GRB 060206: Evidence of Precession of Central Engine

Abstract

The high-redshift (z = 4.048) gamma-ray burst GRB 060206 showed unusual behavior, with a significant re-brightening about 3000 s after the burst. We assume that the central engine became active again 2000 s after the main burst and drove another more collimated off-axis jet. The two jets both interacted with the ambient medium and contributed to the whole emission. We numerically fit this optical afterglow from the two jets using the forward-shock model and the forward-reverse shock model. Combining with the zero time effect, we suggest that the fast rise at ~3000 s in the afterglow was due to the off-axis emission from the second jet. The precession of the torus or accretion disk of the gamma ray burst engine is the natural explanation for the symmetry axes of these two jets not to lie on the same line.