Simulations of Gamma-Ray Bursts from External Shocks: Time Variability and Spectral Correlations

Abstract

We compute burst spectra and time structures arising from synchrotron and inverse Compton scattering by non-thermal electrons accelerated in shocks which form during the interaction between a thin ultra-relativistic fireball and a stationary external medium. We investigate the effect of varying the most important model parameters on the resulting burst spectra, and we present a set of correlations among the spectral and temporal features of the bursts. The spectral hardness, various spectral-temporal correlations and the spectral evolution of the simulated bursts are compared to those of observed bursts for a representative set of model parameters. Multi-pulse structures are simulated using a variable magnetic field and anisotropic emission, and the most important spectral and temporal properties of these pulses are compared with observations.