Naked-eye optical flash from GRB 080319B: Tracing the decaying neutrons in the outflow

Abstract

For an unsteady baryonic gamma-ray burst (GRB) outflow, the fast and slow proton shells collide with each other and produce energetic soft gamma-ray emission. If the outflow has a significant neutron component, the ultra-relativistic neutrons initially expand freely until decaying at a larger radius. The late time proton shells ejected from the GRB central engine, after powering the regular internal shocks, will sweep these $\beta -$decay products and give rise to very bright UV/optical emission. The naked-eye optical flash from GRB 080319B, an energetic explosion in the distant universe, can be well explained in this way.

arXiv comment4 pages, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D as a Rapid Communication

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• Open Questions in GRB Physics
• Expected high energy emission from GRB 080319B and origins of the GeV emission of GRBs 080514B, 080916C and 081024B
• Fast optical variability of Naked-Eye Burst - manifestation of periodic activity of internal engine
• Prompt optical emission and synchrotron self-absorption constraints on emission site of GRBs
• Panchromatic observations of the textbook GRB 110205A: constraining physical mechanisms of prompt emission and afterglow
• GRB 110205A: Anatomy of a long gamma-ray burst
• Prompt-to-afterglow transition of optical emission in a long gamma-ray burst consistent with a fireball
• Exceptionally bright optical emission from a rare and distant $\gamma -$ray burst
• Photospheric Prompt Emission From Long Gamma Ray Burst Simulations -- I. Optical Emission
• An optical-ultraviolet flare with absolute AB magnitude of -39.4 detected in GRB 220101A
• Prompt Optical Emission from Gamma-ray Bursts with Non-single Timescale Variability of Central Engine Activities
• Broad-band Spectral Modeling of Prompt Emission from Gamma-Ray Bursts Observed by the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite