What is the radiative process of the prompt phase of Gamma Ray Bursts?

Abstract

Despite the dramatic improvement of our knowledge of the phenomenology of Gamma Ray Bursts, we still do not know several fundamental aspects of their physics. One of the puzzles concerns the nature of the radiative process originating the prompt phase radiation. Although the synchrotron process qualifies itself as a natural candidate, it faces severe problems, and many efforts have been done looking for alternatives. These, however, suffer from other problems, and there is no general consensus yet on a specific radiation mechanism.