Related papers: Gamma-Ray Bursts and Particle Astrophysics
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been an enigma since their discovery forty years ago. However, considerable progress unraveling their mysteries has been made in recent years. Developments in observations, theory, and instrumentation have…
Most cosmological models for gamma-ray bursts invoke the production of a ``fireball'' in a compact region, as indicated by the short time variability of the observed GRBs. The high density of $e^+e^-$ pairs in such fireballs inevitably…
Numerous reports have been made of features, either in emission or absorption, in the 10 - 1000 keV spectra of some gamma-ray bursts. Originally interpreted in the context of Galactic neutron star models as cyclotron line emission and $e^+…
Cosmological GRBs are discussed with an emphasis on their plausible connection with black holes. GRBs can be triggered by collapse of stellar-mass objects that leads to formation of a black hole and a transient debris disk with a huge…
Present knowledge indicates that gamma-ray bursts are linked with massive stars. They will become invaluable probes of the early universe and galaxy formation. In the future, it will be possible to use gamma-ray bursts for two purposes: 1)…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are extremely energetic events at cosmological distances. They provide unique laboratory to investigate fundamental physical processes under extreme conditions. Due to extreme luminosities, GRBs are detectable at…
Fireballs are an essential part of any cosmological $\gamma$-ray burst. We drive here a stability criterion for fireballs and show that fireballs are Rayleigh-Taylor unstable in any region in which the entropy decreases outward. The…
In the first part of this paper we summarize the discovery and the early study of the gamma-ray bursts. The second part studies the spatial and sky distribution of the bursters. The brightness distribution is also studied. In the conclusion…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are short and intense bursts of $\sim$100 keV$-$1MeV photons, usually followed by long-lasting decaying afterglow emission in a wide range of electromagnetic wavelengths from radio to X-ray and, sometimes, even to GeV…
Gamma-ray bursts are the most luminous and probably the most relativistic events in the universe. The last few years have seen a tremendous increase in our knowledge of these events, but the source of the bursts still remains elusive. I…
The origin of cosmic gamma-ray bursts remains one of the most intriguing puzzles in astronomy. We suggest that purely general relativistic effects in the collapse of massive stars could account for these bursts. The late formation of closed…
Gamma-ray bursts are transient events from beyond the solar system. Besides the allure of their mysterious origin, bursts are physically fascinating because they undoubtedly require exotic physics. Optical transients coincident with burst…
The discovery of multiband afterglows definitely shows that most $\gamma$-ray bursts are of cosmological origin. $\gamma$-ray bursts are found to be one of the most violent explosive phenomena in the Universe, in which astonishing…
I discuss what we have learned about Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) by studying their `afterglows', and how these are interpreted in the generally-accepted `fireball' model of GRBs, as well as in the generally-unaccepted `cannonball' model of the…
The successful discovery of X-ray, optical and radio afterglows of gamma-ray bursts has significantly helped our understanding of these sources, and made possible the identification of host galaxies at cosmological distances. The energy…
A new candidate for the gamma-ray bursts central engine is proposed: if in some energetic cosmic event a macroscopic amount of bubbles of the disoriented chiral condensate can be formed, then their subsequent decays will produce a…
The optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts can be used to probe the physics, geometry, and environments of gamma-ray bursts. In this article I discuss the how spectra and photometry can be used to constrain fireball parameters, describe…
A theory is proposed to explain with simplicity the basic observed properties of a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB). It employs a well-known result of Schwinger, that static electric fields in excess of a critical value are unstable to pair creation,…
The extreme physical conditions of Gamma Ray Bursts can constitute a useful observational laboratory to test theories of gravity where very high curvature regimes are involved. Here we propose a sort of curvature engine capable, in…
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are among the most powerful sources in the Universe: they emit up to 10^54 erg in the hard X-ray band in few tens of seconds. The cosmological origin of GRBs has been confirmed by several spectroscopic measurements…