GRB 990123: The optical flash and the fireball model

Re'em Sari; Tsvi Piran

doi:10.1086/312039

GRB 990123: The optical flash and the fireball model

Re'em Sari^*, Tsvi Piran

^*Corresponding author for this work

Racah Institute of Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

274 Scopus citations

Abstract

We show that the ongoing observations of the remarkable burst GRB 990123 agree with the predictions of the fireball model. Specifically, the observations confirm the recent prediction that the reverse shock propagating into the ejecta would produce a very strong prompt optical flash. This reverse shock has also produced the 8.46 GHz radio signal, observed after 1 day. The forward shock, which is the origin of the classical afterglow, has produced the prompt X-ray signal as well as the late optical and IR emission. The observations suggest that the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta was ̃200. Within factors of order unity, this crude model explains all current observations of GRB 990123.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L109-L112
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	517
Issue number	2 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/312039
State	Published - 1 Jun 1999

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the US-Israel BSF grant 95-328, by the Israeli Space Agency, by NASA grant NAG5-3516, and by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. We thank E. Blackman, D. Band, and P. Kumar for helpful discussions.

Keywords

Gamma rays: bursts
Hydrodynamics
Relativity
Shock waves

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title = "GRB 990123: The optical flash and the fireball model",

abstract = "We show that the ongoing observations of the remarkable burst GRB 990123 agree with the predictions of the fireball model. Specifically, the observations confirm the recent prediction that the reverse shock propagating into the ejecta would produce a very strong prompt optical flash. This reverse shock has also produced the 8.46 GHz radio signal, observed after 1 day. The forward shock, which is the origin of the classical afterglow, has produced the prompt X-ray signal as well as the late optical and IR emission. The observations suggest that the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta was{\~ }200. Within factors of order unity, this crude model explains all current observations of GRB 990123.",

keywords = "Gamma rays: bursts, Hydrodynamics, Relativity, Shock waves",

author = "Re'em Sari and Tsvi Piran",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the US-Israel BSF grant 95-328, by the Israeli Space Agency, by NASA grant NAG5-3516, and by the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. We thank E. Blackman, D. Band, and P. Kumar for helpful discussions.",

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N2 - We show that the ongoing observations of the remarkable burst GRB 990123 agree with the predictions of the fireball model. Specifically, the observations confirm the recent prediction that the reverse shock propagating into the ejecta would produce a very strong prompt optical flash. This reverse shock has also produced the 8.46 GHz radio signal, observed after 1 day. The forward shock, which is the origin of the classical afterglow, has produced the prompt X-ray signal as well as the late optical and IR emission. The observations suggest that the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta was ̃200. Within factors of order unity, this crude model explains all current observations of GRB 990123.

AB - We show that the ongoing observations of the remarkable burst GRB 990123 agree with the predictions of the fireball model. Specifically, the observations confirm the recent prediction that the reverse shock propagating into the ejecta would produce a very strong prompt optical flash. This reverse shock has also produced the 8.46 GHz radio signal, observed after 1 day. The forward shock, which is the origin of the classical afterglow, has produced the prompt X-ray signal as well as the late optical and IR emission. The observations suggest that the initial Lorentz factor of the ejecta was ̃200. Within factors of order unity, this crude model explains all current observations of GRB 990123.

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KW - Hydrodynamics

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ER -

GRB 990123: The optical flash and the fireball model

Abstract

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Keywords

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