GRB 190114C: An Upgraded Legend

TL;DR

GRB 190114C, a highly energetic gamma-ray burst, exhibits unprecedented thermal and TeV emissions, prompting a reevaluation of existing theoretical models for GRB emission mechanisms.

Contribution

This paper presents the first detection of TeV emission in a GRB and highlights its significant thermal component, expanding the understanding of GRB energy emission ranges.

Findings

Detection of TeV emission (>300 GeV) in GRB 190114C.

High thermal energy component (~30%) in prompt emission.

Support for a common origin of MeV and GeV emissions.

Abstract

Gamma-ray burst (GRB) 190114C first resembles the legendary GRB 130427A: Both are strong sources of GeV emission, exhibiting consistent GeV spectral evolution, and almost identical in detail for the morphology of light-curves in X-ray, gamma-ray and GeV bands, inferring a standard system with different scales. GRB 190114C is richer than GRB 130427A: a large percentage of $\sim 30\%$ energy is thermal presenting in the gamma-ray prompt emission, making it as one of the most thermal-prominent GRBs; Moreover, GRB 190114C extends the horizon of GRB research, that for the first time the ultra-high energy TeV emission ($> 300$~GeV) is detected in a GRB as reported by the MAGIC team. Furthermore, GRB 190114C urges us to revisit the traditional theoretical framework, since most of the GRB's energy may emit in the GeV and TeV range, not in the conventional MeV range. Since GRB 190114C confidently supports that MeV and GeV emissions have the same origin, it helps to establish a new comprehensive acceleration and radiation mechanism. Overall, GRB 190114C refreshes our GRB knowledge and challenges our current GRB theoretical interpretation.