Population III Gamma-Ray Burst

Abstract

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are unique probes of the first generation (Pop III) stars. We show that a relativistic gamma-ray burst (GRB) jet can potentially pierce the envelope of a very massive Pop III star even if the Pop III star has a supergiant hydrogen envelope without mass loss, thanks to the long-lived powerful accretion of the envelope itself. While the Pop III GRB is estimated to be energetic (E_γ,iso ~ 10⁵⁵ erg), the supergiant envelope hides the initial bright phase in the cocoon component, leading to a GRB with a long duration ~1000 (1 + z) s and an ordinary isotropic luminosity ~ 10⁵² erg s⁻¹ (~ 10⁻⁹ erg cm⁻² s⁻¹ at redshift z ~ 20), although these quantities are found to be sensitive to the core and envelope mass. We also show that Pop III.2 GRBs (which are primordial but affected by radiation from other stars) occur >100 times more frequently than Pop III.1 GRBs, and thus should be suitable targets for future X-ray and radio missions. The radio transient surveys are already constraining the Pop III GRB rate and promising in the future.