High-energy emission as a test of the prior emission model for gamma-ray burst afterglows

Understand

We study high-energy gamma-ray afterglow emission from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) in the prior emission model, which is proposed to explain the plateau phase of the X-ray afterglow.

• This model predicts the high-energy gamma-ray emission when the prompt GRB photons from the main flow are up-scattered by relativistic electrons accelerated at the external shock due to the prior flow.
• The expected spectrum has the peak of 10-100 GeV at around the end time of the plateau phase for typical GRBs, and high-energy gamma rays from nearby and/or energetic GRBs can be detected by current and future Cherenkov telescopes such as MAGIC, VERITAS, CTA, and possibly Fermi.
• Multi-wavelength observations by ground-based optical telescopes as well as Fermi and/or Swift sattelites are important to constrain the model.