Gamma Ray Bursts: Not so Much Deadlier than We Thought
Brian C. Thomas (Washburn University), Dimitra Atri (NYU Abu Dhabi), and Adrian L. Melott (Univ. of Kansas)
TL;DR
This study assesses the impact of gamma-ray burst afterglows, including TeV photons, on planetary atmospheres and finds their effects are minimal compared to previous estimates.
Contribution
It provides new analysis of TeV-range afterglow photons' effects on atmospheres, showing limited additional impact beyond prompt emissions.
Findings
Small ozone depletion due to afterglow photons
Minor increase in muon flux at surface
Overall impact similar to previous models
Abstract
We analyze the additional effect on planetary atmospheres of recently detected gamma-ray burst afterglow photons in the range up to 1 TeV. For an Earth-like atmosphere we find that there is a small additional depletion in ozone versus that modeled for only prompt emission. We also find a small enhancement of muon flux at the planet surface. Overall, we conclude that the additional afterglow emission, even with TeV photons, does not result in a significantly larger impact over that found in past studies.
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