Related papers: GRB environment properties through X and optical a…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), which are bright flashes of gamma rays from extragalactic sources followed by fading afterglow emission, are associated with stellar core collapse events. We report the detection of very-high-energy (VHE) gamma rays…
We discuss three aspects of the interaction between GRB and their surroundings. The illumination of the progenitor remnant and/or the surroundings by the X-ray afterglow continuum can produce substantial Fe K-alpha line and edge emission,…
Assuming an adiabatic evolution of a Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) remnant interacting with an external medium, we calculate the injection, cooling, and absorption break frequencies, and the afterglow flux for plausible orderings of the break and…
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are brief flashes of gamma rays, considered to be the most energetic explosive phenomena in the Universe. The emission from GRBs comprises a short (typically tens of seconds) and bright prompt emission, followed by a…
Some afterglow light curves of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) exhibit very complex temporal and spectral features, such as a sudden intensity jump about one hour after the prompt emission in the optical band. We assume that this feature is due to…
X-ray emission features have been detected in at least five GRB afterglows. Their detection and properties are of great importance in our understanding of the nature of the GRB progenitor. Moreover, they provide us with an un-collimated…
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…
In this work we present the first results of our imaging campaign at Keck Observatory to identify the host galaxies of "dark" gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), events with no detected optical afterglow or with detected optical flux significantly…
We present early-time optical photometry and spectroscopy of the optical afterglow of the gamma-ray burst GRB 011211. The spectrum of the optical afterglow contains several narrow metal lines which are consistent with the burst occurring at…
Absorption and reprocessing of Gamma-ray burst radiation in the environment of cosmological GRBs can be used as a powerful probe of the elusive nature of their progenitors. Although it is widely accepted that long-duration GRBs are…
GRB absorption spectroscopy opened up a new window in the study of the high redshift Universe, especially with the launch of the Swift satellite and the quick and precise localization of the afterglow. Eight-meter class telescopes can be…
We present observations of the early X-ray emission for a sample of 40 gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) obtained using the Swift satellite for which the narrow-field instruments were pointed at the burst within 10 minutes of the trigger. Using data…
Observations of very early multi-wavelength afterglows are critical to reveal the properties of the radiating fireball and its environment as well as the central engine of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We report our optical observations of GRB…
GRB 000926 has one of the best-studied afterglows to-date, with multiple X-ray observations, as well as extensive multi-frequency optical and radio coverage. Broadband afterglow observations, spanning from X-ray to radio frequencies,…
Due to their relation to massive stars, long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) allow pinpointing star formation in galaxies independently of redshift, dust obscuration, or galaxy mass/size, thus providing a unique tool to investigate the…
The absorption feature detected in the prompt X-ray emission of GRB990705 has important consequences for its circum-burst environment and therefore on its afterglows. Here we investigate whether the circum-burst environment constrained by…
Gamma-ray bursts are promising tools for tracing the formation of high redshift stars, including the first generation. At very high redshifts the reverse shock emission lasts longer in the observer frame, and its importance for detection…
We describe a new method to measure the escape fraction fesc of ionizing radiation from distant star-forming galaxies using the afterglow spectra of long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Optical spectra of GRB afterglows allow us to…
We present a study of the extinction and depletion-derived dust properties of gamma-ray burst (GRB) absorbers at $1<z<3$ showing the presence of neutral carbon (\ion{C}{I}). By modelling their parametric extinction laws, we discover a broad…
Four years after the launch the Swift satellite the nature of the Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) broadband afterglow behaviour is still an open issue ad the standard external shock fireball models cannot easily explain the puzzling combined…