Speaker
Description
We analyze the prompt emission of two of the brightest Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) observed by Fermi at MeV energies but surprisingly faint at > 100 MeV energies. Time-resolved spectroscopy reveals a sharp high-energy cutoff. We first characterize phenomenologically the cutoff and its time evolution. We then fit the data to two models where the high-energy cutoff arises from intrinsic opacity to pair production within the source. Alternative explanations for the cutoff, such as an intrinsic cutoff in the emitting electron energy distribution, appear to be less natural. Both models provide a good fit to the data with very reasonable physical parameters, providing a direct estimate of bulk Lorentz factors on the lower end of what is generally observed in Fermi GRBs. Surprisingly, their lower cutoff energies Ec compared to other Fermi-LAT GRBs arise not predominantly from the lower Lorentz factors, but also at a comparable level from differences in variability time, luminosity, and high-energy photon index. Finally, particularly low Ec values may prevent detection by Fermi-LAT, thus introducing a bias in the Fermi-LAT GRB sample against GRBs with low Lorentz factors or variability times.
