Related papers: Gamma-Ray Bursts: Astronomical Constraints
Long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are thought to come from the core-collapse of Wolf-Rayet stars. Whereas their stellar masses $M_*$ have a rather narrow distribution, the population of GRBs is very diverse, with gamma-ray luminosities…
The prompt emission of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) is still an outstanding question in the study of these cataclysmic events. Part of what makes GRBs difficult to study is how unique each event seems to be. However, aggregating many GRB…
The hard X-ray (2-10keV) luminosity of a star-forming galaxy tracks its population of high mass X-ray binaries and is essentially unobscured. It is therefore a practically unbiased measure of star-formation in the host galaxies of gamma-ray…
If Wolf-Rayet stars are the progenitors of Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), they must rotate rapidly to produce the GRB. This rotation may effect their stellar-wind bubbles and possibly explain why so many GRB afterglows occur in a constant density…
It has been suggested that Gamma Ray Bursts (GRB) may enable the expansion rate of our Universe to be measured out to very high redshifts ($z \gsim 5$) just as type Ia supernovae have done at $z \sim$1--1.5. We explore this possibility…
The properties of the cosmic Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are briefly summarized. A detailed bibliography is given with titles of the papers. Two fundamental theoretical problems are pointed out: the problem of the energy source, and the problem…
In this letter, we calculate the redshift distribution of gamma-ray bursts assuming that they trace (i) the globally averaged star formation rate or (ii) the average metallicity in the Universe. While at redshifts 5 and below, both the star…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are still an enigma. In particular the central engine, the total energy, and the very narrow distribution of peak energies challenge model builders. Motivated by recent theoretical developments (string theory,…
It is now generally accepted that long-duration gamma ray bursts (GRBs) are due to the collapse of massive rotating stars. The precise collapse process itself, however, is not yet fully understood. Strong winds, outbursts, and intense…
Long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been linked to extreme core-collapse supernovae from massive stars. Gravitational waves (GW) offer a probe of the physics behind long GRBs. We investigate models of long-lived (~10-1000s) GW emission…
(Abridged) Long Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) offer a promising tool to trace the cosmic history of star formation, especially at high redshift where conventional methods are known to suffer from intrinsic biases. Previous studies of GRB host…
Nearby gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are likely to have represented a significant threat to life on the Earth. Recent observations suggest that a significant source of such bursts is compact binary mergers in globular clusters. This link between…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) divide into two classes: "long", which typically have initial durations of T90>2s, and "short", with durations of T90<2s (where T90 is the time to detect 90% of the observed fluence). Long bursts, which on average…
In this paper we give a brief review of our recent studies on the long and short gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected Swift, in an effort to understand the puzzle of classifying GRBs. We consider that it is still an appealing conjecture that…
The discoveries that GRBs have X-ray, optical and radio afterglows have connected the study of GRBs to the rest of astronomy, and revolutionized the field. In this review, I discuss the implications that the observation of these afterglows…
This is a short report on the preliminary findings of the gamma ray burst (GRB) working group for the white paper on the status and future of very high energy (VHE; >50 GeV) gamma-ray astronomy. The white paper discusses the status of past…
Since the successful launch of NASA's dedicated gamma-ray burst (GRB) mission, Swift, the study of cosmological GRBs has entered a new era. Here I review the rapid observational and theoretical progress in this dynamical research field…
We provide a comprehensive review of major developments in our understanding of gamma-ray bursts, with particular focus on the discoveries made within the last fifteen years when their true nature was uncovered. We describe the…
Several pairs of observable properties of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are known to be correlated. Many such correlations are straightforward predictions of the 'cannonball' model of GRBs. We extend our previous discussions of the subject to a…
We investigate the mass distribution of long gamma-ray burst (GRB) host galaxies and the redshift distribution of long GRBs by considering that long GRBs occur in low-metallicity environments. We calculate the upper limit on the stellar…