Identification and modelling of optically thin inverse Compton scattering in the prompt emission of GRB131014A

TL;DR

This paper identifies optically thin inverse Compton scattering as the key mechanism behind the unique spectral features of GRB 131014A, providing detailed physical modeling of the process and jet parameters.

Contribution

It offers the first comprehensive identification and detailed modeling of optically thin inverse Compton scattering in a gamma-ray burst's prompt emission.

Findings

Spectral shape deviates from the typical Band function with three breaks.

The lowest spectral break is consistent with a blackbody.

Jet dissipation occurs just above the photosphere at ~10^{14} cm.

Abstract

The mechanism responsible for the prompt gamma-ray emission of a gamma-ray burst continues to remain an enigma. The detailed analysis of the spectrum of GRB 131014A observed by the $Fermi$ gamma ray burst monitor and Large Area Telescope has revealed an unconventional spectral shape that significantly deviates from the typical Band function. The spectrum exhibits three distinctive breaks and an extended power law at higher energies. Furthermore, the lower end of the spectrum aligns with power-law indices greater than -0.5, and in the brightest region of the burst, these values approach +1. The lowest spectral break is thereby found to be consistent with a blackbody. These observed spectral characteristics strongly suggest the radiation process to be inverse Compton scattering in an optically thin region. Applying the empirical fit parameters for physical modeling, we find that the kinetic energy of the GRB jet of bulk Lorentz factor, $\Gamma \sim 400$, gets dissipated just above the photosphere, approximately at a radius of $\sim 10^{14}$ cm. The electrons involved in this process are accelerated to a power-law index of $\delta = -1.5$, and the minimum electron Lorentz factor, $\gamma_{min}$, is approximately $3$. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive identification and detailed modeling of optically thin inverse Compton scattering in the prompt emission of GRB 131014A.