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  1. Free, publicly-accessible full text available August 1, 2024
  2. Abstract Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) exhibit a diversity of spectra. Several spectral models (e.g., Band, cutoff power law (CPL), and blackbody) and their hybrid versions (e.g., Band+blackbody) have been widely used to fit the observed GRB spectra. Here, we attempt to collect all the bursts detected by Fermi/GBM with known redshifts from 2008 July to 2022 May, having been motivated to (i) provide a parameter catalog independent of the official Fermi/GBM team and (ii) achieve a “clean” model-based GRB spectral energy correlation analysis. A nearly complete GRB sample is created, containing 153 such bursts (136 long GRBs and 17 short GRBs). Using the sample and by performing detailed spectral analysis and model comparisons, we investigate two GRB spectral energy correlations: the correlation of the cosmological rest-frame peak energy ( E p, z ) of the ν F ν prompt emission spectrum with (i) the isotropic-bolometric-equivalent emission energy E γ ,iso (the Amati relation) and (ii) the isotropic-bolometric-equivalent peak luminosity L p,iso (the Yonetoku relation). From a linear regression analysis, a tight correlation between E p, z and E γ ,iso (and L γ ,iso ) is found for both Band-like and CPL-like bursts (except for CPL-like long burst E p, z – E γ ,iso correlation). More interestingly, CPL-like bursts do not fall on the Band-like burst Amati and Yonetoku correlations, suggesting distinct radiation processes, and pointing to the fact that these spectral energy correlations are tightly reliant on the model-wise properties. 
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    Free, publicly-accessible full text available June 1, 2024
  3. Abstract Binary-driven hypernova (BdHN) models have been adopted to explain the observed properties of long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Here, we perform a comprehensive data analysis (temporal and spectral analysis, GeV emission, and afterglow) on GRB 130427A, GRB 160509A, and GRB 160625B. We identify three specific episodes characterized by different observational signatures and show that these episodes can be explained and predicted to occur within the framework of the BdHNe I model, as first observed in GRB 190114C and reported in an accompanying paper. Episode 1 includes the “SN-rise” with the characteristic cutoff power-law spectrum; Episode 2 is initiated by the moment of formation of the black hole, coincident with the onset of the GeV emission and the ultrarelativistic prompt emission phase, and is characterized by a cutoff power law and blackbody spectra; Episode 3 is the “cavity,” with its characteristic featureless spectrum. 
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  4. Large conjugated carbon framework has been incorporated as the diimine ligand for Re(α-diimine)(CO)3Cl complexes with a pyrazinyl linkage, either to increase energy efficiency or to turn them into heterogeneous catalysts for selective electrocatalytic CO2 reduction. However, there exists a nonmonotonic dependence of CO2 reduction overpotential on the conjugation size of the ligands. Understanding its origin could facilitate heterogenization of molecular catalysts with improved energy efficiency. Here, we show that the conjugated pyrazinyl moiety plays a crucial role in catalysis by enabling a proton-coupled, lower-energy pathway for CO2 reduction. With ligands of moderate size, the pathway leads to previously unknown intermediates and decreases CO2 reduction overpotential. Because the pathway hinges on the basicity of the pyrazinyl nitrogen, we propose that it imposes a limit on the conjugation size of the ligand for the pathway to be effective. 
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  5. Abstract Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful explosions in the universe. How efficiently the jet converts its energy to radiation is a long-standing problem, which is poorly constrained. The standard model invokes a relativistic fireball with a bright photosphere emission component. A definitive diagnosis of GRB radiation components and the measurement of GRB radiative efficiency require prompt emission and afterglow data, with high resolution and wide band coverage in time and energy. Here, we present a comprehensive temporal and spectral analysis of the TeV-emitting bright GRB 190114C. Its fluence is one of the highest for all the GRBs that have been detected so far, which allows us to perform a high-resolution study of the prompt emission spectral properties and their temporal evolutions, down to a timescale of about 0.1 s. We observe that each of the initial pulses has a thermal component contributing ∼20% of the total energy and that the corresponding temperature and inferred Lorentz factor of the photosphere evolve following broken power-law shapes. From the observation of the nonthermal spectra and the light curve, the onset of the afterglow corresponding to the deceleration of the fireball is considered to start at ∼6 s. By incorporating the thermal and nonthermal observations, as well as the photosphere and synchrotron radiative mechanisms, we can directly derive the fireball energy budget with little dependence on hypothetical parameters, measuring a ∼16% radiative efficiency for this GRB. With the fireball energy budget derived, the afterglow microphysics parameters can also be constrained directly from the data. 
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