GRB941017: A Case Study of Neutrino Production in Gamma Ray Bursts

GRB941017, a gamma-ray burst of exceptional fluence, has recently been shown to have a high-energy component which is not consistent with the standard fireball phenomenology. If this component is the result of photomeson interactions in the burst fireball, it provides new and compelling support for substantial high-energy neutrino fluxes from this and similar sources. In this letter, we consider what impact this new information has on the neutrino spectra of gamma-ray bursts and discuss how this new evidence impacts the prospects for detection of such events in next generation neutrino telescopes.