First ALMA Light Curve Constrains Refreshed Reverse Shocks and Jet Magnetization in GRB 161219B

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength observations, including the first ALMA light curve, to analyze the refreshed reverse shock and jet magnetization in GRB 161219B, revealing a low-density environment and weak magnetization of ejecta.

Contribution

It provides the first ALMA light curve of a GRB afterglow and offers detailed insights into the reverse shock, circumburst environment, and jet magnetization, advancing understanding of GRB jet physics.

Findings

Detection of a refreshed reverse shock from energy injection.

Low circumburst density of approximately 3×10⁻⁴ cm⁻³.

Weak magnetization of the ejecta with R_B ≈ 1.

Abstract

We present detailed multi-wavelength observations of GRB 161219B at $z=0.1475$, spanning the radio to X-ray regimes, and the first ALMA light curve of a GRB afterglow. The cm- and mm-band observations before $8.5$ d require emission in excess of that produced by the afterglow forward shock (FS). These data are consistent with radiation from a refreshed reverse shock (RS) produced by the injection of energy into the FS, signatures of which are also present in the X-ray and optical light curves. We infer a constant-density circumburst environment with an extremely low density, $n_0\approx 3\times10^{-4}$ cm$^{-3}$ and show that this is a characteristic of all strong RS detections to date. The VLA observations exhibit unexpected rapid variability on $\sim$ minute timescales, indicative of strong interstellar scintillation. The X-ray, ALMA, and VLA observations together constrain the jet break time, $t_{\rm jet}\approx32$ day, yielding a wide jet opening angle of $\theta_{\rm jet}\approx13^{\circ}$, implying beaming corrected $\gamma$-ray and kinetic energies of $E_{\gamma}\approx4.9\times10^{48}$ erg and $E_{\rm K}\approx1.3\times10^{50}$ erg, respectively. Comparing the RS and FS emission, we show that the ejecta are only weakly magnetized, with relative magnetization, $R_{\rm B}\approx1$, compared to the FS. These direct, multi-frequency measurements of a refreshed RS spanning the optical to radio bands highlight the impact of radio and millimeter data in probing the production and nature of GRB jets.