Beta decay radiation signature from neutron-rich gamma-ray bursts?

Abstract

Core collapse of massive stars and binary neutron stars or black hole-neutron star binary mergers are likely progenitors of long and short duration gamma-ray bursts respectively. Neutronized material in the former and neutron star material in the latter are ejected by the central engine implying a neutron-rich jet outflow. A free neutron, however, beta decays to a proton, an electron (beta) and an anti-neutrino in about fifteen minutes in its rest frame. Sudden creation of a relativistic electron is accompanied by radiation with unique temporal and spectral signature. We calculate here this radiation signature collectively emitted by all beta decay electrons from neutron-rich outflow. Detection of this signature may thus provide strong evidence for not only neutron but also for proton content in the relativistic gamma-ray burst jets.

arXiv comment11 pages, 2 figures, reference added, published version

References in corpus (10)

• EGRET Observations of the Extragalactic Gamma Ray Emission
• The BATSE Gamma-Ray Burst Spectral Catalog. I. High Time Resolution Spectroscopy of Bright Bursts using High Energy Resolution Data
• The Cooling Behavior of Thermal Pulses in Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Nuclear Composition of Gamma-Ray Burst Fireballs
• 5-10 GeV Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Burst Fireballs
• Multi-GeV Neutrinos from Internal Dissipation in GRB Fireballs
• Neutron-Fed Afterglows of Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Early optical-IR emission from GRB 041219a: neutron-rich internal shocks and a mildly magnetized external reverse shock
• The Ultraviolet flash accompanying GRBs from neutron-rich internal shocks
• Implications of Neutron Decoupling in Short Gamma Ray Bursts

Cited by in corpus (7)

• The (pseudo)issue of the conformal frame revisited
• On the Conditions for Neutron-Rich Gamma-Ray Burst Outflows
• Prompt High-Energy Emission from Proton-Dominated Gamma-Ray Bursts
• Numerical Study on GRB-Jet Formation in Collapsars
• Propagation and neutrino oscillations in the base of a highly magnetized gamma-ray burst fireball flow
• Photodisintegrated gamma rays and neutrinos from heavy nuclei in the gamma-ray burst jet of GRB 130427A
• GeV Emission from neutron-rich internal shocks of some long Gamma-ray Bursts