Effect of Fluid Composition on a Jet Breaking Out of a Cocoon in Gamma-ray Bursts: A Relativistic de Laval Nozzle Treatment

TL;DR

This study models gamma-ray burst jets breaking through stellar material using relativistic hydrodynamics, revealing how fluid composition influences shock formation and jet acceleration.

Contribution

It introduces a semi-analytic relativistic model incorporating fluid composition effects on jet breakout and shock properties in GRBs.

Findings

Shock transition sensitivity to fluid composition

Lorentz factors reach a few times 10 in thermally driven jets

Jet behavior depends on cocoon strength and matter makeup

Abstract

In this paper, we carry out a semi-analytic general relativistic study of a Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRB) jet that is breaking out of a cocoon or stellar envelope. We solve hydrodynamic equations with the relativistic equation of state that takes care of fluid composition. In short GRBs, a general relativistic approach is required to account for curved spacetime in strong gravity. The piercing of the jet through the cocoon resembles a de Laval nozzle and the jet may go through recollimation shock transitions. We show that the possibility of shock transition and the shock properties are sensitive to the matter composition and the cocoon strength. Obtained Lorentz factors in thermally driven jets comfortably reach a few $\times$10.