Large-scale magnetic fields in GRB outflows: acceleration, collimation, and neutron decoupling

Abstract

Using ideal magnetohydrodynamics we examine an outflow from a disk surrounding a stellar-mass compact object. We demonstrate that the magnetic acceleration is efficient (of the order of 50% or more of the magnetic energy can be transformed into kinetic energy of baryons with Lorentz factors above 100) and also that the jet becomes collimated to very small opening angles. Observational implications, focusing on the case of an initially neutron-rich outflow, are discussed in Konigl's contribution to these Proceedings.

4 pages, 2 figures, to appear in proceedings of 2003 Gamma-Ray Burst Symposium (Santa Fe, NM, September 8-12, 2003), to be published by AIP