Related papers: Observing the First Stars, One Star at a Time
The first structures in the Universe formed at z>7, at higher redshift than all currently known galaxies. Since GRBs are brighter than other cosmological sources at high redshift and exhibit simple power-law afterglow spectra that is ideal…
It is thought that the first generations of massive stars in the Universe were an important, and quite possibly dominant, source of the ultra-violet radiation that reionized the hydrogen gas in the intergalactic medium (IGM); a state in…
Recent evidence appears to link gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) to star-forming regions in galaxies at cosmological distances. If short-lived massive stars are the progenitors of GRBs, the rate of events per unit cosmological volume should be an…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are ideal probes of the epoch of the first stars and galaxies. We review the recent theoretical understanding of the formation and evolution of the first (so-called Population III) stars, in light of their viability…
The exceptionally high luminosities of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), gradually emerging as extremely useful probes of star formation, make them promising tools for exploration of the high-redshift Universe. Here we present a carefully selected…
For a few seconds a gamma-ray burst (GRB) becomes the brightest object in the Universe, over-shining the rest of the Universe combined! Clearly this reflects extreme conditions that are fascinating and worth exploring. The recent discovery…
We discuss how gamma-ray burst (GRB) optical afterglows and multiwavelength observations of their host galaxies can be used to obtain information about the relative amounts of star formation happening in optical and submillimetre galaxies.…
Lasting anywhere from a few milliseconds to several minutes, GRBs shine hundreds of times brighter than a typical supernova, making them briefly the brightest source of cosmic gamma-ray photons in the observable Universe. This thesis…
By now there is substantial evidence that Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) originate at cosmological distances from very powerful explosions. The interaction between a GRB and its surrounding environment has dramatic consequences on the environment…
$\gamma$-ray bursts (GRBs) have puzzled astronomers since their accidental discovery in the sixties. The BATSE detector on COMPTON-GRO satellite has been detecting GRBs for the last four years at a rate of one burst per day. Its findings…
Short Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) are explosions of cosmic origin believed to be associated with the merger of two compact objects, either two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole. The presence of at least one neutron star has long…
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…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are cosmologically distributed, very energetic and very transient sources detected in the gamma-ray domain. The identification of their x-ray and optical afterglows allowed so far the redshift measurement of 150…
The various possibilities for the progenitors of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) manifest in differing observable properties. Through deep spectroscopic and high-resolution imaging observations of some GRB hosts, I demonstrate that well-localized…
Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) are unpredictable and brief flashes of gamma rays that occur about once a day in random locations in the sky. Since gamma rays do not penetrate the Earth's atmosphere, they are detected by satellites, which…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have puzzled astronomers since their accidental discovery in the late sixties. The BATSE detector on the COMPTON-GRO satellite has been detecting one burst per day for the last six years. Its findings have…
The present common view about GRB origin is related to cosmology. There are two evidences in favour of this interpretation. The first is connected with statistics, the second is based on measurements of the redshifts in the GRB optical…
Long Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) constitute an important tool to study the Universe near and beyond the epoch of reionization. We delineate here the characteristics of an 'ideal' instrument for the search of GRBs at z>6-10. We find that the…
Most long Gamma-ray bursts originate from a rare type of massive stellar explosion. Their afterglows, while rapidly fading, can be initially extremely luminous at optical/near-infrared wavelengths, making them detectable at large…
GRBs have remained a puzzle for many high-energy astrophysicists since their discovery in 1967. With the advent of the X-ray satellites BeppoSAX and RossiXTE, it has been possible to carry out deep multi-wavelength observations of the…