Critical Tests Of Leading Gamma Ray Burst Theories

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the main theoretical models of gamma-ray bursts, comparing their predictions with observational data to assess their validity and identify key differences.

Contribution

It provides a systematic confrontation of the fireball and cannonball models with observational data, highlighting their successes and limitations.

Findings

Both models claim success but rely on many adjustable parameters.

Critical tests reveal differences in model predictions and observations.

Conclusions are left to the reader for interpretation.

Abstract

Although it has been established observationally beyond doubt that broad-line stripped envelope supernovae (SNe) of type Ic produce long duration gamma ray bursts (GRBs), that neutron star mergers produce short hard GRBs (SHBs), and that phase transition of neutron stars in high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) may produce SN-Less GRBs, their production mechanism is still debated. The two leading theoretical models of GRBs and their afterglows, the fireball model and the cannonball model, have been widely confronted with the mounting observational data on GRBs and SHBs during the last two decades. Both have claimed success in reproducing the observational data, despite their complexity and diversity. This claimed success, however, may reflect multiple choices and the use of many free adjustable parameters, rather than the true validity of the models. Only confrontation of the key falsifiable predictions of the models with solid observational data can test their validity. Such critical tests are summarized in this report. Conclusions left to the reader.