Significant Evolution of Photosphere Emission and a broken "$α$-intensity" relation of GRB 230307A [HEAP]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2303.11083


GRB~230307A is one of the birghtest gamma-ray bursts detected so far. Its prompt emission has been analyzed by the high-energy detection data comprehensive analysis tool ({\tt HEtools}) developed by us. With the excellent observation of GRB~230307A by Fermi-GBM in keV-MeV energy range, we can reveal the details about the evolution of this relation. As found in the high-time-resolution spectral analysis, the early low-energy spectral indices ($\alpha$) of this burst exceed the limit of synchrotron radiation ($\alpha=-2/3$), and gradually decreases with the energy flux ($F$). A tight $E_{\rm p}\propto F^{0.44}$ correlation anyhow holds within the whole duration of the burst, where $E_{\rm p}$ is the spectral peak energy. Such evolution pattern of $\alpha$ and $E_{\rm p}$ with intensity is called double tracking". In addition, for the relation between the $\alpha$ and $F$, we find a log Bayes factor $\sim$ 160 in favor of a smoothly broken power-law function over a linear function in log-linear space. We call this particular $\alpha-F$ relation as broken$\alpha$-intensity”, and interpret it as the evolution of the ratio of thermal and non-thermal components, which is also the evolution of the photosphere.

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Y. Wang, Z. Xia, T. Zheng, et. al.
Tue, 21 Mar 23
48/68

Comments: 15 pages, 7 figures, 1 table