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Monte Carlo Modeling of Gamma Ray Burst Prompt Emission

Monte Carlo Modeling of Gamma Ray Burst Prompt Emission

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 4:00 pm
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Tyler Parsotan

Gamma Ray Bursts are some of the most powerful explosions in the Universe, producing more energy in a few tens of seconds than our sun will emit in its entire lifetime. In order to study the prompt emission from these events, the emission detected during the first few tens of seconds, we use our novel Monte Carlo radiation transfer (MCRaT) code. The MCRAT code allows us to properly simulate the interaction between the photons within the GRB and the exploding matter. Using the MCRAT code, we simulate the prompt emission from a variety of Long GRBs hydrodynamic simulations and conduct mock observations of these same synthetic GRBs. As a result of our radiative transfer simulations, we have been able to make comparisons between observed GRBs and the synthetic GRBs showing that the MCRAT simulations are able to account for various GRB observational relationships, spectral features, and polarization measurements. Additionally, the MCRAT code has been improved to consider the effects of cyclo-synchrotron photons in the outflow. This new capability now allows us to simulate GRB prompt emission from optical to gamma rays wavelengths, providing new predictions and insight into the GRB prompt emission mechanism.