The Supercritical Pile Model for GRBs

Abstract

We present the spectral and temporal radiative signatures expected within the "Supercritical Pile" model of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB). This model is motivated by the need for a process that provides the dissipation necessary in GRB and presents a well defined scheme for converting the energy stored in the relativistic protons of the Relativistic Blast Waves (RBW) associated with GRB into radiation; at the same time it leads to spectra which exhibit a peak in the burst $νF_ν$ distribution at an energy $E_p \simeq 1$ MeV in the observer's frame, in agreement with observation and largely independent of the Lorentz factor $Γ$ of the associated relativistic outflow. Futhermore, this scheme does not require (but does not preclude) acceleration of particles at the shock other than that provided by the isotropization of the flow bulk kinetic energy on the RBW frame. In the present paper we model in detail the evolution of protons, electrons and photons from a RBW to produce detailed spectra of the prompt GRB phase as a function of time from across a very broad range spanning roughly $4 log_{10} Γ$ decades in frequency. The model spectra are in general agreement with observations and provide a means for the delineating of the model parameters through direct comparison with trends observed in GRB properties.