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arXiv · 1807.01737

AstroSat-CZTI detection of variable prompt emission polarization in GRB 171010A

Vikas Chand·Tanmoy Chattopadhyay·Gor Oganesyan·A. R. Rao·Santosh V. Vadawale·Dipankar Bhattacharya·V. B. Bhalerao·Kuntal Misra
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Abstract

We present spectro-polarimetric analysis of \thisgrb\ using data from \asat, \fermi, and \swift, to provide insights into the physical mechanisms of the prompt radiation and the jet geometry. Prompt emission from \thisgrb\ was very bright (fluence $>10^{-4}$~ergs~cm$^{-2}$) and had a complex structure composed of the superimposition of several pulses. The energy spectra deviate from the typical Band function to show a low energy peak $\sim 15$~keV --- which we interpret as a power-law with two breaks, with a synchrotron origin. Alternately, the prompt spectra can also be interpreted as Comptonized emission, or a blackbody combined with a Band function. Time-resolved analysis confirms the presence of the low energy component, while the peak energy is found to be confined in the range of 100--200~keV. Afterglow emission detected by \fermi-LAT is typical of an external shock model, and we constrain the initial Lorentz factor using the peak time of the emission. \swift-XRT measurements of the afterglow show an indication for a jet break, allowing us to constrain the jet opening angle to $>$ 6$\degr$. Detection of a large number of Compton scattered events by \asat-CZTI provides an opportunity to study hard X-ray polarization of the prompt emission. We find that the burst has high, time-variable polarization, with the emission {\bf have higher polarization} at energies above the peak energy. We discuss all observations in the context of GRB models and polarization arising due to {\bf due to physical or geometric effects:} synchrotron emission from multiple shocks with ordered or random magnetic fields, Poynting flux dominated jet undergoing abrupt magnetic dissipation, sub-photospheric dissipation, a jet consisting of fragmented fireballs, and the Comptonization model.

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Vikas Chand, Tanmoy Chattopadhyay, Gor Oganesyan, A. R. Rao, Santosh V. Vadawale, Dipankar Bhattacharya, V. B. Bhalerao, Kuntal Misra. 2018-07-04. AstroSat-CZTI detection of variable prompt emission polarization in GRB 171010A. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ab0826

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