Abstract
Core collapse of massive stars and binary neutron stars or black hole-neutron star binary mergers are likely progenitors of long and short duration gamma-ray bursts respectively. Neutronized material in the former and neutron star material in the latter are ejected by the central engine implying a neutron-rich jet outflow. A free neutron, however, beta decays to a proton, an electron (beta) and an anti-neutrino in about fifteen minutes in its rest frame. Sudden creation of a relativistic electron is accompanied by radiation with a unique temporal and spectral signature. We calculate here this radiation signature collectively emitted by all beta decay electrons from neutron-rich outflow. Detection of this signature may thus provide strong evidence for not only neutron but also for proton content in the relativistic gamma-ray burst jets.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 006 |
Journal | Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2006 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Astronomy and Astrophysics