scholarly journals Introduction: recent developments in the study of gamma-ray bursts

2007 ◽  
Vol 365 (1854) ◽  
pp. 1111-1118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Wells ◽  
Ralph A.M.J Wijers ◽  
Martin J Rees
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Local Environments ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Wave Emission ◽  
Very High

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely powerful explosions, originating at cosmological distances, whose outbursts persist for durations ranging from milliseconds to tens of seconds or more. In these brief moments, the explosions radiate more energy than the Sun will release in its entire 10 Gyr lifetime. Current theories attribute these phenomena to the final collapse of a massive star, or the coalescence of a binary system induced by gravity wave emission. New results from Swift and related programmes offer fresh understanding of the physics of GRBs, and of the local environments and host galaxies of burst progenitors. Bursts found at very high red shifts are new tools for exploring the intergalactic medium, the first stars and the earliest stages of galaxy formation. This Royal Society Discussion Meeting has brought together leading figures in the field, together with young researchers and students, to discuss and review the latest results from NASA's Swift Gamma-ray Burst Observatory and elsewhere, and to examine their impact on current understanding of the observed phenomena.

scholarly journals No supernovae detected in two long-duration gamma-ray bursts

2007 ◽  
Vol 365 (1854) ◽  
pp. 1269-1275 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Watson ◽  
J.P.U Fynbo ◽  
C.C Thöne ◽  
J Sollerman
Keyword(s):  
Massive Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Compact Star ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Host Galaxy ◽  
Core Collapse ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Spiral Arm

There is strong evidence that long-duration gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are produced during the collapse of a massive star. In the standard version of the collapsar model, a broad-lined and luminous Type Ic core-collapse supernova (SN) accompanies the GRB. This association has been confirmed in observations of several nearby GRBs. Recent observations show that some long-duration GRBs are different. No SN emission accompanied the long-duration GRBs 060505 and 060614 down to limits fainter than any known Type Ic SN and hundreds of times fainter than the archetypal SN 1998bw that accompanied GRB 980425. Multi-band observations of the early afterglows, as well as spectroscopy of the host galaxies, exclude the possibility of significant dust obscuration. Furthermore, the bursts originated in star-forming galaxies, and in the case of GRB 060505, the burst was localized to a compact star-forming knot in a spiral arm of its host galaxy. We find that the properties of the host galaxies, the long duration of the bursts and, in the case of GRB 060505, the location of the burst within its host, all imply a massive stellar origin. The absence of an SN to such deep limits therefore suggests a new phenomenological type of massive stellar death.

scholarly journals The Cosmic Chemical Evolution as seen by the Brightest Events in the Universe

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (S265) ◽  
pp. 139-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Savaglio
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Evolution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Galaxy Surveys ◽  
Galaxy Formation And Evolution ◽  
Formation And Evolution ◽  
Field Galaxy ◽  
The Universe

AbstractGamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the brightest events in the universe. They have been used in the last five years to study the cosmic chemical evolution, from the local universe to the first stars. The sample size is still relatively small when compared to field galaxy surveys. However, GRBs show a universe that is surprising. At z > 2, the cold interstellar medium in galaxies is chemically evolved, with a mean metallicity of about 1/10 solar. At lower redshift (z < 1), metallicities of the ionized gas are relatively low, on average 1/6 solar. Not only is there no evidence of redshift evolution in the interval 0 < z < 6.3, but also the dispersion in the ~30 objects is large. This suggests that the metallicity of host galaxies is not the physical quantity triggering GRB events. From the investigation of other galaxy parameters, it emerges that active star-formation might be a stronger requirement to produce a GRB. Several recent striking results strongly support the idea that GRB studies open a new view on our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution, back to the very primordial universe at z ~ 8.

scholarly journals Cosmic Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Big Picture

2005 ◽  
Vol 192 ◽  
pp. 433-439
Author(s):  
Kevin Hurley
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
X Rays ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Star Forming ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Big Picture

SummaryA “typical” GRB occurs in a star-forming region of a galaxy at a redshift z~1. In currently popular models, it is caused by the collapse of a massive star which has exhausted its nuclear fuel supply. The star collapses to a black hole threaded by a strong magnetic field, and possibly fed by an accretion torus. Through a variety of processes, electrons are accelerated and gamma-rays, X-rays, optical light, and radio emission ensue, with durations from seconds to years. In this talk, I will review the general observational properties of bursts, their afterglows and host galaxies, and some of the open questions about them.

scholarly journals THE HOST GALAXIES OFSWIFTDARK GAMMA-RAY BURSTS: OBSERVATIONAL CONSTRAINTS ON HIGHLY OBSCURED AND VERY HIGH REDSHIFT GRBs

2009 ◽  
Vol 138 (6) ◽  
pp. 1690-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Perley ◽  
S. B. Cenko ◽  
J. S. Bloom ◽  
H.-W. Chen ◽  
N. R. Butler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Observational Constraints ◽  
Host Galaxies ◽  
Very High

scholarly journals Gravitational waves from mountains in newly born millisecond magnetars

2021 ◽  
Vol 502 (4) ◽  
pp. 4680-4688
Author(s):  
Ankan Sur ◽  
Brynmor Haskell
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gravitational Waves ◽  
Massive Star ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Dipole Radiation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Binary Neutron Star ◽  
Spin Period ◽  
Lower Maximum ◽  
Wave Emission

ABSTRACT In this paper, we study the spin-evolution and gravitational-wave luminosity of a newly born millisecond magnetar, formed either after the collapse of a massive star or after the merger of two neutron stars. In both cases, we consider the effect of fallback accretion; and consider the evolution of the system due to the different torques acting on the star, namely the spin-up torque due to accretion and spin-down torques due to magnetic dipole radiation, neutrino emission, and gravitational-wave emission linked to the formation of a ‘mountain’ on the accretion poles. Initially, the spin period is mostly affected by the dipole radiation, but at later times, accretion spin the star up rapidly. We find that a magnetar formed after the collapse of a massive star can accrete up to 1 M⊙, and survive on the order of 50 s before collapsing to a black hole. The gravitational-wave strain, for an object located at 1 Mpc, is hc ∼ 10−23 at kHz frequencies, making this a potential target for next-generation ground-based detectors. A magnetar formed after a binary neutron star merger, on the other hand, accretes at the most 0.2 M⊙ and emits gravitational waves with a lower maximum strain of the order of hc ∼ 10−24, but also survives for much longer times, and may possibly be associated with the X-ray plateau observed in the light curve of a number of short gamma-ray burst.

scholarly journals Interpreting the X-ray afterglows of gamma-ray bursts with radiative losses and millisecond magnetars

2020 ◽  
Vol 499 (4) ◽  
pp. 5986-5992
Author(s):  
Nikhil Sarin ◽  
Paul D Lasky ◽  
Gregory Ashton
Keyword(s):  
Gravitational Wave ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Dipole Radiation ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Radiative Efficiency ◽  
Central Engine ◽  
Radiative Losses ◽  
Wave Emission ◽  
Prompt Emission

ABSTRACT The spin-down energy of millisecond magnetars has been invoked to explain X-ray afterglow observations of a significant fraction of short and long gamma-ray bursts. Here, we extend models previously introduced in the literature, incorporating radiative losses with the spin-down of a magnetar central engine through an arbitrary braking index. Combining this with a model for the tail of the prompt emission, we show that our model can better explain the data than millisecond-magnetar models without radiative losses or those that invoke spin-down solely through vacuum dipole radiation. We find that our model predicts a subset of X-ray flares seen in some gamma-ray bursts. We can further explain the diversity of X-ray plateaus by altering the radiative efficiency and measure the braking index of newly born millisecond magnetars. We measure the braking index of GRB061121 as $n=4.85^{+0.11}_{-0.15}$ suggesting the millisecond-magnetar born in this gamma-ray burst spins down predominantly through gravitational-wave emission.

scholarly journals Gamma‐Ray Bursts as a Probe of the Very High Redshift Universe

2000 ◽  
Vol 536 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Q. Lamb ◽  
Daniel E. Reichart
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
High Redshift ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
High Redshift Universe ◽  
Very High

scholarly journals High-energy emission from gamma-ray bursts

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (13) ◽  
pp. 1842003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Nava
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Large Area ◽  
High Energies ◽  
Energy Emission ◽  
High Energy Emission ◽  
Very High

The number of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) detected at high energies ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV) has seen a rapid increase over the last decade, thanks to observations from the Fermi-Large Area Telescope. The improved statistics and quality of data resulted in a better characterization of the high-energy emission properties and in stronger constraints on theoretical models. In spite of the many achievements and progresses, several observational properties still represent a challenge for theoretical models, revealing how our understanding is far from being complete. This paper reviews the main spectral and temporal properties of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV emission from GRBs and summarizes the most promising theoretical models proposed to interpret the observations. Since a boost for the understanding of GeV radiation might come from observations at even higher energies, the present status and future prospects for observations at very-high energies (above [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]100[Formula: see text]GeV) are also discussed. The improved sensitivity of upcoming facilities, coupled to theoretical predictions, supports the concrete possibility for future ground GRB detections in the high/very-high energy domain.

scholarly journals The Redshift Dependence of the Radio Flux of Gamma-Ray Bursts and Their Host Galaxies

2018 ◽  
Vol 865 (2) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. B. Zhang ◽  
P. Chandra ◽  
Y. F. Huang ◽  
D. Li
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Gamma Ray Bursts ◽  
Radio Flux ◽  
Host Galaxies
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