Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-16-2019

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal

Publisher

American Astronomical Society

Volume

882

Issue

2

First page number:

1

Last page number:

11

Abstract

We revisit the Internal-Collision-induced MAgnetic Reconnection and Turbulence model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in view of the advances made in understanding of both relativistic magnetic turbulence and relativistic turbulent magnetic reconnection. We identify the kink instability as the most natural way of changing the magnetic configuration to release the magnetic free energy through magnetic reconnection, as well as driving turbulence that enables fast turbulent reconnection. We show that this double role of the kink instability is important for explaining the prompt emission of GRBs. Our study confirms the critical role that turbulence plays in boosting reconnection efficiency in GRBs and suggests that the GRB phenomena can be modeled in the magnetohydrodynamics approximation. That is, the modeling is not constrained by reproducing the detailed microphysical properties of relativistic magnetized plasmas.

Keywords

Gamma-ray burst: general; Magnetic reconnection; Turbulence

Disciplines

Astrophysics and Astronomy | Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics | Nuclear

File Format

pdf

File Size

529 KB

Language

English

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