A structured jet explains the extreme GRB 221009A

Long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powerful cosmic explosions, signaling the death of massive stars. Among them, GRB 221009A is by far the brightest burst ever observed. Due to its enormous energy (\(E_\textrm{iso}\!\approx\)10\(^{55}\) erg) and proximity (\(z\!\approx\)0.15), GRB 221009A is...

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Published in:arXiv.org 2023-02
Main Authors: O'Connor, B, Troja, E, Ryan, G, Beniamini, P, H van Eerten, Granot, J, Dichiara, S, Ricci, R, Lipunov, V, Gillanders, J H, Gill, R, Moss, M, Anand, S, Andreoni, I, Becerra, R L, Buckley, D A H, Butler, N R, Cenko, S B, Chasovnikov, A, J Durbak, Francile, C, Hammerstein, E, A J van der Horst, Kasliwal, M, Kouveliotou, C, Kutyrev, A S, Lee, W H, Srinivasaragavan, G, Topolev, V, Watson, A M, Yang, Y H, Zhirkov, K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Afterglows
Explosions
Gamma ray bursts
Massive stars
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Long duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powerful cosmic explosions, signaling the death of massive stars. Among them, GRB 221009A is by far the brightest burst ever observed. Due to its enormous energy (\(E_\textrm{iso}\!\approx\)10\(^{55}\) erg) and proximity (\(z\!\approx\)0.15), GRB 221009A is an exceptionally rare event that pushes the limits of our theories. We present multi-wavelength observations covering the first three months of its afterglow evolution. The X-ray brightness decays as a power-law with slope \(\approx\!t^{-1.66}\), which is not consistent with standard predictions for jetted emission. We attribute this behavior to a shallow energy profile of the relativistic jet. A similar trend is observed in other energetic GRBs, suggesting that the most extreme explosions may be powered by structured jets launched by a common central engine.
ISSN:2331-8422