Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts Prompt Emission

Figure 13

Cartoon showing the basic ingredients of the GRB “fireball” model. The source of energy is a collapse of a massive star (or merger of NS-NS or NS-BH, not shown here). Part of this energy is used in producing the relativistic jet. This could be mediated by hot photons (“fireball”), or by magnetic field. The thermal photons decouple at the photosphere. Part of the jet kinetic energy is dissipated (by internal collisions, in this picture) to produce the observed rays. The remaining kinetic energy is deposited into the surrounding medium, heating it and producing the observed afterglow. Cartoon is taken from Meszaros and Rees [17].