# Dynamic Monte Carlo Simulations of Radiatively Accelerated GRB Fireballs

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a new Monte Carlo simulation code to study the detailed, time-dependent evolution of gamma-ray burst fireballs, revealing previously unknown phases of their acceleration and expansion.

## Contribution

The paper presents a novel self-consistent Monte Carlo code and applies it to uncover new phases in GRB fireball evolution, including transition, post-photospheric, and Thomson-dominated acceleration phases.

## Key findings

- Identified a transition phase with Lorentz factor scaling from R to constant.
- Discovered a post-photospheric acceleration phase beyond the photosphere.
- Characterized a Thomson-dominated phase with slow matter acceleration.

## Abstract

We present a novel Dynamic Monte Carlo code (DynaMo code) which self-consistently simulates the Compton scattering driven dynamic evolution of a plasma. We use the DynaMo code to investigate the time-dependent expansion and acceleration of dissipationless GRB fireballs by varying their initial opacities and baryonic content. We study the opacity and energy density evolution of an initially optically thick, radiation-dominated fireball across its entire phase space - in particular during the $R_{\rm ph} < R_{\rm sat}$ regime. Our results reveal new phases of fireball evolution: a transition phase with a radial extent of several orders of magnitude - the fireball transitions from $\Gamma \propto R$ to $\Gamma \propto R^0$, a post-photopsheric acceleration phase - where fireballs accelerate beyond the photosphere, and a Thomson-dominated acceleration phase - characterized by slow acceleration of optically thick, matter-dominated fireballs due to Thomson scattering. We quantify the new phases by providing analytical expressions of Lorentz factor evolution, which will be useful for deriving jet parameters.