Tyler Parsotan, Center for Space Science and Technology
Both Short and Long type Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are excellent labo- ratories for exploring the interplay between matter and radiation. The onset of multi- messenger astronomy has placed Short Gamma Ray Bursts (SGRBs) at the focal point of observations, in contrast to a few years ago when they were serendipitously detected. The concurrent detection of SGRBs with Gravitational Waves (GWs) will greatly expand our understanding of these extreme events. Long Gamma Ray Bursts (LGRBs), unlike SGRBs, are relatively easy to detect, leading to the large amount of observational data available for analysis.
The available SGRB and LGRB data has provided much insight on which models best explain observations, contributing to a general understanding of these events; however, there is still much more information hidden in the data which can shed light on: i) the microphysical processes that are relevant to radiation from jets, ii) properties of both the GRB jet and the environment surrounding the jet, and, most importantly, iii) how the jet dynamics through the surrounding medium imprints its signature on the resulting radiation. The dynamics of the jet through the progenitor material can be investigated through special relativistic hydrodynamic (SRHD) simulations of SGRBs and LGRBs. This information can then be intertwined with Monte Carlo Radiation Transfer simulations, with the use of our unique MCRaT code, to create a powerful combination which allows us to fully quantify how the radiation is coupled to the dynamics of the jet. Being able to further understand and interpret the wealth of data available for LGRBs and the data that will be obtained for SGRBs depends on understanding this complex relationship between matter and radiation.