Photospheric Prompt Emission From Long Gamma-ray Burst Simulations. I. Optical Emission

A complete understanding of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) has been difficult to achieve, due to our incomplete knowledge of the radiation mechanism that is responsible for producing the prompt emission. This emission, which is detected in the first tens of seconds of the GRB, is typically dominated by hard X-ray and gamma-ray photons, although there have also been a few dozen prompt optical detections. These optical detections have the potential to discriminate between plausible prompt emission models, such as the photospheric and synchrotron shock models. In this work, we use an improved MCRaT code, which includes cyclo-synchrotron emission and absorption, to conduct radiative transfer calculations from optical to gamma-ray energies under the photospheric model. The calculations are conducted using a set of two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic long GRB jet simulations, consisting of a constant and a variable jet. We predict the correlations between the optical and gamma-ray light curves as functions of observer angle and jet variability, and find that there should be extremely dim optical prompt precursors for large viewing angles. Additionally, the detected optical emission originates from dense regions of the outflow, such as shock interfaces and the jet-cocoon interface. Our results also show that the photospheric model is unable to account for the current set of optical prompt detections that have been made and therefore additional radiative mechanisms are needed to explain these prompt optical observations. These findings show the importance of conducting global radiative transfer simulations using hydrodynamically calculated jet structures.

Reliability analysis of an extended shock model

Suppose that a system is subject to a sequence of shocks which occur with probability p in any period of time [Formula: see text], and suppose that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are two critical levels ([Formula: see text]). The system fails when the time interval between two consecutive shocks is less than [Formula: see text], and the time interval bigger than [Formula: see text] has no effect on the system activity. In addition, the system fails with a probability of, say, [Formula: see text], when the time interval varies between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. Therefore, this model can be regarded as an extension of discrete time version of [Formula: see text]-shock model, and such an idea can be also applied in the extension of other shock models. The present study obtains the reliability function and the probability generating function of the system’s lifetime under this model. The present study offers some properties of the system and refers to a generalization of the new model. In addition, the mean time of the system’s failure is obtained under reduced efficiency which is created when the time between two consecutive shocks varies between [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for the first time.

Blast Alleviation of Sacrificial Cladding with Graded and Uniform Cellular Materials

Graded cellular material is a superb sandwich candidate for blast alleviation, but it has a disadvantage for the anti-blast design of sacrificial cladding, i.e., the supporting stress for the graded cellular material cannot maintain a constant level. Thus, a density graded-uniform cellular sacrificial cladding was developed, and its anti-blast response was investigated theoretically and numerically. One-dimensional nonlinear plastic shock models were proposed to analyze wave propagation in density graded-uniform cellular claddings under blast loading. There are two shock fronts in a positively graded-uniform cladding; while there are three shock fronts in a negatively graded-uniform cladding. Response features of density graded-uniform claddings were analyzed, and then a comparison with the cladding based on the uniform cellular material was carried out. Results showed that the cladding with uniform cellular materials is a good choice for the optimal mass design, while the density graded-uniform cladding is more advantageous from the perspective of the critical length design indicator. A partition diagram for the optimal length of sacrificial claddings under a defined blast loading was proposed for engineering design. Finally, cell-based finite element models were applied to verify the anti-blast response results of density graded-uniform claddings.