Tohoku University · Physics and Astronomy
Professor Hamid Hamidani's research lab specializes in high-energy astrophysics, focusing on the dynamics of relativistic jets in compact binary mergers and collapsars. The lab investigates jet propagation through complex, expanding media—particularly the ejecta from neutron star mergers—using advanced 2D and 3D relativistic hydrodynamic simulations combined with semi-analytical models. Key research directions include jet-cocoon interactions, breakout times, collimation, and multi-messenger emission signatures from short gamma-ray bursts and associated supernovae. The lab also explores the connection between jet engine properties and observable transients across electromagnetic bands.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
ABSTRACT The binary neutron star (BNS) merger event GW170817 clearly shows that a BNS merger launches a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB) jet. Unlike collapsars, where the ambient medium is static, in BNS mergers the jet propagates through the merger ejecta that is expanding outward at substantial velocities (∼0.2c). Here, we present semi-analytical and analytical models to solve the propagation of GRB jets through their surrounding media. These models improve our previous model by including the jet
Abstract The gravitational wave event from the binary neutron star (BNS) merger GW170817 and the following multi-messenger observations present strong evidence for i) merger ejecta expanding with substantial velocities and ii) a relativistic jet which had to propagate through the merger ejecta. The ejecta’s expansion velocity is not negligible for the jet head motion, which is a fundamental difference from the other systems like collapsars and active galactic nuclei. Here we present an analytic
ABSTRACT The cocoon is an inevitable product of a jet propagating through ambient matter, and takes a fair fraction of the jet energy. In short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs), the ambient matter is the ejecta from the merger of neutron stars, expanding with a high velocity ∼0.2c, in contrast to the static stellar envelope in collapsars. Using 2D relativistic hydrodynamic simulations with the ejecta density profile as ρ ∝ r−2, we find that the expansion makes a big difference; only 0.5–5 per cent of th
ABSTRACT In the gravitational wave event GW170817, there was a ∼10 h gap before electromagnetic (EM) observations, without detection of the cocoon. The cocoon is heated by a short gamma-ray burst (sGRB) jet propagating through the ejecta of a neutron star (NS) merger, and a part of the cocoon escapes the ejecta with an opening angle of 20°–30°. Here, we model the cocoon and calculate its EM emission. Our 2D hydrodynamic simulations suggest that the density and energy distributions, after enterin
Aiming to study GRB engine duration, we present numerical simulations to investigate collapsar jets. We consider typical explosion energy ($10^{52}$ erg) but different engine durations, in the widest domain to date from 0.1 to 100 s. We employ an AMR 2D hydrodynamical code. Our results show that engine duration strongly influences jet nature. We show that the efficiency of launching and collimating relativistic outflow increases with engine duration, until the intermediate engine range where it
Abstract We present optical, radio, and X-ray observations of EP250108a/SN 2025kg, a broad-line Type Ic supernova (SN Ic-BL) accompanying an Einstein Probe (EP) fast X-ray transient at z = 0.176. EP250108a/SN 2025kg possesses a double-peaked optical light curve, and its spectrum transitions from a blue underlying continuum to a typical SN Ic-BL spectrum over time. We fit a radioactive decay model to the second peak of the optical light curve and find SN parameters that are consistent with the SN
Abstract Follow-up observations of short gamma-ray bursts (sGRBs) have continuously unveiled late extended/plateau emissions, attributed to jet launch due to late engine activity, the nature of which remains enigmatic. Observations of GW170817 have confirmed that sGRBs are linked to neutron star (NS) mergers, and discovered a kilonova (KN) transient. Nevertheless, the origin of the early blue KN in GW170817 remains unclear. Here, we investigate the propagation of late jets in the merger ejecta.
Abstract The recent gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 211211A provides the earliest (∼5 hr) data of a kilonova (KN) event, displaying bright (∼10 42 erg s −1 ) and blue early emission. Previously, this KN was explained using simplistic multicomponent fitting methods. Here, in order to understand the physical origin of the KN emission in GRB 211211A, we employ an analytic multizone model for r -process-powered KNe. We find that r -process-powered KN models alone cannot explain the fast temporal evolution
Abstract Recent observations indicate that stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae are often surrounded by dense circumstellar material (CSM). Motivated by this, we develop an analytic model to systematically study the dynamics of long gamma-ray burst (LGRB) jet propagation in various CSM environments. We derive a general expression for the jet head velocity ( β h ) and breakout time ( t b ) valid across Newtonian, relativistic, and intermediate regimes, accounting for a previously unrecogniz
The recent Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) GRB 211211A provides the earliest ($\sim 5$ h) data of a kilonova (KN) event, displaying bright ($\sim10^{42}$ erg s$^{-1}$) and blue early emission. Previously, this KN has been explained using simplistic multi-component fitting methods. Here, in order to understand the physical origin of the KN emission in GRB 211211A, we employ an analytic multi-zone model for r-process powered KN. We find that r-process powered KN models alone cannot explain the fast temporal
In the gravitational wave event GW170817, there was a $\sim 10$ hours gap before electromagnetic (EM) observations, without detection of the cocoon. The cocoon is heated by a \textit{short} gamma-ray burst (\textit{s}GRB) jet propagating through the ejecta of a Neutron Star (NS) merger, and a part of the cocoon escapes the ejecta with an opening angle of $20^{\circ}$--$30^{\circ}$. Here we model the cocoon and calculate its EM emission. Our 2D hydrodynamic simulations suggest that the density an
Recent observations indicate that stripped-envelope core-collapse supernovae are often surrounded by dense circumstellar material (CSM). Motivated by this, we develop an analytic model to systematically study the dynamics of long gamma-ray burst (LGRB) jet propagation in various CSM environments. We derive a general expression for the jet head velocity ($β_{\rm h}$) and breakout time ($t_{\rm b}$) valid across Newtonian, relativistic, and intermediate regimes, accounting for a previously unrecog
The cocoon is an inevitable product of a jet propagating through ambient matter, and takes a fair fraction of the jet energy. In short gamma-ray bursts, the ambient matter is the ejecta from the merger of neutron stars, expanding with a high velocity $\sim 0.2 c$, in contrast to the static stellar envelope in collapsars. Using 2D relativistic hydrodynamic simulations with the ejecta density profile as $ρ\propto r^{-2}$, we find that the expansion makes a big difference; only 0.5--5\% of the coco
In the neutron star (NS) merger events the short gamma-ray burst (sGRB) jet heats up part of the merger ejecta producing the cocoon component. The cocoon is expected to produce a bright early electromagnetic (EM) counterpart. However, in GW170817, sky localization took $\sim$10 hours and early EM counterparts were missed. Here, in anticipation of future GW170817-like events, we analytically model the cocoon. Then, we calculate its EM cooling emission. We find that the cocoon outshines the r-proc
Open papers in the app to read, cite, and organize with AI.