  Heavy axion-like particles have been introduced in several scenarios beyond
the Standard Model and their production in some astrophysical systems should be
possible. In this work, we re-examine the possibility that these type of
particles can be generated in the accretion disks of gamma-ray bursts (GRB),
the most powerful events in the universe. If the produced axions decay into
photons or $e^+e-$ pairs at the correct distances, a fireball is generated. We
calculate the structure transient accretion disks in GRBs (density, temperature
and thickness profiles) taking into account the effect of heavy axion emission
as well as the rest of the relevant standard cooling processes. This allows us
to obtain the values of the coupling constant g_{aN} in order for the axions
not to become trapped, and we can also compute the emitted heavy axion
luminosity from the entire disk. We find that for the couplings within the
ranges found, then the mechanism for powering GRBs based on heavy axion
production and decay becomes an alternative to the standard picture based upon
magnetohydrodynamic processes and neutrino-antineutrino annihilation.
Otherwise, if heavy axions are produced in the disk but their decay to takes
place further away, the mechanism fails. Still, the decay products (gamma rays
or electrons and positrons) should leave observable signatures which are not
observed for different ranges of values of the coupling constants, depending on
the mass of the heavy axion
