Synchrotron self-Compton Reverse Shock in Energy-Injection and Radiative Scenarios

Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are among the most energetic extragalactic transients, providing a unique laboratory to investigate the physical origin of the diverse morphologies observed in high-energy light curves and spectra. These morphologies, interpreted through synchrotron and synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) closure relations (CRs), may depend on the circumburst density profile, energy injection, and the dynamical evolution of the reverse shock in the adiabatic or radiative regime. We derive the SSC closure relations produced in the reverse-shock region for both thick- and thin-shell cases, considering constant-density and stratified circumburst media. The analysis assumes two power-law (PL) distributions for the electron spectral index and includes scenarios with and without energy injection from the progenitor. We show that, depending on the physical parameters, SSC emission from the reverse shock can reproduce the initial steep-decay and plateau phases commonly observed in GRB afterglows. We then compare the predicted spectral and temporal indices with those derived from PL and broken power-law (BPL) fits reported in the Second Fermi-LAT Gamma-ray Burst Catalog (2FLGC). Our results indicate that PL (BPL) light-curve fits preferentially favor scenarios with (without) energy injection. In scenarios with energy injection, the data preferentially support a constant-density environment over a stellar-wind profile.