Related papers: A Susy Phase Transition as Central Engine
Decades of improving data and extensive theoretical research have led to a popular model of gamma-ray bursts. According to this model, a catastrophic event in a stellar system results in the formation of a compact central engine, which…
The observational diversity of ``gamma-ray bursts'' (GRBs) has been increasing, and the natural inclination is a proliferation of models. We explore the possibility that at least part of this diversity is a consequence of a single basic…
Leading models for the "central engine" of long, soft gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are briefly reviewed with emphasis on the collapsar model. Growing evidence supports the hypothesis that GRBs are a supernova-like phenomenon occurring in star…
A notable feature of the two standard models for thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae is that, although these two models are fundamentally different, the respective supernova types have quite similar rates and appearances. For…
The cosmological standard model at present is widely accepted as containing mainly things we do not understand. In particular the appearance of a Cosmological Constant, or dark energy, is puzzling. This was first inferred from the Hubble…
Supernova theory, numerical and analytic, has made remarkable progress in the past decade. This progress was made possible by more sophisticated simulation tools, especially for neutrino transport, improved microphysics, and deeper insights…
The millisecond proto-magnetar model for the central engine of long-duration gamma-ray bursts is briefly reviewed. Limitations and uncertainties in the model are highlighted. A short discussion of the maximum energy, maximum duration,…
The energy source of the giant HI supershells in nearby galaxies and in our own is still an unsettled issue. Proposed scenarios for production of near-complete ringlike supershells are multiple supernovae (SNe) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs).…
Bright bursts of gamma rays from outer space have been puzzling Astronomers for more than thirty years and there is still no conceptually complete model for the phenomenon within the standard model of particle physics. Is it time to…
Core-collapse supernova explosions play a wide role in astrophysics by producing compact remnants (neutron stars, black holes) and the synthesis and injection of many heavy elements into their host Galaxy. Because they are produced in some…
Recent gamma-ray burst observations have revealed late-time, highly energetic events which deviate from the simplest expectations of the standard fireball picture. Instead they may indicate that the central engine is active or restarted at…
In this paper, we first discuss a series of important but puzzling physical mechanisms concerning the energy source, various kinds of core collapsed supernovae explosion mechanisms during central gravitational collapse in astrophysics. We…
The last five years have seen growing challenges to the traditional paradigm of a core collapse supernova powered by the neutrino emission of a young proto-neutron star. Chief among these challenges are gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and the…
Within the framework of the internal-external shocks model for gamma-ray bursts, we study the various mechanisms that can give rise to quiescent times in the observed gamma-ray light-curves. In particular, we look for the signatures that…
The rapidly growing base of observational data for supernova explosions of massive stars demands theoretical explanations. Central of these is a self-consistent model for the physical mechanism that provides the energy to start and drive…
A long-lived central engine embedded in expanding supernova ejecta can alter the dynamics and observational signatures of the event, producing an unusually luminous, energetic, and/or rapidly-evolving transient. We use two-dimensional…
Understanding how massive stars die as supernovae is a crucial question in modern astrophysics. Supernovae are powerful stellar explosions and key drivers in the cosmic baryonic cycles by injecting their explosion energy and heavy elements…
Discovered over forty years ago, Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) remain a forefront topic in modern astrophysics. Perhaps the most fundamental question associated with GRBs is the nature of the astrophysical agent (or agents) that ultimately powers…
The explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae is a long-standing problem in stellar astrophysics. We briefly outline the main contenders for a solution and review recent efforts to model core-collapse supernova explosions by means of…
Core-collapse supernovae are dramatic explosions marking the catastrophic end of massive stars. The only means to get direct information about the supernova engine is from observations of neutrinos emitted by the forming neutron star, and…