What emits the TeV photons in gamma-ray burst afterglows? · revision history

Revision 2

Accepted · cosmetic change · record

Changes against revision 1:

Title
What emits the TeV photons in gamma-ray burst afterglows?
Plain · changed
Revision 1: Some bursts emit photons above $1e12\,\mathrm{eV}$ for hours after the explosion, more energetic than electrons spiraling in the shock's magnetic field are thought able to make.
Revision 2: Some bursts emit photons above $10^{12}\,\mathrm{eV}$ for hours after the explosion, more energetic than electrons spiraling in the shock's magnetic field are thought able to make.
Precise
GRB 180720B, 190114C, 190829A and 221009A (photons up to $\sim 1\mathrm{e}13\,\mathrm{eV}$ with LHAASO) show TeV afterglows. Determine whether synchrotron self-Compton emission from the forward shock, synchrotron emission beyond the classical maximum ($\sim 50\,\Gamma\,\mathrm{MeV}$ for bulk Lorentz factor $\Gamma$), or hadronic processes produce them, and what the resolved TeV onset implies for the initial Lorentz factor and the surrounding density. Answer: a mechanism with physical parameters consistent across all TeV bursts.
Settled by
Simultaneous X-ray and TeV spectra over the afterglow of several bursts that either show the separate inverse-Compton component or a single synchrotron spectrum.
Kind
well-posed
Answer type
mechanism
References
(empty)
Literature status
contested
Status note
2021: H.E.S.S. found the X-ray and TeV spectra of GRB 190829A consistent with one synchrotron component extending past the standard maximum energy; 2023: LHAASO resolved the TeV onset of GRB 221009A.
Posed since
2019

Decisions