave propagation. It is shown that the shock wave decelerates more quickly than previously assumed without the turbulence. As an observational consequence, an earlier jet break will appear in the light curve of the forward shock wave. The scatter of the jet-corrected energy release for gamma-ray burst, inferred from the jet-break, may be partly due to the physical uncertainties in the turbulence/shock wave interaction. This uncertainties also exist in two shell collisions in the well-known internal shock model proposed for gamma-ray burst prompt emission. The large scatters of known luminosity relations of gamma-ray burst may be intrinsic and thus gamma-ray burst is not a good standard candle. We also discuss the other implications.