The flat decay phase in the early X-ray afterglows of Swift GRBs

Abstract

Many Swift GRBs show an early phase of shallow decay in their X-ray afterglows, lasting from $t\sim 10^{2.5}$s to $\sim 10^4$s after the GRB, where the flux decays as $\sim t^{-0.2}-t^{-0.8}$. This is perhaps the most mysterious of the new features discovered by Swift in the early X-ray afterglow, since it is still not clear what causes it. I discuss different possible explanations for this surprising new discovery, as well as their potential implications for the gamma-ray efficiency, the afterglow kinetic energy, and perhaps even for the physics of collisionless relativistic shocks.

To be published in the proceedings of the conference "SWIFT and GRBs: Unveiling the Relativistic Universe", Venice, June 5-9, 2006. To appear in "Il Nuovo Cimento"