Wind-interaction models for the early afterglows of gamma-ray bursts: The case of GRB 021004

Wind-interaction models for gamma-ray burst (GRB) afterglows predict that the optical emission from the reverse shock drops below that from the forward shock within hundreds of seconds of the burst. The typical frequency v(m) of the synchrotron emission from the forward shock passes through the optical band typically on a timescale of minutes to hours. Before the passage of v(m), the optical flux evolves as t(-1/4), and after the passage, the decay steepens to t(-(3p-2)/4), where p is the exponent for the assumed power-law energy distribution of nonthermal electrons and is typically similar to2. The steepening in the slope of temporal decay should be readily identifiable in the early afterglow light curves. We propose that such a steepening was observed in the R-band light curve of GRB 021004 around day 0.1. Available data at several radio frequencies are consistent with this interpretation, as are the X-ray observations around day 1. The early evolution of GRB 021004 contrasts with that of GRB 990123, which can be described by emission from interaction with a constant density medium.