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Session 43 - Gamma-ray Burst Counterparts and Afterglows.
Display session, Tuesday, June 09
Atlas Ballroom,
We present a model for gamma-ray bursts based on the compression of neutron stars in close binary systems. General relativistic hydrodynamic computer simulations of close neutron star binaries have found compression of the neutron stars estimated to produce thermal energies of the order of magnitude 10^52 to 10^53 ergs on a timescale of a few seconds. The hot neutron stars will emit neutrino pairs which will partially recombine to form 10^51 to 10^52 ergs of electron-positron (e^-e^+) pair plasma.
We use a general relativistic hydrodynamic code to follow the e^-e^+ pairs, photons and baryons as they expand from the surface of the hot neutron star. We find that virtually all of the e^-e^+ pairs recombine, leaving the photons to stream freely. We analyze the spectrum and light-curve of these photons and find, in general, good agreement with observed gamma-ray bursts, with a spectrum peak at \sim 100 keV, and T_90 \sim several 10s of seconds.
