Phase-space distribution of accelerated electrons in Weibel-mediated relativistic GRB shocks
POSTER
Abstract
The shock model of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) contains two equipartition parameters: the magnetic energy density and the kinetic energy density of the electrons relative to the total energy density of the shock, $\epsilon_B$ and $\epsilon_e$, respectively. These are free parameters within the model. Whereas the Weibel shock theory and PIC simulations fix $\epsilon_B$ at the level of $\sim$few$\times(10^{-3}...10^{-4})$, no understanding of $\epsilon_e$ existed until recently. Medvedev (2006) has demonstrated that it inevitably follows from the Weibel shock theory that $\epsilon_e\simeq\sqrt{\epsilon_B}$. Extrapolating the theory to GRB afterglow shocks, we find that observational data agree with our theoretical prediction. It has been suggested that the $\epsilon_e-\epsilon_B$ relation can be used to reduce the number of free parameters in afterglow models. Here we further develop the model of non-Fermi acceleration of electrons in prompt GRBs. We developed a numerical code, which computes full phase space distribution of electrons in Weibel electromagnetic fields. This distribution is further used to compute the electron energy distribution, the distribution over pitch-angle, the angular pattern of jitter emissivity, etc.
*Supported by DoE grants DE-FG02-04ER54790 and DE-FG02-07ER54940 and by NASA grant NNX07AJ50G.