Are Single-Zone Emission models Sufficient to Explain GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B?

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Main Authors: Gupta, Soumya, Sahayanathan, Sunder, Shanu, Saharsh, Nath, Rishabh
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
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author Gupta, Soumya
Sahayanathan, Sunder
Shanu, Saharsh
Nath, Rishabh
author_facet Gupta, Soumya
Sahayanathan, Sunder
Shanu, Saharsh
Nath, Rishabh
contents Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the universe's most energetic phenomena (isotropic luminosity $\sim 10^{51} - 10^{54}$ ergs/s) lasting for a very short duration ($\sim$ milliseconds - a few seconds). Even after an average of one GRB detected per day, their emission mechanism remains contentious. Inferences drawn from the empirical modelling of the GRB spectrum are often inconclusive. Some studies favor the emission from a thermal blast of hot plasma, while others suggest a synchrotron emission originating from a rapid acceleration of particles at the expense of the burst energy. Under these scenarios, the spectral width of the burst ($\mathcal{W}$), which is measured at half maxima, is expected to decrease with time. We show that for the GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B, $\mathcal{W}$ increases with time, raising serious concerns regarding the validity of these emission models. The results instead offer strong evidence that the GRB prompt phase involves the development of multiple emission zones, whose relative contributions change over time.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_11543
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Are Single-Zone Emission models Sufficient to Explain GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B?
Gupta, Soumya
Sahayanathan, Sunder
Shanu, Saharsh
Nath, Rishabh
High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the universe's most energetic phenomena (isotropic luminosity $\sim 10^{51} - 10^{54}$ ergs/s) lasting for a very short duration ($\sim$ milliseconds - a few seconds). Even after an average of one GRB detected per day, their emission mechanism remains contentious. Inferences drawn from the empirical modelling of the GRB spectrum are often inconclusive. Some studies favor the emission from a thermal blast of hot plasma, while others suggest a synchrotron emission originating from a rapid acceleration of particles at the expense of the burst energy. Under these scenarios, the spectral width of the burst ($\mathcal{W}$), which is measured at half maxima, is expected to decrease with time. We show that for the GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B, $\mathcal{W}$ increases with time, raising serious concerns regarding the validity of these emission models. The results instead offer strong evidence that the GRB prompt phase involves the development of multiple emission zones, whose relative contributions change over time.
title Are Single-Zone Emission models Sufficient to Explain GRB 220426A and GRB 230812B?
topic High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.11543