The very high-energy (VHE) emission in the TeV energy band of the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) can be successfully explained by the jitter radiation. This work performed by Prof. MAO Jirong and Prof. WANG Jiancheng is recently published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

The VHE photons and high-energy cosmic rays pass through the atmosphere and have the cascade process. Then, the blue light is emitted. This is so-called Cherenkov radiation. The ground-based telescopes to detect the Cherenkov radiation are Cherenkov telescopes. Gamma-ray burst (GRB) is the strongest explosion in the universe. It is one kind of source to emit both the VHE photons in the TeV energy band and the high-energy cosmic-ray. At present, only a few GRBs are detected in the TeV energy band. The origin of both the TeV photons emitted by the high-energy objects and the high-energy cosmic-ray is one hot topic in the high-energy astrophysical research field.

Prof. MAO performs one comprehensive study on the GRB VHE emission by the jitter radiation. Jitter radiation is the radiation of the relativistic electrons in the random and small-scale magnetic fields. The random and small-scale magnetic field is generated by the turbulence. The turbulence can be fully developed in the kinetic lengthscale, and it turns to be the kinetic turbulence in the small lengthscales. Electrons can be accelerated in the lengthscale of the kinetic turbulence. Then, the relativistic electrons have the radiation in the random and small-scale magnetic fields. The GRB emission in the TeV energy band can be well explained by the jitter radiation. This is the new progress on a series of work by Prof. MAO.

The results can be applied not only in the GRB research, but also in the research for other high-energy objects. The work is helpful to reveal the physical processes on the particle acceleration, and it is important to the research of the VHE astrophysics and the cosmic-ray. The work also takes effects on the scientific analysis of the Cherenkov telescope observations. The ongoing constructions of the Cherenkov telescopes in China can be also encouraged by this work.

Contact:

MAO Jirong, Yunnan Observatories, CAS

Jirongmao@mail.ynao.ac.cn